diff --git a/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c b/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c
index 3955f0f741..c9b0fc8325 100644
--- a/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c
+++ b/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  * GNU GPL, version 2 or (at your option) any later version.
  */
 
+#define VMSTATE_VIRTIO_DEVICE_USE_NEW
+
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qemu/iov.h"
@@ -778,12 +780,6 @@ static int fetch_active_ports_list(QEMUFile *f,
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int virtio_serial_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, size_t size)
-{
-    /* The virtio device */
-    return virtio_load(VIRTIO_DEVICE(opaque), f, 3);
-}
-
 static int virtio_serial_load_device(VirtIODevice *vdev, QEMUFile *f,
                                      int version_id)
 {
@@ -1129,7 +1125,15 @@ static void virtio_serial_device_unrealize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 }
 
 /* Note: 'console' is used for backwards compatibility */
-VMSTATE_VIRTIO_DEVICE(console, 3, virtio_serial_load, virtio_vmstate_save);
+static const VMStateDescription vmstate_virtio_console = {
+    .name = "virtio-console",
+    .minimum_version_id = 3,
+    .version_id = 3,
+    .fields = (VMStateField[]) {
+        VMSTATE_VIRTIO_DEVICE,
+        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    },
+};
 
 static Property virtio_serial_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("max_ports", VirtIOSerial, serial.max_virtserial_ports,