snprintf(typename, sizeof(typename), "aspeed.timer-%s", socname);
     sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "timerctrl", OBJECT(&s->timerctrl),
                           sizeof(s->timerctrl), typename);
-    object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&s->timerctrl), "scu",
-                                   OBJECT(&s->scu), &error_abort);
 
     snprintf(typename, sizeof(typename), "aspeed.i2c-%s", socname);
     sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "i2c", OBJECT(&s->i2c), sizeof(s->i2c),
         snprintf(typename, sizeof(typename), "aspeed.wdt-%s", socname);
         sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "wdt[*]", OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]),
                               sizeof(s->wdt[i]), typename);
-        object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]), "scu",
-                                       OBJECT(&s->scu), &error_abort);
     }
 
     for (i = 0; i < sc->macs_num; i++) {
                        aspeed_soc_get_irq(s, ASPEED_RTC));
 
     /* Timer */
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&s->timerctrl),
+                             OBJECT(&s->scu), "scu", &error_abort);
     object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&s->timerctrl), true, "realized", &err);
     if (err) {
         error_propagate(errp, err);
     for (i = 0; i < sc->wdts_num; i++) {
         AspeedWDTClass *awc = ASPEED_WDT_GET_CLASS(&s->wdt[i]);
 
+        object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]),
+                                 OBJECT(&s->scu), "scu", &error_abort);
         object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]), true, "realized", &err);
         if (err) {
             error_propagate(errp, err);
 
     snprintf(typename, sizeof(typename), "aspeed.timer-%s", socname);
     sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "timerctrl", OBJECT(&s->timerctrl),
                           sizeof(s->timerctrl), typename);
-    object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&s->timerctrl), "scu",
-                                   OBJECT(&s->scu), &error_abort);
 
     snprintf(typename, sizeof(typename), "aspeed.i2c-%s", socname);
     sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "i2c", OBJECT(&s->i2c), sizeof(s->i2c),
         snprintf(typename, sizeof(typename), "aspeed.wdt-%s", socname);
         sysbus_init_child_obj(obj, "wdt[*]", OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]),
                               sizeof(s->wdt[i]), typename);
-        object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]), "scu",
-                                       OBJECT(&s->scu), &error_abort);
     }
 
     for (i = 0; i < sc->macs_num; i++) {
                        aspeed_soc_get_irq(s, ASPEED_RTC));
 
     /* Timer */
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&s->timerctrl),
+                             OBJECT(&s->scu), "scu", &error_abort);
     object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&s->timerctrl), true, "realized", &err);
     if (err) {
         error_propagate(errp, err);
     for (i = 0; i < sc->wdts_num; i++) {
         AspeedWDTClass *awc = ASPEED_WDT_GET_CLASS(&s->wdt[i]);
 
+        object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]),
+                                 OBJECT(&s->scu), "scu", &error_abort);
         object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&s->wdt[i]), true, "realized", &err);
         if (err) {
             error_propagate(errp, err);
 
 #include "qemu/timer.h"
 #include "qemu/log.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
+#include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "trace.h"
 
 #define TIMER_NR_REGS 4
     int i;
     SysBusDevice *sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
     AspeedTimerCtrlState *s = ASPEED_TIMER(dev);
-    Object *obj;
-    Error *err = NULL;
 
-    obj = object_property_get_link(OBJECT(dev), "scu", &err);
-    if (!obj) {
-        error_propagate_prepend(errp, err, "required link 'scu' not found: ");
-        return;
-    }
-    s->scu = ASPEED_SCU(obj);
+    assert(s->scu);
 
     for (i = 0; i < ASPEED_TIMER_NR_TIMERS; i++) {
         aspeed_init_one_timer(s, i);
     }
 };
 
+static Property aspeed_timer_properties[] = {
+    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("scu", AspeedTimerCtrlState, scu, TYPE_ASPEED_SCU,
+                     AspeedSCUState *),
+    DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
+};
+
 static void timer_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
     dc->reset = aspeed_timer_reset;
     dc->desc = "ASPEED Timer";
     dc->vmsd = &vmstate_aspeed_timer_state;
+    dc->props = aspeed_timer_properties;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo aspeed_timer_info = {
 
 {
     SysBusDevice *sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
     AspeedWDTState *s = ASPEED_WDT(dev);
-    Error *err = NULL;
-    Object *obj;
 
-    obj = object_property_get_link(OBJECT(dev), "scu", &err);
-    if (!obj) {
-        error_propagate(errp, err);
-        error_prepend(errp, "required link 'scu' not found: ");
-        return;
-    }
-    s->scu = ASPEED_SCU(obj);
+    assert(s->scu);
 
     s->timer = timer_new_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL, aspeed_wdt_timer_expired, dev);
 
     sysbus_init_mmio(sbd, &s->iomem);
 }
 
+static Property aspeed_wdt_properties[] = {
+    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("scu", AspeedWDTState, scu, TYPE_ASPEED_SCU,
+                     AspeedSCUState *),
+    DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
+};
+
 static void aspeed_wdt_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
     dc->reset = aspeed_wdt_reset;
     set_bit(DEVICE_CATEGORY_MISC, dc->categories);
     dc->vmsd = &vmstate_aspeed_wdt;
+    dc->props = aspeed_wdt_properties;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo aspeed_wdt_info = {