diff --git a/hw/acpi/piix4.c b/hw/acpi/piix4.c
index 3bcd890567..93849c8d36 100644
--- a/hw/acpi/piix4.c
+++ b/hw/acpi/piix4.c
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ static void acpi_piix_eject_slot(PIIX4PMState *s, unsigned slots)
             if (pc->no_hotplug) {
                 slot_free = false;
             } else {
-                qdev_free(qdev);
+                object_unparent(OBJECT(qdev));
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/hw/core/qdev.c b/hw/core/qdev.c
index 533f6dd122..e374a9399f 100644
--- a/hw/core/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/core/qdev.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ int qdev_init(DeviceState *dev)
     if (local_err != NULL) {
         qerror_report_err(local_err);
         error_free(local_err);
-        qdev_free(dev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
         return -1;
     }
     return 0;
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ void qbus_reset_all_fn(void *opaque)
 int qdev_simple_unplug_cb(DeviceState *dev)
 {
     /* just zap it */
-    qdev_free(dev);
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -280,12 +280,6 @@ void qdev_init_nofail(DeviceState *dev)
     }
 }
 
-/* Unlink device from bus and free the structure.  */
-void qdev_free(DeviceState *dev)
-{
-    object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
-}
-
 void qdev_machine_creation_done(void)
 {
     /*
@@ -458,7 +452,7 @@ static void bus_unparent(Object *obj)
 
     while ((kid = QTAILQ_FIRST(&bus->children)) != NULL) {
         DeviceState *dev = kid->child;
-        qdev_free(dev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
     }
     if (bus->parent) {
         QLIST_REMOVE(bus, sibling);
diff --git a/hw/pci/pci-hotplug-old.c b/hw/pci/pci-hotplug-old.c
index 619fe473e8..8dbc3c1cab 100644
--- a/hw/pci/pci-hotplug-old.c
+++ b/hw/pci/pci-hotplug-old.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static PCIDevice *qemu_pci_hot_add_storage(Monitor *mon,
         }
         dev = pci_create(bus, devfn, "virtio-blk-pci");
         if (qdev_prop_set_drive(&dev->qdev, "drive", dinfo->bdrv) < 0) {
-            qdev_free(&dev->qdev);
+            object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
             dev = NULL;
             break;
         }
diff --git a/hw/pci/pci_bridge.c b/hw/pci/pci_bridge.c
index e6b22b860f..290ababb8b 100644
--- a/hw/pci/pci_bridge.c
+++ b/hw/pci/pci_bridge.c
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ void pci_bridge_exitfn(PCIDevice *pci_dev)
     pci_bridge_region_cleanup(s, s->windows);
     memory_region_destroy(&s->address_space_mem);
     memory_region_destroy(&s->address_space_io);
-    /* qbus_free() is called automatically by qdev_free() */
+    /* qbus_free() is called automatically during device deletion */
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/hw/pci/pcie.c b/hw/pci/pcie.c
index 268a696646..ca60cf2177 100644
--- a/hw/pci/pcie.c
+++ b/hw/pci/pcie.c
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ static int pcie_cap_slot_hotplug(DeviceState *qdev,
                                    PCI_EXP_SLTSTA_PDS);
         pcie_cap_slot_event(d, PCI_EXP_HP_EV_PDC);
     } else {
-        qdev_free(&pci_dev->qdev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(pci_dev));
         pci_word_test_and_clear_mask(exp_cap + PCI_EXP_SLTSTA,
                                      PCI_EXP_SLTSTA_PDS);
         pcie_cap_slot_event(d, PCI_EXP_HP_EV_PDC);
diff --git a/hw/pci/shpc.c b/hw/pci/shpc.c
index 0bbd36e272..576244b9f6 100644
--- a/hw/pci/shpc.c
+++ b/hw/pci/shpc.c
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ static void shpc_free_devices_in_slot(SHPCDevice *shpc, int slot)
          ++devfn) {
         PCIDevice *affected_dev = shpc->sec_bus->devices[devfn];
         if (affected_dev) {
-            qdev_free(&affected_dev->qdev);
+            object_unparent(OBJECT(affected_dev));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c b/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
index cd67db5e5b..f93a81c7cd 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ static int virtio_ccw_busdev_unplug(DeviceState *dev)
 
     css_generate_sch_crws(sch->cssid, sch->ssid, sch->schid, 1, 0);
 
-    qdev_free(dev);
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c b/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c
index 24ec52f8f9..ea916d1466 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ static int scsi_qdev_init(DeviceState *qdev)
         d = scsi_device_find(bus, dev->channel, dev->id, dev->lun);
         assert(d);
         if (d->lun == dev->lun && dev != d) {
-            qdev_free(&d->qdev);
+            object_unparent(OBJECT(d));
         }
     }
 
