diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 1205ef8..d287771 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -3195,9 +3195,9 @@ void bdrv_invalidate_cache_all(Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs)) != NULL) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *aio_context = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(aio_context);
@@ -3239,11 +3239,11 @@ static int bdrv_inactivate_recurse(BlockDriverState *bs,
 int bdrv_inactivate_all(void)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs = NULL;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
     int ret = 0;
     int pass;
 
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs)) != NULL) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         aio_context_acquire(bdrv_get_aio_context(bs));
     }
 
@@ -3252,8 +3252,7 @@ int bdrv_inactivate_all(void)
      * the second pass sets the BDRV_O_INACTIVE flag so that no further write
      * is allowed. */
     for (pass = 0; pass < 2; pass++) {
-        it = NULL;
-        while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs)) != NULL) {
+        for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
             ret = bdrv_inactivate_recurse(bs, pass);
             if (ret < 0) {
                 goto out;
@@ -3262,8 +3261,7 @@ int bdrv_inactivate_all(void)
     }
 
 out:
-    it = NULL;
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs)) != NULL) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         aio_context_release(bdrv_get_aio_context(bs));
     }
 
@@ -3753,10 +3751,10 @@ bool bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
 bool bdrv_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *candidate)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
     /* walk down the bs forest recursively */
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs)) != NULL) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         bool perm;
 
         /* try to recurse in this top level bs */
diff --git a/block/block-backend.c b/block/block-backend.c
index 6928d61..9f306f8 100644
--- a/block/block-backend.c
+++ b/block/block-backend.c
@@ -286,25 +286,11 @@ BlockBackend *blk_next(BlockBackend *blk)
                : QTAILQ_FIRST(&monitor_block_backends);
 }
 
-struct BdrvNextIterator {
-    enum {
-        BDRV_NEXT_BACKEND_ROOTS,
-        BDRV_NEXT_MONITOR_OWNED,
-    } phase;
-    BlockBackend *blk;
-    BlockDriverState *bs;
-};
-
 /* Iterates over all top-level BlockDriverStates, i.e. BDSs that are owned by
  * the monitor or attached to a BlockBackend */
-BdrvNextIterator *bdrv_next(BdrvNextIterator *it, BlockDriverState **bs)
+BlockDriverState *bdrv_next(BdrvNextIterator *it)
 {
-    if (!it) {
-        it = g_new(BdrvNextIterator, 1);
-        *it = (BdrvNextIterator) {
-            .phase = BDRV_NEXT_BACKEND_ROOTS,
-        };
-    }
+    BlockDriverState *bs;
 
     /* First, return all root nodes of BlockBackends. In order to avoid
      * returning a BDS twice when multiple BBs refer to it, we only return it
@@ -312,11 +298,11 @@ BdrvNextIterator *bdrv_next(BdrvNextIterator *it, BlockDriverState **bs)
     if (it->phase == BDRV_NEXT_BACKEND_ROOTS) {
         do {
             it->blk = blk_all_next(it->blk);
-            *bs = it->blk ? blk_bs(it->blk) : NULL;
-        } while (it->blk && (*bs == NULL || bdrv_first_blk(*bs) != it->blk));
+            bs = it->blk ? blk_bs(it->blk) : NULL;
+        } while (it->blk && (bs == NULL || bdrv_first_blk(bs) != it->blk));
 
-        if (*bs) {
-            return it;
+        if (bs) {
+            return bs;
         }
         it->phase = BDRV_NEXT_MONITOR_OWNED;
     }
@@ -326,10 +312,19 @@ BdrvNextIterator *bdrv_next(BdrvNextIterator *it, BlockDriverState **bs)
      * by the above block already */
     do {
         it->bs = bdrv_next_monitor_owned(it->bs);
-        *bs = it->bs;
-    } while (*bs && bdrv_has_blk(*bs));
+        bs = it->bs;
+    } while (bs && bdrv_has_blk(bs));
+
+    return bs;
+}
+
+BlockDriverState *bdrv_first(BdrvNextIterator *it)
+{
+    *it = (BdrvNextIterator) {
+        .phase = BDRV_NEXT_BACKEND_ROOTS,
+    };
 
-    return *bs ? it : NULL;
+    return bdrv_next(it);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/block/io.c b/block/io.c
index 60a6bd8..2a28d63 100644
--- a/block/io.c
+++ b/block/io.c
@@ -271,10 +271,10 @@ void bdrv_drain_all(void)
     /* Always run first iteration so any pending completion BHs run */
     bool busy = true;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
     GSList *aio_ctxs = NULL, *ctx;
 
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *aio_context = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(aio_context);
@@ -302,10 +302,9 @@ void bdrv_drain_all(void)
 
         for (ctx = aio_ctxs; ctx != NULL; ctx = ctx->next) {
             AioContext *aio_context = ctx->data;
-            it = NULL;
 
             aio_context_acquire(aio_context);
-            while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+            for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
                 if (aio_context == bdrv_get_aio_context(bs)) {
                     if (bdrv_requests_pending(bs)) {
                         busy = true;
@@ -318,8 +317,7 @@ void bdrv_drain_all(void)
         }
     }
 
