diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/pnv.h b/include/hw/ppc/pnv.h
index 1e34ddd502d8..86cb7d7f971b 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/pnv.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/pnv.h
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ DECLARE_INSTANCE_CHECKER(PnvChip, PNV_CHIP_POWER10,
 
 PowerPCCPU *pnv_chip_find_cpu(PnvChip *chip, uint32_t pir);
 void pnv_phb_attach_root_port(PCIHostState *pci, const char *name);
-void pnv_chip_parent_fixup(PnvChip *chip, Object *obj, int index);
 
 #define TYPE_PNV_MACHINE       MACHINE_TYPE_NAME("powernv")
 typedef struct PnvMachineClass PnvMachineClass;
diff --git a/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb3.c b/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb3.c
index aafd46b635e8..ac801ac83582 100644
--- a/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb3.c
+++ b/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb3.c
@@ -994,30 +994,6 @@ static void pnv_phb3_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(qdev_get_machine());
     int i;
 
-    /* User created devices */
-    if (!phb->chip) {
-        Error *local_err = NULL;
-        BusState *s;
-
-        phb->chip = pnv_get_chip(pnv, phb->chip_id);
-        if (!phb->chip) {
-            error_setg(errp, "invalid chip id: %d", phb->chip_id);
-            return;
-        }
-
-        /*
-         * Reparent user created devices to the chip to build
-         * correctly the device tree.
-         */
-        pnv_chip_parent_fixup(phb->chip, OBJECT(phb), phb->phb_id);
-
-        s = qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(phb->chip));
-        if (!qdev_set_parent_bus(DEVICE(phb), s, &local_err)) {
-            error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-            return;
-        }
-    }
-
     if (phb->phb_id >= PNV_CHIP_GET_CLASS(phb->chip)->num_phbs) {
         error_setg(errp, "invalid PHB index: %d", phb->phb_id);
         return;
@@ -1077,10 +1053,7 @@ static void pnv_phb3_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     pci_setup_iommu(pci->bus, pnv_phb3_dma_iommu, phb);
 
-    if (defaults_enabled()) {
-        pnv_phb_attach_root_port(PCI_HOST_BRIDGE(phb),
-                                 TYPE_PNV_PHB3_ROOT_PORT);
-    }
+    pnv_phb_attach_root_port(PCI_HOST_BRIDGE(phb), TYPE_PNV_PHB3_ROOT_PORT);
 }
 
 void pnv_phb3_update_regions(PnvPHB3 *phb)
@@ -1131,7 +1104,7 @@ static void pnv_phb3_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->realize = pnv_phb3_realize;
     device_class_set_props(dc, pnv_phb3_properties);
     set_bit(DEVICE_CATEGORY_BRIDGE, dc->categories);
-    dc->user_creatable = true;
+    dc->user_creatable = false;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo pnv_phb3_type_info = {
@@ -1201,7 +1174,7 @@ static void pnv_phb3_root_port_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 
     device_class_set_parent_realize(dc, pnv_phb3_root_port_realize,
                                     &rpc->parent_realize);
-    dc->user_creatable = true;
+    dc->user_creatable = false;
 
     k->vendor_id = PCI_VENDOR_ID_IBM;
     k->device_id = 0x03dc;
diff --git a/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4.c b/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4.c
index d1a911f988b7..b30176209303 100644
--- a/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4.c
+++ b/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4.c
@@ -1545,70 +1545,14 @@ static void pnv_phb4_instance_init(Object *obj)
     object_initialize_child(obj, "source", &phb->xsrc, TYPE_XIVE_SOURCE);
 }
 
-static PnvPhb4PecState *pnv_phb4_get_pec(PnvChip *chip, PnvPHB4 *phb,
-                                         Error **errp)
-{
-    Pnv9Chip *chip9 = PNV9_CHIP(chip);
-    int chip_id = phb->chip_id;
-    int index = phb->phb_id;
-    int i, j;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < chip->num_pecs; i++) {
-        /*
-         * For each PEC, check the amount of phbs it supports
-         * and see if the given phb4 index matches an index.
-         */
-        PnvPhb4PecState *pec = &chip9->pecs[i];
-
-        for (j = 0; j < pec->num_phbs; j++) {
-            if (index == pnv_phb4_pec_get_phb_id(pec, j)) {
-                return pec;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    error_setg(errp,
-               "pnv-phb4 chip-id %d index %d didn't match any existing PEC",
-               chip_id, index);
-
-    return NULL;
-}
-
 static void pnv_phb4_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     PnvPHB4 *phb = PNV_PHB4(dev);
-    PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(qdev_get_machine());
-    PnvChip *chip = pnv_get_chip(pnv, phb->chip_id);
     PCIHostState *pci = PCI_HOST_BRIDGE(dev);
     XiveSource *xsrc = &phb->xsrc;
-    BusState *s;
-    Error *local_err = NULL;
     int nr_irqs;
     char name[32];
 