@@ -231,13 +231,13 @@ SCSIDevice *scsi_bus_legacy_add_drive(SCSIBus *bus, BlockDriverState *bdrv,
     }
     if (qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", bdrv) < 0) {
         error_setg(errp, "Setting drive property failed");
-        qdev_free(dev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
         return NULL;
     }
     object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(dev), true, "realized", &err);
     if (err != NULL) {
         error_propagate(errp, err);
-        qdev_free(dev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
         return NULL;
     }
     return SCSI_DEVICE(dev);
diff --git a/hw/usb/bus.c b/hw/usb/bus.c
index 72d5b92225..ca329bef29 100644
--- a/hw/usb/bus.c
+++ b/hw/usb/bus.c
@@ -356,8 +356,9 @@ void usb_port_location(USBPort *downstream, USBPort *upstream, int portnr)
 
 void usb_unregister_port(USBBus *bus, USBPort *port)
 {
-    if (port->dev)
-        qdev_free(&port->dev->qdev);
+    if (port->dev) {
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(port->dev));
+    }
     QTAILQ_REMOVE(&bus->free, port, next);
     bus->nfree--;
 }
@@ -505,7 +506,7 @@ int usb_device_delete_addr(int busnr, int addr)
         return -1;
     dev = port->dev;
 
-    qdev_free(&dev->qdev);
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/usb/dev-storage.c b/hw/usb/dev-storage.c
index 1d81ac2a6b..c434c5680f 100644
--- a/hw/usb/dev-storage.c
+++ b/hw/usb/dev-storage.c
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ static USBDevice *usb_msd_init(USBBus *bus, const char *filename)
         return NULL;
     }
     if (qdev_prop_set_drive(&dev->qdev, "drive", dinfo->bdrv) < 0) {
-        qdev_free(&dev->qdev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
         return NULL;
     }
     if (qdev_init(&dev->qdev) < 0)
diff --git a/hw/usb/host-legacy.c b/hw/usb/host-legacy.c
index 3a5f705721..3cc9c4282c 100644
--- a/hw/usb/host-legacy.c
+++ b/hw/usb/host-legacy.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ USBDevice *usb_host_device_open(USBBus *bus, const char *devname)
     return dev;
 
 fail:
-    qdev_free(&dev->qdev);
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
     return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.c b/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.c
index 6849a018a9..e6b103c991 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.c
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ void virtio_bus_reset(VirtioBusState *bus)
 /* Destroy the VirtIODevice */
 void virtio_bus_destroy_device(VirtioBusState *bus)
 {
-    DeviceState *qdev;
     BusState *qbus = BUS(bus);
     VirtioBusClass *klass = VIRTIO_BUS_GET_CLASS(bus);
     DPRINTF("%s: remove device.\n", qbus->name);
@@ -76,8 +75,7 @@ void virtio_bus_destroy_device(VirtioBusState *bus)
         if (klass->device_unplug != NULL) {
             klass->device_unplug(qbus->parent);
         }
-        qdev = DEVICE(bus->vdev);
-        qdev_free(qdev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(bus->vdev));
         bus->vdev = NULL;
     }
 }
diff --git a/hw/xen/xen_platform.c b/hw/xen/xen_platform.c
index 79bf0b33d3..70875e4122 100644
--- a/hw/xen/xen_platform.c
+++ b/hw/xen/xen_platform.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ static void unplug_nic(PCIBus *b, PCIDevice *d, void *o)
     if (pci_get_word(d->config + PCI_CLASS_DEVICE) ==
             PCI_CLASS_NETWORK_ETHERNET
             && strcmp(d->name, "xen-pci-passthrough") != 0) {
-        qdev_free(DEVICE(d));
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(d));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/include/hw/qdev-core.h b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
index e191ca0bd2..f2043a69c2 100644
--- a/include/hw/qdev-core.h
+++ b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ void qdev_init_nofail(DeviceState *dev);
 void qdev_set_legacy_instance_id(DeviceState *dev, int alias_id,
                                  int required_for_version);
 void qdev_unplug(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp);
-void qdev_free(DeviceState *dev);
 int qdev_simple_unplug_cb(DeviceState *dev);
 void qdev_machine_creation_done(void);
 bool qdev_machine_modified(void);
diff --git a/qdev-monitor.c b/qdev-monitor.c
index 9099d3d8f1..8e8ed4c131 100644
--- a/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts)
         qdev->id = id;
     }
     if (qemu_opt_foreach(opts, set_property, qdev, 1) != 0) {
-        qdev_free(qdev);
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(qdev));
         object_unref(OBJECT(qdev));
         return NULL;
     }