diff --git a/hw/ppc/e500.c b/hw/ppc/e500.c
index 7239993acc..48288c0b41 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/e500.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/e500.c
@@ -643,9 +643,8 @@ static int ppce500_load_device_tree(PPCE500MachineState *pms,
     }
     g_free(soc);
 
-    if (pms->pbus_dev) {
-        platform_bus_create_devtree(pms, fdt, mpic);
-    }
+    platform_bus_create_devtree(pms, fdt, mpic);
+
     g_free(mpic);
 
     pmc->fixup_devtree(fdt);
diff --git a/hw/ppc/e500plat.c b/hw/ppc/e500plat.c
index 44bf874b0f..3032bd3f6d 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/e500plat.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/e500plat.c
@@ -46,13 +46,10 @@ static void e500plat_machine_device_plug_cb(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev,
                                             DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     PPCE500MachineState *pms = PPCE500_MACHINE(hotplug_dev);
+    MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(pms);
 
-    if (pms->pbus_dev) {
-        MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(pms);
-
-        if (device_is_dynamic_sysbus(mc, dev)) {
-            platform_bus_link_device(pms->pbus_dev, SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev));
-        }
+    if (device_is_dynamic_sysbus(mc, dev)) {
+        platform_bus_link_device(pms->pbus_dev, SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev));
     }
 }