-    it = NULL;
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *aio_context = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(aio_context);
diff --git a/block/snapshot.c b/block/snapshot.c
index 3917ec5..9c5cb5a 100644
--- a/block/snapshot.c
+++ b/block/snapshot.c
@@ -374,9 +374,9 @@ bool bdrv_all_can_snapshot(BlockDriverState **first_bad_bs)
 {
     bool ok = true;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
-    while (ok && (it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); ok && bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *ctx = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(ctx);
@@ -395,10 +395,10 @@ int bdrv_all_delete_snapshot(const char *name, BlockDriverState **first_bad_bs,
 {
     int ret = 0;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
     QEMUSnapshotInfo sn1, *snapshot = &sn1;
 
-    while (ret == 0 && (it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); ret == 0 && bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *ctx = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(ctx);
@@ -418,9 +418,9 @@ int bdrv_all_goto_snapshot(const char *name, BlockDriverState **first_bad_bs)
 {
     int err = 0;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
-    while (err == 0 && (it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); err == 0 && bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *ctx = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(ctx);
@@ -439,9 +439,9 @@ int bdrv_all_find_snapshot(const char *name, BlockDriverState **first_bad_bs)
     QEMUSnapshotInfo sn;
     int err = 0;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
-    while (err == 0 && (it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); err == 0 && bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *ctx = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(ctx);
@@ -462,9 +462,9 @@ int bdrv_all_create_snapshot(QEMUSnapshotInfo *sn,
 {
     int err = 0;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
-    while (err == 0 && (it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); err == 0 && bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *ctx = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(ctx);
@@ -486,9 +486,9 @@ BlockDriverState *bdrv_all_find_vmstate_bs(void)
 {
     bool not_found = true;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
-    while (not_found && (it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); not_found && bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *ctx = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(ctx);
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 40e4e6f..0e37e09 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -4164,9 +4164,9 @@ BlockJobInfoList *qmp_query_block_jobs(Error **errp)
 {
     BlockJobInfoList *head = NULL, **p_next = &head;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         AioContext *aio_context = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
 
         aio_context_acquire(aio_context);
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index a8c15e3..770ca26 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ typedef struct BlockJob BlockJob;
 typedef struct BdrvChild BdrvChild;
 typedef struct BdrvChildRole BdrvChildRole;
 typedef struct BlockJobTxn BlockJobTxn;
-typedef struct BdrvNextIterator BdrvNextIterator;
 
 typedef struct BlockDriverInfo {
     /* in bytes, 0 if irrelevant */
@@ -402,7 +401,19 @@ BlockDriverState *bdrv_lookup_bs(const char *device,
                                  Error **errp);
 bool bdrv_chain_contains(BlockDriverState *top, BlockDriverState *base);
 BlockDriverState *bdrv_next_node(BlockDriverState *bs);
-BdrvNextIterator *bdrv_next(BdrvNextIterator *it, BlockDriverState **bs);
+
+typedef struct BdrvNextIterator {
+    enum {
+        BDRV_NEXT_BACKEND_ROOTS,
+        BDRV_NEXT_MONITOR_OWNED,
+    } phase;
+    BlockBackend *blk;
+    BlockDriverState *bs;
+} BdrvNextIterator;
+
+BlockDriverState *bdrv_first(BdrvNextIterator *it);
+BlockDriverState *bdrv_next(BdrvNextIterator *it);
+
 BlockDriverState *bdrv_next_monitor_owned(BlockDriverState *bs);
 int bdrv_is_encrypted(BlockDriverState *bs);
 int bdrv_key_required(BlockDriverState *bs);
diff --git a/migration/block.c b/migration/block.c
index a7a76a0..e0628d1 100644
--- a/migration/block.c
+++ b/migration/block.c
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ static void init_blk_migration(QEMUFile *f)
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     BlkMigDevState *bmds;
     int64_t sectors;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
     block_mig_state.submitted = 0;
     block_mig_state.read_done = 0;
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ static void init_blk_migration(QEMUFile *f)
     block_mig_state.zero_blocks = migrate_zero_blocks();
 
 
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         if (bdrv_is_read_only(bs)) {
             continue;
         }
diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 2c87244..6c4bac7 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -3428,12 +3428,12 @@ static void vm_completion(ReadLineState *rs, const char *str)
 {
     size_t len;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it = NULL;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
     len = strlen(str);
     readline_set_completion_index(rs, len);
 
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         SnapshotInfoList *snapshots, *snapshot;
         AioContext *ctx = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
         bool ok = false;
diff --git a/qmp.c b/qmp.c
index 8f8ae3a..3165f87 100644
--- a/qmp.c
+++ b/qmp.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ void qmp_cont(Error **errp)
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     BlockBackend *blk;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
-    BdrvNextIterator *it;
+    BdrvNextIterator it;
 
     /* if there is a dump in background, we should wait until the dump
      * finished */
@@ -201,8 +201,7 @@ void qmp_cont(Error **errp)
         blk_iostatus_reset(blk);
     }
 
-    it = NULL;
-    while ((it = bdrv_next(it, &bs))) {
+    for (bs = bdrv_first(&it); bs; bs = bdrv_next(&it)) {
         bdrv_add_key(bs, NULL, &local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_propagate(errp, local_err);
