diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_console.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_console.c
index 6181b05..e4a0daf 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_console.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_console.c
@@ -583,11 +583,10 @@ int libxl_device_channel_getinfo(libxl_ctx *ctx, uint32_t domid,
     return rc;
 }
 
-int libxl__device_vkb_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_vkb *vkb)
+static int libxl__device_vkb_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
+                                        libxl_device_vkb *vkb, bool hotplug)
 {
-    int rc;
-    rc = libxl__resolve_domid(gc, vkb->backend_domname, &vkb->backend_domid);
-    return rc;
+    return libxl__resolve_domid(gc, vkb->backend_domname, &vkb->backend_domid);
 }
 
 static int libxl__device_from_vkb(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
@@ -604,66 +603,8 @@ static int libxl__device_from_vkb(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
     return 0;
 }
 
-int libxl_device_vkb_add(libxl_ctx *ctx, uint32_t domid, libxl_device_vkb *vkb,
-                         const libxl_asyncop_how *ao_how)
-{
-    AO_CREATE(ctx, domid, ao_how);
-    int rc;
-
-    rc = libxl__device_vkb_add(gc, domid, vkb);
-    if (rc) {
-        LOGD(ERROR, domid, "Unable to add vkb device");
-        goto out;
-    }
-
-out:
-    libxl__ao_complete(egc, ao, rc);
-    return AO_INPROGRESS;
-}
-
 static LIBXL_DEFINE_UPDATE_DEVID(vkb, "vkb")
 
-int libxl__device_vkb_add(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
-                          libxl_device_vkb *vkb)
-{
-    flexarray_t *front;
-    flexarray_t *back;
-    libxl__device device;
-    int rc;
-
-    rc = libxl__device_vkb_setdefault(gc, vkb);
-    if (rc) goto out;
-
-    front = flexarray_make(gc, 16, 1);
-    back = flexarray_make(gc, 16, 1);
-
-    rc = libxl__device_vkb_update_devid(gc, domid, vkb);
-    if (rc) goto out;
-
-    rc = libxl__device_from_vkb(gc, domid, vkb, &device);
-    if (rc != 0) goto out;
-
-    flexarray_append(back, "frontend-id");
-    flexarray_append(back, GCSPRINTF("%d", domid));
-    flexarray_append(back, "online");
-    flexarray_append(back, "1");
-    flexarray_append(back, "state");
-    flexarray_append(back, GCSPRINTF("%d", XenbusStateInitialising));
-
-    flexarray_append(front, "backend-id");
-    flexarray_append(front, GCSPRINTF("%d", vkb->backend_domid));
-    flexarray_append(front, "state");
-    flexarray_append(front, GCSPRINTF("%d", XenbusStateInitialising));
-
-    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;
-}
-
 int libxl__device_vfb_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_vfb *vfb)
 {
     int rc;
@@ -785,8 +726,17 @@ out:
  * 2. dynamically add/remove qemu chardevs via qmp messages. */
 
 /* vkb */
+
+#define libxl__add_vkbs NULL
+#define libxl_device_vkb_list NULL
+#define libxl_device_vkb_compare NULL
+
 LIBXL_DEFINE_DEVICE_REMOVE(vkb)
 
+DEFINE_DEVICE_TYPE_STRUCT(vkb,
+    .skip_attach = 1
+);
+
 /* vfb */
 LIBXL_DEFINE_DEVICE_REMOVE(vfb)
 
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
index 26aa2a4..8c0c12d 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
@@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@ static void domcreate_launch_dm(libxl__egc *egc, libxl__multidev *multidev,
         }
 
         libxl_device_vkb_init(&vkb);
-        libxl__device_vkb_add(gc, domid, &vkb);
+        libxl__device_add(gc, domid, &libxl__vkb_devtype, &vkb);
         libxl_device_vkb_dispose(&vkb);
 
         dcs->sdss.dm.guest_domid = domid;
@@ -1375,7 +1375,8 @@ static void domcreate_launch_dm(libxl__egc *egc, libxl__multidev *multidev,
 
         for (i = 0; i < d_config->num_vfbs; i++) {
             libxl__device_vfb_add(gc, domid, &d_config->vfbs[i]);
-            libxl__device_vkb_add(gc, domid, &d_config->vkbs[i]);
+            libxl__device_add(gc, domid, &libxl__vkb_devtype,
+                              &d_config->vkbs[i]);
         }
 
         init_console_info(gc, &console, 0);
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
index ee20930..0712a34 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
@@ -1986,9 +1986,9 @@ static void spawn_stub_launch_dm(libxl__egc *egc,
             goto out;
     }
     if (dm_config->num_vkbs) {
-        ret = libxl__device_vkb_add(gc, dm_domid, &dm_config->vkbs[0]);
-        if (ret)
-            goto out;
+        ret = libxl__device_add(gc, dm_domid, &libxl__vkb_devtype,
+                                &dm_config->vkbs[0]);
+        if (ret) goto out;
     }
 
     if (guest_config->b_info.u.hvm.serial)
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
index 87f6d32..c2ef67f 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
@@ -1248,7 +1248,6 @@ _hidden int libxl__device_disk_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
 _hidden int libxl__device_nic_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
                                          libxl_device_nic *nic, bool hotplug);
 _hidden int libxl__device_vfb_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_vfb *vfb);
-_hidden int libxl__device_vkb_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_vkb *vkb);
 _hidden void libxl__rdm_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc,
                                    libxl_domain_build_info *b_info);
 
@@ -2657,10 +2656,6 @@ struct libxl__multidev {
  * it's a valid state.
  */
 
-/* Internal function to connect a vkb device */
-_hidden int libxl__device_vkb_add(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
-                                  libxl_device_vkb *vkb);
-
 /* Internal function to connect a vfb device */
 _hidden int libxl__device_vfb_add(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
                                   libxl_device_vfb *vfb);
@@ -3551,6 +3546,7 @@ static inline int *libxl__device_type_get_num(
     return (int *)((void *)d_config + dt->num_offset);
 }
 
+extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__vkb_devtype;
 extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__disk_devtype;
 extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__nic_devtype;
 extern const struct libxl_device_type libxl__vtpm_devtype;
