diff --git a/qom/object.c b/qom/object.c
index a9760d5276..b2bc87b0dc 100644
--- a/qom/object.c
+++ b/qom/object.c
@@ -1844,19 +1844,23 @@ static void object_release_link_property(Object *obj, const char *name,
     g_free(prop);
 }
 
-void object_property_add_link(Object *obj, const char *name,
-                              const char *type, Object **targetp,
-                              void (*check)(const Object *, const char *,
-                                            Object *, Error **),
-                              ObjectPropertyLinkFlags flags,
-                              Error **errp)
+static void object_add_link_prop(Object *obj, const char *name,
+                                 const char *type, void *ptr,
+                                 void (*check)(const Object *, const char *,
+                                               Object *, Error **),
+                                 ObjectPropertyLinkFlags flags,
+                                 Error **errp)
 {
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     LinkProperty *prop = g_malloc(sizeof(*prop));
     gchar *full_type;
     ObjectProperty *op;
 
-    prop->targetp = targetp;
+    if (flags & OBJ_PROP_LINK_DIRECT) {
+        prop->target = ptr;
+    } else {
+        prop->targetp = ptr;
+    }
     prop->check = check;
     prop->flags = flags;
 
@@ -1880,20 +1884,21 @@ out:
     g_free(full_type);
 }
 
+void object_property_add_link(Object *obj, const char *name,
+                              const char *type, Object **targetp,
+                              void (*check)(const Object *, const char *,
+                                            Object *, Error **),
+                              ObjectPropertyLinkFlags flags,
+                              Error **errp)
+{
+    object_add_link_prop(obj, name, type, targetp, check, flags, errp);
+}
+
 void object_property_add_const_link(Object *obj, const char *name,
                                     Object *target, Error **errp)
 {
-    char *link_type;
-    ObjectProperty *op;
-
-    link_type = g_strdup_printf("link<%s>", object_get_typename(target));
-    op = object_property_add(obj, name, link_type,
-                             object_get_child_property, NULL,
-                             NULL, target, errp);
-    if (op != NULL) {
-        op->resolve = object_resolve_child_property;
-    }
-    g_free(link_type);
+    object_add_link_prop(obj, name, object_get_typename(target), target,
+                         NULL, OBJ_PROP_LINK_DIRECT, errp);
 }
 
 gchar *object_get_canonical_path_component(Object *obj)