diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index 2bbc9313d2..ecff256dac 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@ typedef struct MemMapEntry {
 typedef struct VirtBoardInfo {
     struct arm_boot_info bootinfo;
     const char *cpu_model;
-    const char *qdevname;
-    const char *gic_compatible;
     const MemMapEntry *memmap;
     const int *irqmap;
     int smp_cpus;
@@ -117,16 +115,11 @@ static const int a15irqmap[] = {
 static VirtBoardInfo machines[] = {
     {
         .cpu_model = "cortex-a15",
-        .qdevname = "a15mpcore_priv",
-        .gic_compatible = "arm,cortex-a15-gic",
         .memmap = a15memmap,
         .irqmap = a15irqmap,
     },
     {
         .cpu_model = "host",
-        /* We use the A15 private peripheral model to get a V2 GIC */
-        .qdevname = "a15mpcore_priv",
-        .gic_compatible = "arm,cortex-a15-gic",
         .memmap = a15memmap,
         .irqmap = a15irqmap,
     },
@@ -251,8 +244,9 @@ static void fdt_add_gic_node(const VirtBoardInfo *vbi)
     qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(vbi->fdt, "/", "interrupt-parent", gic_phandle);
 
     qemu_fdt_add_subnode(vbi->fdt, "/intc");
+    /* 'cortex-a15-gic' means 'GIC v2' */
     qemu_fdt_setprop_string(vbi->fdt, "/intc", "compatible",
-                                vbi->gic_compatible);
+                            "arm,cortex-a15-gic");
     qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(vbi->fdt, "/intc", "#interrupt-cells", 3);
     qemu_fdt_setprop(vbi->fdt, "/intc", "interrupt-controller", NULL, 0);
     qemu_fdt_setprop_sized_cells(vbi->fdt, "/intc", "reg",
@@ -263,6 +257,56 @@ static void fdt_add_gic_node(const VirtBoardInfo *vbi)
     qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(vbi->fdt, "/intc", "phandle", gic_phandle);
 }
 
+static void create_gic(const VirtBoardInfo *vbi, qemu_irq *pic)
+{
+    /* We create a standalone GIC v2 */
+    DeviceState *gicdev;
+    SysBusDevice *gicbusdev;
+    const char *gictype = "arm_gic";
+    int i;
+
+    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+        gictype = "kvm-arm-gic";
+    }
+
+    gicdev = qdev_create(NULL, gictype);
+    qdev_prop_set_uint32(gicdev, "revision", 2);
+    qdev_prop_set_uint32(gicdev, "num-cpu", smp_cpus);
+    /* Note that the num-irq property counts both internal and external
+     * interrupts; there are always 32 of the former (mandated by GIC spec).
+     */
+    qdev_prop_set_uint32(gicdev, "num-irq", NUM_IRQS + 32);
+    qdev_init_nofail(gicdev);
+    gicbusdev = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(gicdev);
+    sysbus_mmio_map(gicbusdev, 0, vbi->memmap[VIRT_GIC_DIST].base);
+    sysbus_mmio_map(gicbusdev, 1, vbi->memmap[VIRT_GIC_CPU].base);
+
+    /* Wire the outputs from each CPU's generic timer to the
+     * appropriate GIC PPI inputs, and the GIC's IRQ output to
+     * the CPU's IRQ input.
+     */
+    for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; i++) {
+        DeviceState *cpudev = DEVICE(qemu_get_cpu(i));
+        int ppibase = NUM_IRQS + i * 32;
+        /* physical timer; we wire it up to the non-secure timer's ID,
+         * since a real A15 always has TrustZone but QEMU doesn't.
+         */
+        qdev_connect_gpio_out(cpudev, 0,
+                              qdev_get_gpio_in(gicdev, ppibase + 30));
+        /* virtual timer */
+        qdev_connect_gpio_out(cpudev, 1,
+                              qdev_get_gpio_in(gicdev, ppibase + 27));
+
+        sysbus_connect_irq(gicbusdev, i, qdev_get_gpio_in(cpudev, ARM_CPU_IRQ));
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i < NUM_IRQS; i++) {
+        pic[i] = qdev_get_gpio_in(gicdev, i);
+    }
+
+    fdt_add_gic_node(vbi);
+}
+
 static void create_uart(const VirtBoardInfo *vbi, qemu_irq *pic)
 {
     char *nodename;
@@ -340,8 +384,6 @@ static void machvirt_init(QEMUMachineInitArgs *args)
     MemoryRegion *sysmem = get_system_memory();
     int n;
     MemoryRegion *ram = g_new(MemoryRegion, 1);
-    DeviceState *dev;
-    SysBusDevice *busdev;
     const char *cpu_model = args->cpu_model;
     VirtBoardInfo *vbi;
 
@@ -404,25 +446,7 @@ static void machvirt_init(QEMUMachineInitArgs *args)
     vmstate_register_ram_global(ram);
     memory_region_add_subregion(sysmem, vbi->memmap[VIRT_MEM].base, ram);
 
-    dev = qdev_create(NULL, vbi->qdevname);
-    qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "num-cpu", smp_cpus);
-    /* Note that the num-irq property counts both internal and external
-     * interrupts; there are always 32 of the former (mandated by GIC spec).
-     */
-    qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "num-irq", NUM_IRQS + 32);
-    qdev_init_nofail(dev);
-    busdev = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
-    sysbus_mmio_map(busdev, 0, vbi->memmap[VIRT_CPUPERIPHS].base);
-    fdt_add_gic_node(vbi);
-    for (n = 0; n < smp_cpus; n++) {
-        DeviceState *cpudev = DEVICE(qemu_get_cpu(n));
-
-        sysbus_connect_irq(busdev, n, qdev_get_gpio_in(cpudev, ARM_CPU_IRQ));
-    }
-
-    for (n = 0; n < NUM_IRQS; n++) {
-        pic[n] = qdev_get_gpio_in(dev, n);
-    }
+    create_gic(vbi, pic);
 
     create_uart(vbi, pic);