diff --git a/hw/arm/xlnx-zcu102.c b/hw/arm/xlnx-zcu102.c
index 53cfe7c1f1..bd645ad818 100644
--- a/hw/arm/xlnx-zcu102.c
+++ b/hw/arm/xlnx-zcu102.c
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ typedef struct XlnxZCU102 {
     MachineState parent_obj;
 
     XlnxZynqMPState soc;
-    MemoryRegion ddr_ram;
 
     bool secure;
     bool virt;
@@ -87,13 +86,10 @@ static void xlnx_zcu102_init(MachineState *machine)
                  ram_size);
     }
 
-    memory_region_allocate_system_memory(&s->ddr_ram, NULL, "ddr-ram",
-                                         ram_size);
-
     object_initialize_child(OBJECT(machine), "soc", &s->soc, sizeof(s->soc),
                             TYPE_XLNX_ZYNQMP, &error_abort, NULL);
 
-    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&s->soc), OBJECT(&s->ddr_ram),
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&s->soc), OBJECT(machine->ram),
                          "ddr-ram", &error_abort);
     object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&s->soc), s->secure, "secure",
                              &error_fatal);
@@ -211,6 +207,7 @@ static void xlnx_zcu102_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->ignore_memory_transaction_failures = true;
     mc->max_cpus = XLNX_ZYNQMP_NUM_APU_CPUS + XLNX_ZYNQMP_NUM_RPU_CPUS;
     mc->default_cpus = XLNX_ZYNQMP_NUM_APU_CPUS;
+    mc->default_ram_id = "ddr-ram";
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo xlnx_zcu102_machine_init_typeinfo = {