diff --git a/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c b/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c
index aabb36a934..35c996d4a1 100644
--- a/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c
+++ b/hw/char/virtio-serial-bus.c
@@ -960,8 +960,6 @@ static int virtio_serial_device_init(VirtIODevice *vdev)
     vdev->set_status = set_status;
     vdev->reset = vser_reset;
 
-    vser->qdev = qdev;
-
     vser->post_load = NULL;
 
     /*
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-serial.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-serial.h
index 3808bc3038..7c71304d10 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-serial.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-serial.h
@@ -200,8 +200,6 @@ struct VirtIOSerial {
 
     VirtIOSerialBus bus;
 
-    DeviceState *qdev;
-
     QTAILQ_HEAD(, VirtIOSerialPort) ports;
 
     /* bitmap for identifying active ports */