diff --git a/hw/vfio/common.c b/hw/vfio/common.c
index 1686a0bed2..7cdb969fd3 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/common.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/common.c
@@ -1573,5 +1573,5 @@ void vfio_detach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev)
         return;
     }
     object_unref(vbasedev->hiod);
-    vbasedev->bcontainer->ops->detach_device(vbasedev);
+    VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(vbasedev->bcontainer)->detach_device(vbasedev);
 }
diff --git a/hw/vfio/container-base.c b/hw/vfio/container-base.c
index 3858f5ab1d..24669d4d74 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/container-base.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/container-base.c
@@ -19,62 +19,73 @@ int vfio_container_dma_map(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                            hwaddr iova, ram_addr_t size,
                            void *vaddr, bool readonly)
 {
-    g_assert(bcontainer->ops->dma_map);
-    return bcontainer->ops->dma_map(bcontainer, iova, size, vaddr, readonly);
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+
+    g_assert(vioc->dma_map);
+    return vioc->dma_map(bcontainer, iova, size, vaddr, readonly);
 }
 
 int vfio_container_dma_unmap(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                              hwaddr iova, ram_addr_t size,
                              IOMMUTLBEntry *iotlb)
 {
-    g_assert(bcontainer->ops->dma_unmap);
-    return bcontainer->ops->dma_unmap(bcontainer, iova, size, iotlb);
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+
+    g_assert(vioc->dma_unmap);
+    return vioc->dma_unmap(bcontainer, iova, size, iotlb);
 }
 
 bool vfio_container_add_section_window(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                                        MemoryRegionSection *section,
                                        Error **errp)
 {
-    if (!bcontainer->ops->add_window) {
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+
+    if (!vioc->add_window) {
         return true;
     }
 
-    return bcontainer->ops->add_window(bcontainer, section, errp);
+    return vioc->add_window(bcontainer, section, errp);
 }
 
 void vfio_container_del_section_window(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                                        MemoryRegionSection *section)
 {
-    if (!bcontainer->ops->del_window) {
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+
+    if (!vioc->del_window) {
         return;
     }
 
-    return bcontainer->ops->del_window(bcontainer, section);
+    return vioc->del_window(bcontainer, section);
 }
 
 int vfio_container_set_dirty_page_tracking(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                                            bool start, Error **errp)
 {
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+
     if (!bcontainer->dirty_pages_supported) {
         return 0;
     }
 
-    g_assert(bcontainer->ops->set_dirty_page_tracking);
-    return bcontainer->ops->set_dirty_page_tracking(bcontainer, start, errp);
+    g_assert(vioc->set_dirty_page_tracking);
+    return vioc->set_dirty_page_tracking(bcontainer, start, errp);
 }
 
 int vfio_container_query_dirty_bitmap(const VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                    VFIOBitmap *vbmap, hwaddr iova, hwaddr size, Error **errp)
 {
-    g_assert(bcontainer->ops->query_dirty_bitmap);
-    return bcontainer->ops->query_dirty_bitmap(bcontainer, vbmap, iova, size,
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+
+    g_assert(vioc->query_dirty_bitmap);
+    return vioc->query_dirty_bitmap(bcontainer, vbmap, iova, size,
                                                errp);
 }
 
 void vfio_container_init(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                          const VFIOIOMMUClass *ops)
 {
-    bcontainer->ops = ops;
 }
 
 void vfio_container_destroy(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer)
diff --git a/hw/vfio/container.c b/hw/vfio/container.c
index ff3a6831da..a2f5fbad00 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/container.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/container.c
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@ static bool vfio_connect_container(VFIOGroup *group, AddressSpace *as,
     VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer;
     int ret, fd;
     VFIOAddressSpace *space;
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc;
 
     space = vfio_get_address_space(as);
 
@@ -632,9 +633,10 @@ static bool vfio_connect_container(VFIOGroup *group, AddressSpace *as,
         goto unregister_container_exit;
     }
 
-    assert(bcontainer->ops->setup);
+    vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+    assert(vioc->setup);
 
-    if (!bcontainer->ops->setup(bcontainer, errp)) {
+    if (!vioc->setup(bcontainer, errp)) {
         goto enable_discards_exit;
     }
 
@@ -663,8 +665,8 @@ listener_release_exit:
     QLIST_REMOVE(bcontainer, next);
     vfio_kvm_device_del_group(group);
     memory_listener_unregister(&bcontainer->listener);
-    if (bcontainer->ops->release) {
-        bcontainer->ops->release(bcontainer);
+    if (vioc->release) {
+        vioc->release(bcontainer);
     }
 
 enable_discards_exit:
@@ -689,6 +691,7 @@ static void vfio_disconnect_container(VFIOGroup *group)
 {
     VFIOContainer *container = group->container;
     VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer = &container->bcontainer;
+    VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
 
     QLIST_REMOVE(group, container_next);
     group->container = NULL;
@@ -700,8 +703,8 @@ static void vfio_disconnect_container(VFIOGroup *group)
      */
     if (QLIST_EMPTY(&container->group_list)) {
         memory_listener_unregister(&bcontainer->listener);
-        if (bcontainer->ops->release) {
-            bcontainer->ops->release(bcontainer);
+        if (vioc->release) {
+            vioc->release(bcontainer);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/vfio/iommufd.c b/hw/vfio/iommufd.c
index d59df85840..7bc76f80b4 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/iommufd.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/iommufd.c
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ static bool iommufd_cdev_attach(const char *name, VFIODevice *vbasedev,
     /* try to attach to an existing container in this space */
     QLIST_FOREACH(bcontainer, &space->containers, next) {
         container = container_of(bcontainer, VFIOIOMMUFDContainer, bcontainer);
-        if (bcontainer->ops != iommufd_vioc ||
+        if (VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer) != iommufd_vioc ||
             vbasedev->iommufd != container->be) {
             continue;
         }
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ static VFIODevice *iommufd_cdev_pci_find_by_devid(__u32 devid)
         VFIO_IOMMU_CLASS(object_class_by_name(TYPE_VFIO_IOMMU_IOMMUFD));
 
     QLIST_FOREACH(vbasedev_iter, &vfio_device_list, global_next) {
-        if (vbasedev_iter->bcontainer->ops != iommufd_vioc) {
+        if (VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(vbasedev_iter->bcontainer) != iommufd_vioc) {
             continue;
         }
         if (devid == vbasedev_iter->devid) {
diff --git a/hw/vfio/pci.c b/hw/vfio/pci.c
index d8a76c1ee0..e03d9f3ba5 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/pci.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/pci.c
@@ -2511,9 +2511,9 @@ int vfio_pci_get_pci_hot_reset_info(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev,
 static int vfio_pci_hot_reset(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev, bool single)
 {
     VFIODevice *vbasedev = &vdev->vbasedev;
-    const VFIOIOMMUClass *ops = vbasedev->bcontainer->ops;
+    const VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(vbasedev->bcontainer);
 
-    return ops->pci_hot_reset(vbasedev, single);
+    return vioc->pci_hot_reset(vbasedev, single);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
index b079b76f68..6b57cd8e7f 100644
--- a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
+++ b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ typedef struct VFIOAddressSpace {
  */
 typedef struct VFIOContainerBase {
     Object parent;
-    const VFIOIOMMUClass *ops;
     VFIOAddressSpace *space;
     MemoryListener listener;
     Error *error;