diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_9pfs.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_9pfs.c
index 07e3e5f..394d8b4 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_9pfs.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_9pfs.c
@@ -17,12 +17,10 @@
 
 #include "libxl_internal.h"
 
-int libxl__device_p9_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_p9 *p9)
+static int libxl__device_p9_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
+                                       libxl_device_p9 *p9, bool hotplug)
 {
-    int rc;
-
-    rc = libxl__resolve_domid(gc, p9->backend_domname, &p9->backend_domid);
-    return rc;
+    return libxl__resolve_domid(gc, p9->backend_domname, &p9->backend_domid);
 }
 
 static int libxl__device_from_p9(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
@@ -39,49 +37,30 @@ static int libxl__device_from_p9(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
    return 0;
 }
 
-
-int libxl__device_p9_add(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
-                         libxl_device_p9 *p9)
+static int libxl__set_xenstore_p9(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
+                                  libxl_device_p9 *p9,
+                                  flexarray_t *back, flexarray_t *front,
+                                  flexarray_t *ro_front)
 {
-    flexarray_t *front;
-    flexarray_t *back;
-    libxl__device device;
-    int rc;
-
-    rc = libxl__device_p9_setdefault(gc, p9);
-    if (rc) goto out;
-
-    front = flexarray_make(gc, 16, 1);
-    back = flexarray_make(gc, 16, 1);
-
-    if (p9->devid == -1) {
-        if ((p9->devid = libxl__device_nextid(gc, domid, "9pfs")) < 0) {
-            rc = ERROR_FAIL;
-            goto out;
-        }
-    }
-
-    rc = libxl__device_from_p9(gc, domid, p9, &device);
-    if (rc != 0) goto out;
-
-    flexarray_append_pair(back, "frontend-id", libxl__sprintf(gc, "%d", domid));
-    flexarray_append_pair(back, "online", "1");
-    flexarray_append_pair(back, "state", GCSPRINTF("%d", XenbusStateInitialising));
-    flexarray_append_pair(front, "backend-id",
-                          libxl__sprintf(gc, "%d", p9->backend_domid));
-    flexarray_append_pair(front, "state", GCSPRINTF("%d", XenbusStateInitialising));
-    flexarray_append_pair(front, "tag", p9->tag);
     flexarray_append_pair(back, "path", p9->path);
     flexarray_append_pair(back, "security_model", p9->security_model);
 
-    libxl__device_generic_add(gc, XBT_NULL, &device,
-                              libxl__xs_kvs_of_flexarray(gc, back),
-                              libxl__xs_kvs_of_flexarray(gc, front),
-                              NULL);
-    rc = 0;
-out:
-    return rc;
+    flexarray_append_pair(front, "tag", p9->tag);
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
-LIBXL_DEFINE_DEVICE_REMOVE(p9)
+#define libxl__add_p9s NULL
+#define libxl_device_p9_list NULL
+#define libxl_device_p9_compare NULL
 
+LIBXL_DEFINE_DEVICE_REMOVE(p9)
+static LIBXL_DEFINE_UPDATE_DEVID(p9, "9pfs")
+
+DEFINE_DEVICE_TYPE_STRUCT(p9,
+    .skip_attach = 1,
+    .set_xenstore_config = (int (*)(libxl__gc *, uint32_t, void *,
+                                    flexarray_t *back, flexarray_t *front,
+                                    flexarray_t *ro_front))
+                           libxl__set_xenstore_p9
+);
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
index 912bd21..f483475 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
@@ -1325,7 +1325,7 @@ static void domcreate_launch_dm(libxl__egc *egc, libxl__multidev *multidev,
     }
 
     for (i = 0; i < d_config->num_p9s; i++)
-        libxl__device_p9_add(gc, domid, &d_config->p9[i]);
+        libxl__device_add(gc, domid, &libxl__p9_devtype, &d_config->p9s[i]);
 
     switch (d_config->c_info.type) {
     case LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_HVM:
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
index 68c08aa..c53bbd1 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
@@ -1252,8 +1252,6 @@ _hidden int libxl__device_vkb_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_vkb *vkb);
 _hidden int libxl__device_pci_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_pci *pci);
 _hidden void libxl__rdm_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc,
                                    libxl_domain_build_info *b_info);
-_hidden int libxl__device_p9_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc,
-                                        libxl_device_p9 *p9);
 
 _hidden const char *libxl__device_nic_devname(libxl__gc *gc,
                                               uint32_t domid,
@@ -2668,10 +2666,6 @@ _hidden int libxl__device_vkb_add(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
 _hidden int libxl__device_vfb_add(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
                                   libxl_device_vfb *vfb);
 
-/* Internal function to connect a 9pfs device */
-_hidden int libxl__device_p9_add(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
-                                 libxl_device_p9 *p9);
-
 /* Waits for the passed device to reach state XenbusStateInitWait.
  * This is not really useful by itself, but is important when executing
  * hotplug scripts, since we need to be sure the device is in the correct
@@ -3565,6 +3559,7 @@ extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__usbctrl_devtype;
 extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__usbdev_devtype;
 extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__pcidev_devtype;
 extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__vdispl_devtype;
+extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__p9_devtype;
 
 extern const struct libxl_device_type *device_type_tbl[];
 
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
index 25563cf..96dbaed 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ libxl_domain_config = Struct("domain_config", [
     ("vfbs", Array(libxl_device_vfb, "num_vfbs")),
     ("vkbs", Array(libxl_device_vkb, "num_vkbs")),
     ("vtpms", Array(libxl_device_vtpm, "num_vtpms")),
-    ("p9", Array(libxl_device_p9, "num_p9s")),
+    ("p9s", Array(libxl_device_p9, "num_p9s")),
     ("vdispls", Array(libxl_device_vdispl, "num_vdispls")),
     # a channel manifests as a console with a name,
     # see docs/misc/channels.txt
diff --git a/tools/xl/xl_parse.c b/tools/xl/xl_parse.c
index 2140905..19eadd9 100644
--- a/tools/xl/xl_parse.c
+++ b/tools/xl/xl_parse.c
@@ -1419,9 +1419,9 @@ void parse_config_data(const char *config_source,
         char *p, *p2, *buf2;
 
         d_config->num_p9s = 0;
-        d_config->p9 = NULL;
+        d_config->p9s = NULL;
         while ((buf = xlu_cfg_get_listitem (p9devs, d_config->num_p9s)) != NULL) {
-            p9 = ARRAY_EXTEND_INIT(d_config->p9,
+            p9 = ARRAY_EXTEND_INIT(d_config->p9s,
                                    d_config->num_p9s,
                                    libxl_device_p9_init);
             libxl_device_p9_init(p9);
