diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index d221841c42..dbd8c18f36 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -797,10 +797,6 @@ static void virt_powerdown_req(Notifier *n, void *opaque)
     qemu_set_irq(qdev_get_gpio_in(gpio_key_dev, 0), 1);
 }
 
-static Notifier virt_system_powerdown_notifier = {
-    .notify = virt_powerdown_req
-};
-
 static void create_gpio(const VirtMachineState *vms, qemu_irq *pic)
 {
     char *nodename;
@@ -841,10 +837,6 @@ static void create_gpio(const VirtMachineState *vms, qemu_irq *pic)
                           KEY_POWER);
     qemu_fdt_setprop_cells(vms->fdt, "/gpio-keys/poweroff",
                            "gpios", phandle, 3, 0);
-
-    /* connect powerdown request */
-    qemu_register_powerdown_notifier(&virt_system_powerdown_notifier);
-
     g_free(nodename);
 }
 
@@ -1737,6 +1729,10 @@ static void machvirt_init(MachineState *machine)
         vms->acpi_dev = create_acpi_ged(vms, pic);
     }
 
+     /* connect powerdown request */
+     vms->powerdown_notifier.notify = virt_powerdown_req;
+     qemu_register_powerdown_notifier(&vms->powerdown_notifier);
+
     /* Create mmio transports, so the user can create virtio backends
      * (which will be automatically plugged in to the transports). If
      * no backend is created the transport will just sit harmlessly idle.
diff --git a/include/hw/arm/virt.h b/include/hw/arm/virt.h
index 577ee49b4b..0b41083e9d 100644
--- a/include/hw/arm/virt.h
+++ b/include/hw/arm/virt.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int psci_conduit;
     hwaddr highest_gpa;
     DeviceState *acpi_dev;
+    Notifier powerdown_notifier;
 } VirtMachineState;
 
 #define VIRT_ECAM_ID(high) (high ? VIRT_HIGH_PCIE_ECAM : VIRT_PCIE_ECAM)