diff --git a/hw/arm/bcm2836.c b/hw/arm/bcm2836.c
index fcb2c9c3e7..7d975cf2f5 100644
--- a/hw/arm/bcm2836.c
+++ b/hw/arm/bcm2836.c
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ static void bcm2836_init(Object *obj)
         qdev_prop_set_uint32(DEVICE(obj), "enabled-cpus", bc->core_count);
     }
 
-    object_initialize_child(obj, "control", &s->control, TYPE_BCM2836_CONTROL);
+    if (bc->ctrl_base) {
+        object_initialize_child(obj, "control", &s->control,
+                                TYPE_BCM2836_CONTROL);
+    }
 
     object_initialize_child(obj, "peripherals", &s->peripherals,
                             TYPE_BCM2835_PERIPHERALS);
@@ -62,12 +65,11 @@ static void bcm2836_init(Object *obj)
                               "vcram-size");
 }
 
-static void bcm2836_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
+static bool bcm283x_common_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     BCM283XState *s = BCM283X(dev);
     BCM283XClass *bc = BCM283X_GET_CLASS(dev);
     Object *obj;
-    int n;
 
     /* common peripherals from bcm2835 */
 
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ static void bcm2836_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&s->peripherals), "ram", obj);
 
     if (!sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->peripherals), errp)) {
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     object_property_add_alias(OBJECT(s), "sd-bus", OBJECT(&s->peripherals),
@@ -84,6 +86,18 @@ static void bcm2836_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     sysbus_mmio_map_overlap(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->peripherals), 0,
                             bc->peri_base, 1);
+    return true;
+}
+
+static void bcm2836_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
+{
+    BCM283XState *s = BCM283X(dev);
+    BCM283XClass *bc = BCM283X_GET_CLASS(dev);
+    int n;
+
+    if (!bcm283x_common_realize(dev, errp)) {
+        return;
+    }
 
     /* bcm2836 interrupt controller (and mailboxes, etc.) */
     if (!sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->control), errp)) {