diff --git a/hw/isa/piix4.c b/hw/isa/piix4.c
index 6e2d9b9774..1cfc51335a 100644
--- a/hw/isa/piix4.c
+++ b/hw/isa/piix4.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "hw/irq.h"
 #include "hw/i386/pc.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pci.h"
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@ PCIDevice *piix4_dev;
 
 typedef struct PIIX4State {
     PCIDevice dev;
+    qemu_irq cpu_intr;
+    qemu_irq *isa;
 
     /* Reset Control Register */
     MemoryRegion rcr_mem;
@@ -94,6 +97,18 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_piix4 = {
     }
 };
 
+static void piix4_request_i8259_irq(void *opaque, int irq, int level)
+{
+    PIIX4State *s = opaque;
+    qemu_set_irq(s->cpu_intr, level);
+}
+
+static void piix4_set_i8259_irq(void *opaque, int irq, int level)
+{
+    PIIX4State *s = opaque;
+    qemu_set_irq(s->isa[irq], level);
+}
+
 static void piix4_rcr_write(void *opaque, hwaddr addr, uint64_t val,
                             unsigned int len)
 {
@@ -126,30 +141,34 @@ static void piix4_realize(PCIDevice *pci_dev, Error **errp)
 {
     DeviceState *dev = DEVICE(pci_dev);
     PIIX4State *s = DO_UPCAST(PIIX4State, dev, pci_dev);
+    ISABus *isa_bus;
+    qemu_irq *i8259_out_irq;
 
-    if (!isa_bus_new(dev, pci_address_space(pci_dev),
-                     pci_address_space_io(pci_dev), errp)) {
+    isa_bus = isa_bus_new(dev, pci_address_space(pci_dev),
+                          pci_address_space_io(pci_dev), errp);
+    if (!isa_bus) {
         return;
     }
 
+    qdev_init_gpio_in_named(dev, piix4_set_i8259_irq, "isa", ISA_NUM_IRQS);
+    qdev_init_gpio_out_named(dev, &s->cpu_intr, "intr", 1);
+
     memory_region_init_io(&s->rcr_mem, OBJECT(dev), &piix4_rcr_ops, s,
                           "reset-control", 1);
     memory_region_add_subregion_overlap(pci_address_space_io(pci_dev), 0xcf9,
                                         &s->rcr_mem, 1);
 
+    /* initialize i8259 pic */
+    i8259_out_irq = qemu_allocate_irqs(piix4_request_i8259_irq, s, 1);
+    s->isa = i8259_init(isa_bus, *i8259_out_irq);
+
+    /* initialize ISA irqs */
+    isa_bus_irqs(isa_bus, s->isa);
+
     piix4_dev = pci_dev;
     qemu_register_reset(piix4_reset, s);
 }
 
-int piix4_init(PCIBus *bus, ISABus **isa_bus, int devfn)
-{
-    PCIDevice *d;
-
-    d = pci_create_simple_multifunction(bus, devfn, true, "PIIX4");
-    *isa_bus = ISA_BUS(qdev_get_child_bus(DEVICE(d), "isa.0"));
-    return d->devfn;
-}
-
 static void piix4_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
index 4d9c64b36a..7d25ab6c23 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ typedef struct {
     SysBusDevice parent_obj;
 
     MIPSCPSState cps;
-    qemu_irq *i8259;
+    qemu_irq i8259[16];
 } MaltaState;
 
 static ISADevice *pit;
@@ -1235,8 +1235,8 @@ void mips_malta_init(MachineState *machine)
     int64_t kernel_entry, bootloader_run_addr;
     PCIBus *pci_bus;
     ISABus *isa_bus;
-    qemu_irq *isa_irq;
     qemu_irq cbus_irq, i8259_irq;
+    PCIDevice *pci;
     int piix4_devfn;
     I2CBus *smbus;
     DriveInfo *dinfo;
@@ -1407,30 +1407,24 @@ void mips_malta_init(MachineState *machine)
     /* Board ID = 0x420 (Malta Board with CoreLV) */
     stl_p(memory_region_get_ram_ptr(bios_copy) + 0x10, 0x00000420);
 
-    /*
-     * We have a circular dependency problem: pci_bus depends on isa_irq,
-     * isa_irq is provided by i8259, i8259 depends on ISA, ISA depends
-     * on piix4, and piix4 depends on pci_bus.  To stop the cycle we have
-     * qemu_irq_proxy() adds an extra bit of indirection, allowing us
-     * to resolve the isa_irq -> i8259 dependency after i8259 is initialized.
-     */
-    isa_irq = qemu_irq_proxy(&s->i8259, 16);
-
     /* Northbridge */
-    pci_bus = gt64120_register(isa_irq);
+    pci_bus = gt64120_register(s->i8259);
 
     /* Southbridge */
     ide_drive_get(hd, ARRAY_SIZE(hd));
 
-    piix4_devfn = piix4_init(pci_bus, &isa_bus, 80);
+    pci = pci_create_simple_multifunction(pci_bus, PCI_DEVFN(10, 0),
+                                          true, "PIIX4");
+    dev = DEVICE(pci);
+    isa_bus = ISA_BUS(qdev_get_child_bus(dev, "isa.0"));
+    piix4_devfn = pci->devfn;
 
-    /*
-     * Interrupt controller
-     * The 8259 is attached to the MIPS CPU INT0 pin, ie interrupt 2
-     */
-    s->i8259 = i8259_init(isa_bus, i8259_irq);
+    /* Interrupt controller */
+    qdev_connect_gpio_out_named(dev, "intr", 0, i8259_irq);
+    for (int i = 0; i < ISA_NUM_IRQS; i++) {
+        s->i8259[i] = qdev_get_gpio_in_named(dev, "isa", i);
+    }
 
-    isa_bus_irqs(isa_bus, s->i8259);
     pci_piix4_ide_init(pci_bus, hd, piix4_devfn + 1);
     pci_create_simple(pci_bus, piix4_devfn + 2, "piix4-usb-uhci");
     smbus = piix4_pm_init(pci_bus, piix4_devfn + 3, 0x1100,
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/pc.h b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
index 09e74e7764..a95eab0d8a 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/pc.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
@@ -282,7 +282,6 @@ PCIBus *i440fx_init(const char *host_type, const char *pci_type,
 PCIBus *find_i440fx(void);
 /* piix4.c */
 extern PCIDevice *piix4_dev;
-int piix4_init(PCIBus *bus, ISABus **isa_bus, int devfn);
 
 /* pc_sysfw.c */
 void pc_system_flash_create(PCMachineState *pcms);
