diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 780ae58..1caf2e0 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -2571,6 +2571,7 @@ void qmp_block_set_io_throttle(BlockIOThrottle *arg, Error **errp)
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     BlockBackend *blk;
     AioContext *aio_context;
+    IOThrottle *iothrottle;
 
     blk = qmp_get_blk(arg->has_device ? arg->device : NULL,
                       arg->has_id ? arg->id : NULL,
@@ -2588,56 +2589,8 @@ void qmp_block_set_io_throttle(BlockIOThrottle *arg, Error **errp)
         goto out;
     }
 
-    throttle_config_init(&cfg);
-    cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_TOTAL].avg = arg->bps;
-    cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_READ].avg  = arg->bps_rd;
-    cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_WRITE].avg = arg->bps_wr;
-
-    cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_TOTAL].avg = arg->iops;
-    cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_READ].avg  = arg->iops_rd;
-    cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_WRITE].avg = arg->iops_wr;
-
-    if (arg->has_bps_max) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_TOTAL].max = arg->bps_max;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_bps_rd_max) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_READ].max = arg->bps_rd_max;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_bps_wr_max) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_WRITE].max = arg->bps_wr_max;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_iops_max) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_TOTAL].max = arg->iops_max;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_iops_rd_max) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_READ].max = arg->iops_rd_max;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_iops_wr_max) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_WRITE].max = arg->iops_wr_max;
-    }
-
-    if (arg->has_bps_max_length) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_TOTAL].burst_length = arg->bps_max_length;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_bps_rd_max_length) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_READ].burst_length = arg->bps_rd_max_length;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_bps_wr_max_length) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_WRITE].burst_length = arg->bps_wr_max_length;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_iops_max_length) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_TOTAL].burst_length = arg->iops_max_length;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_iops_rd_max_length) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_READ].burst_length = arg->iops_rd_max_length;
-    }
-    if (arg->has_iops_wr_max_length) {
-        cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_WRITE].burst_length = arg->iops_wr_max_length;
-    }
-
-    if (arg->has_iops_size) {
-        cfg.op_size = arg->iops_size;
-    }
+    iothrottle = qapi_BlockIOThrottle_base(arg);
+    throttle_set_io_limits(&cfg, iothrottle);
 
     if (!throttle_is_valid(&cfg, errp)) {
         goto out;
diff --git a/include/qemu/throttle-options.h b/include/qemu/throttle-options.h
index f63d38c..a9deb8e 100644
--- a/include/qemu/throttle-options.h
+++ b/include/qemu/throttle-options.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #define THROTTLE_OPTIONS_H
 
 #include "typedefs.h"
+#include "qapi-types.h"
 
 #define THROTTLE_OPTS \
           { \
@@ -93,4 +94,6 @@
 
 void throttle_parse_options(ThrottleConfig *, QemuOpts *);
 
+void throttle_set_io_limits(ThrottleConfig *, IOThrottle *);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/util/throttle.c b/util/throttle.c
index 95c2ecf..2d00532 100644
--- a/util/throttle.c
+++ b/util/throttle.c
@@ -553,3 +553,62 @@ void throttle_parse_options(ThrottleConfig *throttle_cfg, QemuOpts *opts)
     throttle_cfg->op_size =
         qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "throttling.iops-size", 0);
 }
+
+/* set the throttle limits
+ *
+ * @arg: iothrottle limits
+ * @cfg: throttle configuration
+ */
+void throttle_set_io_limits(ThrottleConfig *cfg, IOThrottle *arg)
+{
+    throttle_config_init(cfg);
+    cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_TOTAL].avg = arg->bps;
+    cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_READ].avg  = arg->bps_rd;
+    cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_WRITE].avg = arg->bps_wr;
+
+    cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_TOTAL].avg = arg->iops;
+    cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_READ].avg  = arg->iops_rd;
+    cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_WRITE].avg = arg->iops_wr;
+
+    if (arg->has_bps_max) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_TOTAL].max = arg->bps_max;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_bps_rd_max) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_READ].max = arg->bps_rd_max;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_bps_wr_max) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_WRITE].max = arg->bps_wr_max;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_iops_max) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_TOTAL].max = arg->iops_max;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_iops_rd_max) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_READ].max = arg->iops_rd_max;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_iops_wr_max) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_WRITE].max = arg->iops_wr_max;
+    }
+
+    if (arg->has_bps_max_length) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_TOTAL].burst_length = arg->bps_max_length;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_bps_rd_max_length) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_READ].burst_length = arg->bps_rd_max_length;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_bps_wr_max_length) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_WRITE].burst_length = arg->bps_wr_max_length;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_iops_max_length) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_TOTAL].burst_length = arg->iops_max_length;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_iops_rd_max_length) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_READ].burst_length = arg->iops_rd_max_length;
+    }
+    if (arg->has_iops_wr_max_length) {
+        cfg->buckets[THROTTLE_OPS_WRITE].burst_length = arg->iops_wr_max_length;
+    }
+
+    if (arg->has_iops_size) {
+        cfg->op_size = arg->iops_size;
+    }
+}
