diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c
index 264ddc166d..3b05bab44d 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c
@@ -715,43 +715,18 @@ void vhost_svq_stop(VhostShadowVirtqueue *svq)
  * @iova_tree: Tree to perform descriptors translations
  * @ops: SVQ owner callbacks
  * @ops_opaque: ops opaque pointer
- *
- * Returns the new virtqueue or NULL.
- *
- * In case of error, reason is reported through error_report.
  */
 VhostShadowVirtqueue *vhost_svq_new(VhostIOVATree *iova_tree,
                                     const VhostShadowVirtqueueOps *ops,
                                     void *ops_opaque)
 {
-    g_autofree VhostShadowVirtqueue *svq = g_new0(VhostShadowVirtqueue, 1);
-    int r;
-
-    r = event_notifier_init(&svq->hdev_kick, 0);
-    if (r != 0) {
-        error_report("Couldn't create kick event notifier: %s (%d)",
-                     g_strerror(errno), errno);
-        goto err_init_hdev_kick;
-    }
-
-    r = event_notifier_init(&svq->hdev_call, 0);
-    if (r != 0) {
-        error_report("Couldn't create call event notifier: %s (%d)",
-                     g_strerror(errno), errno);
-        goto err_init_hdev_call;
-    }
+    VhostShadowVirtqueue *svq = g_new0(VhostShadowVirtqueue, 1);
 
     event_notifier_init_fd(&svq->svq_kick, VHOST_FILE_UNBIND);
     svq->iova_tree = iova_tree;
     svq->ops = ops;
     svq->ops_opaque = ops_opaque;
-    return g_steal_pointer(&svq);
-
-err_init_hdev_call:
-    event_notifier_cleanup(&svq->hdev_kick);
-
-err_init_hdev_kick:
-    return NULL;
+    return svq;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -763,7 +738,5 @@ void vhost_svq_free(gpointer pvq)
 {
     VhostShadowVirtqueue *vq = pvq;
     vhost_svq_stop(vq);
-    event_notifier_cleanup(&vq->hdev_kick);
-    event_notifier_cleanup(&vq->hdev_call);
     g_free(vq);
 }
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-vdpa.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-vdpa.c
index 220a9a2e6e..65f896314b 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-vdpa.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-vdpa.c
@@ -428,15 +428,11 @@ static int vhost_vdpa_init_svq(struct vhost_dev *hdev, struct vhost_vdpa *v,
 
     shadow_vqs = g_ptr_array_new_full(hdev->nvqs, vhost_svq_free);
     for (unsigned n = 0; n < hdev->nvqs; ++n) {
-        g_autoptr(VhostShadowVirtqueue) svq;
+        VhostShadowVirtqueue *svq;
 
         svq = vhost_svq_new(v->iova_tree, v->shadow_vq_ops,
                             v->shadow_vq_ops_opaque);
-        if (unlikely(!svq)) {
-            error_setg(errp, "Cannot create svq %u", n);
-            return -1;
-        }
-        g_ptr_array_add(shadow_vqs, g_steal_pointer(&svq));
+        g_ptr_array_add(shadow_vqs, svq);
     }
 
     v->shadow_vqs = g_steal_pointer(&shadow_vqs);
@@ -864,11 +860,23 @@ static int vhost_vdpa_svq_set_fds(struct vhost_dev *dev,
     const EventNotifier *event_notifier = &svq->hdev_kick;
     int r;
 
+    r = event_notifier_init(&svq->hdev_kick, 0);
+    if (r != 0) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -r, "Couldn't create kick event notifier");
+        goto err_init_hdev_kick;
+    }
+
+    r = event_notifier_init(&svq->hdev_call, 0);
+    if (r != 0) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -r, "Couldn't create call event notifier");
+        goto err_init_hdev_call;
+    }
+
     file.fd = event_notifier_get_fd(event_notifier);
     r = vhost_vdpa_set_vring_dev_kick(dev, &file);
     if (unlikely(r != 0)) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, -r, "Can't set device kick fd");
-        return r;
+        goto err_init_set_dev_fd;
     }
 
     event_notifier = &svq->hdev_call;
@@ -876,8 +884,18 @@ static int vhost_vdpa_svq_set_fds(struct vhost_dev *dev,
     r = vhost_vdpa_set_vring_dev_call(dev, &file);
     if (unlikely(r != 0)) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, -r, "Can't set device call fd");
+        goto err_init_set_dev_fd;
     }
 
+    return 0;
+
+err_init_set_dev_fd:
+    event_notifier_set_handler(&svq->hdev_call, NULL);
+
+err_init_hdev_call:
+    event_notifier_cleanup(&svq->hdev_kick);
+
+err_init_hdev_kick:
     return r;
 }
 
@@ -1089,6 +1107,9 @@ static void vhost_vdpa_svqs_stop(struct vhost_dev *dev)
     for (unsigned i = 0; i < v->shadow_vqs->len; ++i) {
         VhostShadowVirtqueue *svq = g_ptr_array_index(v->shadow_vqs, i);
         vhost_vdpa_svq_unmap_rings(dev, svq);
+
+        event_notifier_cleanup(&svq->hdev_kick);
+        event_notifier_cleanup(&svq->hdev_call);
     }
 }