diff --git a/block/replication.c b/block/replication.c
index 9ad2dfdc69..25bbdf5d4b 100644
--- a/block/replication.c
+++ b/block/replication.c
@@ -366,27 +366,35 @@ static void reopen_backing_file(BlockDriverState *bs, bool writable,
                                 Error **errp)
 {
     BDRVReplicationState *s = bs->opaque;
+    BdrvChild *hidden_disk, *secondary_disk;
     BlockReopenQueue *reopen_queue = NULL;

+    /*
+     * s->hidden_disk and s->secondary_disk may not be set yet, as they will
+     * only be set after the children are writable.
+     */
+    hidden_disk = bs->file->bs->backing;
+    secondary_disk = hidden_disk->bs->backing;
+
     if (writable) {
-        s->orig_hidden_read_only = bdrv_is_read_only(s->hidden_disk->bs);
-        s->orig_secondary_read_only = bdrv_is_read_only(s->secondary_disk->bs);
+        s->orig_hidden_read_only = bdrv_is_read_only(hidden_disk->bs);
+        s->orig_secondary_read_only = bdrv_is_read_only(secondary_disk->bs);
     }

-    bdrv_subtree_drained_begin(s->hidden_disk->bs);
-    bdrv_subtree_drained_begin(s->secondary_disk->bs);
+    bdrv_subtree_drained_begin(hidden_disk->bs);
+    bdrv_subtree_drained_begin(secondary_disk->bs);

     if (s->orig_hidden_read_only) {
         QDict *opts = qdict_new();
         qdict_put_bool(opts, BDRV_OPT_READ_ONLY, !writable);
-        reopen_queue = bdrv_reopen_queue(reopen_queue, s->hidden_disk->bs,
+        reopen_queue = bdrv_reopen_queue(reopen_queue, hidden_disk->bs,
                                          opts, true);
     }

     if (s->orig_secondary_read_only) {
         QDict *opts = qdict_new();
         qdict_put_bool(opts, BDRV_OPT_READ_ONLY, !writable);
-        reopen_queue = bdrv_reopen_queue(reopen_queue, s->secondary_disk->bs,
+        reopen_queue = bdrv_reopen_queue(reopen_queue, secondary_disk->bs,
                                          opts, true);
     }

@@ -401,8 +409,8 @@ static void reopen_backing_file(BlockDriverState *bs, bool writable,
         }
     }

-    bdrv_subtree_drained_end(s->hidden_disk->bs);
-    bdrv_subtree_drained_end(s->secondary_disk->bs);
+    bdrv_subtree_drained_end(hidden_disk->bs);
+    bdrv_subtree_drained_end(secondary_disk->bs);
 }

 static void backup_job_cleanup(BlockDriverState *bs)
@@ -459,7 +467,7 @@ static void replication_start(ReplicationState *rs, ReplicationMode mode,
     BlockDriverState *bs = rs->opaque;
     BDRVReplicationState *s;
     BlockDriverState *top_bs;
-    BdrvChild *active_disk;
+    BdrvChild *active_disk, *hidden_disk, *secondary_disk;
     int64_t active_length, hidden_length, disk_length;
     AioContext *aio_context;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
@@ -504,15 +512,15 @@ static void replication_start(ReplicationState *rs, ReplicationMode mode,
             return;
         }

-        s->hidden_disk = active_disk->bs->backing;
-        if (!s->hidden_disk->bs || !s->hidden_disk->bs->backing) {
+        hidden_disk = active_disk->bs->backing;
+        if (!hidden_disk->bs || !hidden_disk->bs->backing) {
             error_setg(errp, "Hidden disk doesn't have backing file");
             aio_context_release(aio_context);
             return;
         }

-        s->secondary_disk = s->hidden_disk->bs->backing;
-        if (!s->secondary_disk->bs || !bdrv_has_blk(s->secondary_disk->bs)) {
+        secondary_disk = hidden_disk->bs->backing;
+        if (!secondary_disk->bs || !bdrv_has_blk(secondary_disk->bs)) {
             error_setg(errp, "The secondary disk doesn't have block backend");
             aio_context_release(aio_context);
             return;
@@ -520,8 +528,8 @@ static void replication_start(ReplicationState *rs, ReplicationMode mode,

         /* verify the length */
         active_length = bdrv_getlength(active_disk->bs);
-        hidden_length = bdrv_getlength(s->hidden_disk->bs);
-        disk_length = bdrv_getlength(s->secondary_disk->bs);
+        hidden_length = bdrv_getlength(hidden_disk->bs);
+        disk_length = bdrv_getlength(secondary_disk->bs);
         if (active_length < 0 || hidden_length < 0 || disk_length < 0 ||
             active_length != hidden_length || hidden_length != disk_length) {
             error_setg(errp, "Active disk, hidden disk, secondary disk's length"
@@ -531,10 +539,10 @@ static void replication_start(ReplicationState *rs, ReplicationMode mode,
         }

         /* Must be true, or the bdrv_getlength() calls would have failed */
-        assert(active_disk->bs->drv && s->hidden_disk->bs->drv);
+        assert(active_disk->bs->drv && hidden_disk->bs->drv);

         if (!active_disk->bs->drv->bdrv_make_empty ||
-            !s->hidden_disk->bs->drv->bdrv_make_empty) {
+            !hidden_disk->bs->drv->bdrv_make_empty) {
             error_setg(errp,
                        "Active disk or hidden disk doesn't support make_empty");
             aio_context_release(aio_context);
@@ -549,6 +557,9 @@ static void replication_start(ReplicationState *rs, ReplicationMode mode,
             return;
         }

+        s->hidden_disk = hidden_disk;
+        s->secondary_disk = secondary_disk;
+
         /* start backup job now */
         error_setg(&s->blocker,
                    "Block device is in use by internal backup job");
