diff --git a/hw/arm/musicpal.c b/hw/arm/musicpal.c
index 3dafb41b0b..ac266f9253 100644
--- a/hw/arm/musicpal.c
+++ b/hw/arm/musicpal.c
@@ -1695,7 +1695,8 @@ static void musicpal_init(MachineState *machine)
     wm8750_dev = i2c_create_slave(i2c, TYPE_WM8750, MP_WM_ADDR);
     dev = qdev_create(NULL, "mv88w8618_audio");
     s = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
-    qdev_prop_set_ptr(dev, TYPE_WM8750, wm8750_dev);
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(dev), OBJECT(wm8750_dev),
+                             TYPE_WM8750, NULL);
     qdev_init_nofail(dev);
     sysbus_mmio_map(s, 0, MP_AUDIO_BASE);
     sysbus_connect_irq(s, 0, pic[MP_AUDIO_IRQ]);
diff --git a/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c b/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c
index cf6ce6979b..1c7080e844 100644
--- a/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c
+++ b/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "hw/i2c/i2c.h"
 #include "hw/audio/wm8750.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
 
 #define MP_AUDIO_SIZE           0x00001000
 
@@ -252,6 +253,11 @@ static void mv88w8618_audio_init(Object *obj)
     memory_region_init_io(&s->iomem, obj, &mv88w8618_audio_ops, s,
                           "audio", MP_AUDIO_SIZE);
     sysbus_init_mmio(dev, &s->iomem);
+
+    object_property_add_link(OBJECT(dev), "wm8750", TYPE_WM8750,
+                             (Object **) &s->wm,
+                             qdev_prop_allow_set_link_before_realize,
+                             0, &error_abort);
 }
 
 static void mv88w8618_audio_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
@@ -279,11 +285,6 @@ static const VMStateDescription mv88w8618_audio_vmsd = {
     }
 };
 
-static Property mv88w8618_audio_properties[] = {
-    DEFINE_PROP_PTR(TYPE_WM8750, mv88w8618_audio_state, wm),
-    {/* end of list */},
-};
-
 static void mv88w8618_audio_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -291,8 +292,6 @@ static void mv88w8618_audio_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->realize = mv88w8618_audio_realize;
     dc->reset = mv88w8618_audio_reset;
     dc->vmsd = &mv88w8618_audio_vmsd;
-    dc->props = mv88w8618_audio_properties;
-    /* Reason: pointer property "wm8750" */
     dc->user_creatable = false;
 }