diff --git a/hw/riscv/boot.c b/hw/riscv/boot.c
index ad196f0fe4..8583732e4e 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/boot.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/boot.c
@@ -206,9 +206,10 @@ target_ulong riscv_load_kernel(const char *kernel_filename,
     exit(1);
 }
 
-hwaddr riscv_load_initrd(const char *filename, uint64_t mem_size,
-                         uint64_t kernel_entry, hwaddr *start)
+void riscv_load_initrd(const char *filename, uint64_t mem_size,
+                       uint64_t kernel_entry, void *fdt)
 {
+    hwaddr start, end;
     ssize_t size;
 
     g_assert(filename != NULL);
@@ -224,18 +225,23 @@ hwaddr riscv_load_initrd(const char *filename, uint64_t mem_size,
      * halfway into RAM, and for boards with 256MB of RAM or more we put
      * the initrd at 128MB.
      */
-    *start = kernel_entry + MIN(mem_size / 2, 128 * MiB);
+    start = kernel_entry + MIN(mem_size / 2, 128 * MiB);
 
-    size = load_ramdisk(filename, *start, mem_size - *start);
+    size = load_ramdisk(filename, start, mem_size - start);
     if (size == -1) {
-        size = load_image_targphys(filename, *start, mem_size - *start);
+        size = load_image_targphys(filename, start, mem_size - start);
         if (size == -1) {
             error_report("could not load ramdisk '%s'", filename);
             exit(1);
         }
     }
 
-    return *start + size;
+    /* Some RISC-V machines (e.g. opentitan) don't have a fdt. */
+    if (fdt) {
+        end = start + size;
+        qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(fdt, "/chosen", "linux,initrd-start", start);
+        qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(fdt, "/chosen", "linux,initrd-end", end);
+    }
 }
 
 uint64_t riscv_load_fdt(hwaddr dram_base, uint64_t mem_size, void *fdt)
diff --git a/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c b/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c
index b10321b564..593a799549 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c
@@ -633,14 +633,8 @@ static void microchip_icicle_kit_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
                                          kernel_start_addr, NULL);
 
         if (machine->initrd_filename) {
-            hwaddr start;
-            hwaddr end = riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename,
-                                           machine->ram_size, kernel_entry,
-                                           &start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen",
-                                  "linux,initrd-start", start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen",
-                                  "linux,initrd-end", end);
+            riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename, machine->ram_size,
+                              kernel_entry, machine->fdt);
         }
 
         if (machine->kernel_cmdline && *machine->kernel_cmdline) {
diff --git a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
index ddceb750ea..37f5087172 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
@@ -608,14 +608,8 @@ static void sifive_u_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
                                          kernel_start_addr, NULL);
 
         if (machine->initrd_filename) {
-            hwaddr start;
-            hwaddr end = riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename,
-                                           machine->ram_size, kernel_entry,
-                                           &start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen",
-                                  "linux,initrd-start", start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen", "linux,initrd-end",
-                                  end);
+            riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename, machine->ram_size,
+                              kernel_entry, machine->fdt);
         }
     } else {
        /*
diff --git a/hw/riscv/spike.c b/hw/riscv/spike.c
index 004dfb2d5b..5668fe0694 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/spike.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/spike.c
@@ -316,14 +316,8 @@ static void spike_board_init(MachineState *machine)
                                          htif_symbol_callback);
 
         if (machine->initrd_filename) {
-            hwaddr start;
-            hwaddr end = riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename,
-                                           machine->ram_size, kernel_entry,
-                                           &start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen",
-                                  "linux,initrd-start", start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen", "linux,initrd-end",
-                                  end);
+            riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename, machine->ram_size,
+                              kernel_entry, machine->fdt);
         }
     } else {
        /*
diff --git a/hw/riscv/virt.c b/hw/riscv/virt.c
index 408f7a2256..5967b136b4 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/virt.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/virt.c
@@ -1291,14 +1291,8 @@ static void virt_machine_done(Notifier *notifier, void *data)
                                          kernel_start_addr, NULL);
 
         if (machine->initrd_filename) {
-            hwaddr start;
-            hwaddr end = riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename,
-                                           machine->ram_size, kernel_entry,
-                                           &start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen",
-                                  "linux,initrd-start", start);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(machine->fdt, "/chosen", "linux,initrd-end",
-                                  end);
+            riscv_load_initrd(machine->initrd_filename, machine->ram_size,
+                              kernel_entry, machine->fdt);
         }
     } else {
        /*
diff --git a/include/hw/riscv/boot.h b/include/hw/riscv/boot.h
index b273ab22f7..e37e1d1238 100644
--- a/include/hw/riscv/boot.h
+++ b/include/hw/riscv/boot.h
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ target_ulong riscv_load_firmware(const char *firmware_filename,
 target_ulong riscv_load_kernel(const char *kernel_filename,
                                target_ulong firmware_end_addr,
                                symbol_fn_t sym_cb);
-hwaddr riscv_load_initrd(const char *filename, uint64_t mem_size,
-                         uint64_t kernel_entry, hwaddr *start);
+void riscv_load_initrd(const char *filename, uint64_t mem_size,
+                       uint64_t kernel_entry, void *fdt);
 uint64_t riscv_load_fdt(hwaddr dram_start, uint64_t dram_size, void *fdt);
 void riscv_setup_rom_reset_vec(MachineState *machine, RISCVHartArrayState *harts,
                                hwaddr saddr,