-    if (!chip) {
-        error_setg(errp, "invalid chip id: %d", phb->chip_id);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    /* User created PHBs need to be assigned to a PEC */
-    if (!phb->pec) {
-        phb->pec = pnv_phb4_get_pec(chip, phb, &local_err);
-        if (local_err) {
-            error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-            return;
-        }
-    }
-
-    /* Reparent the PHB to the chip to build the device tree */
-    pnv_chip_parent_fixup(chip, OBJECT(phb), phb->phb_id);
-
-    s = qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(chip));
-    if (!qdev_set_parent_bus(DEVICE(phb), s, &local_err)) {
-        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        return;
-    }
-
     /* Set the "big_phb" flag */
     phb->big_phb = phb->phb_id == 0 || phb->phb_id == 3;
 
@@ -1766,7 +1710,7 @@ static void pnv_phb4_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->realize         = pnv_phb4_realize;
     device_class_set_props(dc, pnv_phb4_properties);
     set_bit(DEVICE_CATEGORY_BRIDGE, dc->categories);
-    dc->user_creatable  = true;
+    dc->user_creatable  = false;
 
     xfc->notify         = pnv_phb4_xive_notify;
 }
@@ -1864,7 +1808,7 @@ static void pnv_phb4_root_port_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     PCIERootPortClass *rpc = PCIE_ROOT_PORT_CLASS(klass);
 
     dc->desc     = "IBM PHB4 PCIE Root Port";
-    dc->user_creatable = true;
+    dc->user_creatable = false;
 
     device_class_set_parent_realize(dc, pnv_phb4_root_port_realize,
                                     &rpc->parent_realize);
@@ -1894,7 +1838,7 @@ static void pnv_phb5_root_port_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     PCIDeviceClass *k = PCI_DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
 
     dc->desc     = "IBM PHB5 PCIE Root Port";
-    dc->user_creatable = true;
+    dc->user_creatable = false;
 
     k->vendor_id = PCI_VENDOR_ID_IBM;
     k->device_id = PNV_PHB5_DEVICE_ID;
diff --git a/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4_pec.c b/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4_pec.c
index a0dfa77c8432..6f1121a9489a 100644
--- a/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4_pec.c
+++ b/hw/pci-host/pnv_phb4_pec.c
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ static void pnv_pec_default_phb_realize(PnvPhb4PecState *pec,
     PnvPHB4 *phb = PNV_PHB4(qdev_new(pecc->phb_type));
     int phb_id = pnv_phb4_pec_get_phb_id(pec, stack_no);
 
+    object_property_add_child(OBJECT(pec), "phb[*]", OBJECT(phb));
     object_property_set_link(OBJECT(phb), "pec", OBJECT(pec),
                              &error_abort);
     object_property_set_int(OBJECT(phb), "chip-id", pec->chip_id,
@@ -150,10 +151,8 @@ static void pnv_pec_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     pec->num_phbs = pecc->num_phbs[pec->index];
 
     /* Create PHBs if running with defaults */
-    if (defaults_enabled()) {
-        for (i = 0; i < pec->num_phbs; i++) {
-            pnv_pec_default_phb_realize(pec, i, errp);
-        }
+    for (i = 0; i < pec->num_phbs; i++) {
+        pnv_pec_default_phb_realize(pec, i, errp);
     }
 
     /* Initialize the XSCOM regions for the PEC registers */
diff --git a/hw/ppc/pnv.c b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
index e7cd8b62ca43..00f57c9678e6 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/pnv.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
@@ -1141,9 +1141,7 @@ static void pnv_chip_power8_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     object_initialize_child(obj, "homer", &chip8->homer, TYPE_PNV8_HOMER);
 
-    if (defaults_enabled()) {
-        chip8->num_phbs = pcc->num_phbs;
-    }
+    chip8->num_phbs = pcc->num_phbs;
 
     for (i = 0; i < chip8->num_phbs; i++) {
         object_initialize_child(obj, "phb[*]", &chip8->phbs[i], TYPE_PNV_PHB3);
@@ -1974,23 +1972,6 @@ static ICSState *pnv_ics_get(XICSFabric *xi, int irq)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-void pnv_chip_parent_fixup(PnvChip *chip, Object *obj, int index)
-{
-    Object *parent = OBJECT(chip);
-    g_autofree char *default_id =
-        g_strdup_printf("%s[%d]", object_get_typename(obj), index);
-
-    if (obj->parent == parent) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    object_ref(obj);
-    object_unparent(obj);
-    object_property_add_child(
-        parent, DEVICE(obj)->id ? DEVICE(obj)->id : default_id, obj);
-    object_unref(obj);
-}
-
 PnvChip *pnv_get_chip(PnvMachineState *pnv, uint32_t chip_id)
 {
     int i;
@@ -2130,8 +2111,6 @@ static void pnv_machine_power8_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 
     pmc->compat = compat;
     pmc->compat_size = sizeof(compat);
-
-    machine_class_allow_dynamic_sysbus_dev(mc, TYPE_PNV_PHB3);
 }
 
 static void pnv_machine_power9_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
@@ -2150,8 +2129,6 @@ static void pnv_machine_power9_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     pmc->compat = compat;
     pmc->compat_size = sizeof(compat);
     pmc->dt_power_mgt = pnv_dt_power_mgt;
-
-    machine_class_allow_dynamic_sysbus_dev(mc, TYPE_PNV_PHB4);
 }
 
 static void pnv_machine_power10_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
