diff --git a/hw/acpi/piix4.c b/hw/acpi/piix4.c
index 6d99fe407c..a553a7e110 100644
--- a/hw/acpi/piix4.c
+++ b/hw/acpi/piix4.c
@@ -440,6 +440,8 @@ static void piix4_update_bus_hotplug(PCIBus *pci_bus, void *opaque)
 {
     PIIX4PMState *s = opaque;
 
+    /* pci_bus cannot outlive PIIX4PMState, because /machine keeps it alive
+     * and it's not hot-unpluggable */
     qbus_set_hotplug_handler(BUS(pci_bus), DEVICE(s), &error_abort);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/core/bus.c b/hw/core/bus.c
index cf383fc1af..4651f24486 100644
--- a/hw/core/bus.c
+++ b/hw/core/bus.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ static void qbus_initfn(Object *obj)
                              TYPE_HOTPLUG_HANDLER,
                              (Object **)&bus->hotplug_handler,
                              object_property_allow_set_link,
-                             OBJ_PROP_LINK_UNREF_ON_RELEASE,
+                             0,
                              NULL);
     object_property_add_bool(obj, "realized",
                              bus_get_realized, bus_set_realized, NULL);