diff --git a/hw/qdev-properties.c b/hw/qdev-properties.c
index b3cd2a892..49bed302d 100644
--- a/hw/qdev-properties.c
+++ b/hw/qdev-properties.c
@@ -26,17 +26,6 @@ static void bit_prop_set(DeviceState *dev, Property *props, bool val)
         *p &= ~mask;
 }
 
-static void qdev_prop_cpy(DeviceState *dev, Property *props, void *src)
-{
-    if (props->info->type == PROP_TYPE_BIT) {
-        bool *defval = src;
-        bit_prop_set(dev, props, *defval);
-    } else {
-        char *dst = qdev_get_prop_ptr(dev, props);
-        memcpy(dst, src, props->info->size);
-    }
-}
-
 /* Bit */
 static int parse_bit(DeviceState *dev, Property *prop, const char *str)
 {
@@ -1241,13 +1230,23 @@ void qdev_prop_set_ptr(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, void *value)
 
 void qdev_prop_set_defaults(DeviceState *dev, Property *props)
 {
+    Object *obj = OBJECT(dev);
     if (!props)
         return;
-    while (props->name) {
-        if (props->defval) {
-            qdev_prop_cpy(dev, props, props->defval);
+    for (; props->name; props++) {
+        Error *errp = NULL;
+        if (props->qtype == QTYPE_NONE) {
+            continue;
         }
-        props++;
+        if (props->qtype == QTYPE_QBOOL) {
+            object_property_set_bool(obj, props->defval, props->name, &errp);
+        } else if (props->info->enum_table) {
+            object_property_set_str(obj, props->info->enum_table[props->defval],
+                                    props->name, &errp);
+        } else if (props->qtype == QTYPE_QINT) {
+            object_property_set_int(obj, props->defval, props->name, &errp);
+        }
+        assert(!errp);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/qdev.c b/hw/qdev.c
index 487ca5d18..8a413ef0e 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/qdev.c
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ void qdev_set_parent_bus(DeviceState *dev, BusState *bus)
     dev->parent_bus = bus;
     QTAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&bus->children, dev, sibling);
 
-    qdev_prop_set_defaults(dev, dev->parent_bus->info->props);
     for (prop = qdev_get_bus_info(dev)->props; prop && prop->name; prop++) {
         qdev_property_add_legacy(dev, prop, NULL);
         qdev_property_add_static(dev, prop, NULL);
     }
+    qdev_prop_set_defaults(dev, dev->parent_bus->info->props);
 }
 
 /* Create a new device.  This only initializes the device state structure
@@ -612,13 +612,13 @@ static void device_initfn(Object *obj)
     dev->instance_id_alias = -1;
     dev->state = DEV_STATE_CREATED;
 
-    qdev_prop_set_defaults(dev, qdev_get_props(dev));
     for (prop = qdev_get_props(dev); prop && prop->name; prop++) {
         qdev_property_add_legacy(dev, prop, NULL);
         qdev_property_add_static(dev, prop, NULL);
     }
 
     object_property_add_str(OBJECT(dev), "type", qdev_get_type, NULL, NULL);
+    qdev_prop_set_defaults(dev, qdev_get_props(dev));
 }
 
 /* Unlink device from bus and free the structure.  */
diff --git a/hw/qdev.h b/hw/qdev.h
index 9ccd5c3db..a3bcf0b11 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.h
+++ b/hw/qdev.h
@@ -112,8 +112,9 @@ struct Property {
     const char   *name;
     PropertyInfo *info;
     int          offset;
-    int          bitnr;
-    void         *defval;
+    uint8_t      bitnr;
+    uint8_t      qtype;
+    int64_t      defval;
 };
 
 enum PropertyType {
@@ -255,7 +256,8 @@ extern PropertyInfo qdev_prop_pci_devfn;
         .info      = &(_prop),                                          \
         .offset    = offsetof(_state, _field)                           \
             + type_check(_type,typeof_field(_state, _field)),           \
-        .defval    = (_type[]) { _defval },                             \
+        .qtype     = QTYPE_QINT,                                        \
+        .defval    = (_type)_defval,                                    \
         }
 #define DEFINE_PROP_BIT(_name, _state, _field, _bit, _defval) {  \
         .name      = (_name),                                    \
@@ -263,7 +265,8 @@ extern PropertyInfo qdev_prop_pci_devfn;
         .bitnr    = (_bit),                                      \
         .offset    = offsetof(_state, _field)                    \
             + type_check(uint32_t,typeof_field(_state, _field)), \
-        .defval    = (bool[]) { (_defval) },                     \
+        .qtype     = QTYPE_QBOOL,                                \
+        .defval    = (bool)_defval,                              \
         }
 
 #define DEFINE_PROP_UINT8(_n, _s, _f, _d)                       \