diff --git a/hw/arm/aspeed_ast2600.c b/hw/arm/aspeed_ast2600.c
index 810fd7de0c..be88005dab 100644
--- a/hw/arm/aspeed_ast2600.c
+++ b/hw/arm/aspeed_ast2600.c
@@ -183,9 +183,6 @@ static void aspeed_soc_ast2600_init(Object *obj)
 
         sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "mii[*]", &s->mii[i], sizeof(s->mii[i]),
                               TYPE_ASPEED_MII);
-        object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&s->mii[i]), "nic",
-                                       OBJECT(&s->ftgmac100[i]),
-                                       &error_abort);
     }
 
     sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "xdma", OBJECT(&s->xdma), sizeof(s->xdma),
@@ -441,6 +438,8 @@ static void aspeed_soc_ast2600_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->ftgmac100[i]), 0,
                            aspeed_soc_get_irq(s, ASPEED_ETH1 + i));
 
+        object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&s->mii[i]), OBJECT(&s->ftgmac100[i]),
+                                 "nic", &error_abort);
         object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&s->mii[i]), true, "realized",
                                  &err);
         if (err) {
diff --git a/hw/net/ftgmac100.c b/hw/net/ftgmac100.c
index eb8b441461..86ac25894a 100644
--- a/hw/net/ftgmac100.c
+++ b/hw/net/ftgmac100.c
@@ -1204,17 +1204,8 @@ static void aspeed_mii_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     AspeedMiiState *s = ASPEED_MII(dev);
     SysBusDevice *sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
-    Object *obj;
-    Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-    obj = object_property_get_link(OBJECT(dev), "nic", &local_err);
-    if (!obj) {
-        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        error_prepend(errp, "required link 'nic' not found: ");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    s->nic = FTGMAC100(obj);
+    assert(s->nic);
 
     memory_region_init_io(&s->iomem, OBJECT(dev), &aspeed_mii_ops, s,
                           TYPE_ASPEED_MII, 0x8);
@@ -1231,6 +1222,13 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_aspeed_mii = {
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     }
 };
+
+static Property aspeed_mii_properties[] = {
+    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("nic", AspeedMiiState, nic, TYPE_FTGMAC100,
+                     FTGMAC100State *),
+    DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
+};
+
 static void aspeed_mii_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -1239,6 +1237,7 @@ static void aspeed_mii_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->reset = aspeed_mii_reset;
     dc->realize = aspeed_mii_realize;
     dc->desc = "Aspeed MII controller";
+    dc->props = aspeed_mii_properties;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo aspeed_mii_info = {