diff --git a/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c b/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c
index 91dd00ee91..b6f4507dcf 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c
@@ -193,7 +193,6 @@ static int xilinx_load_device_tree(hwaddr addr,
 
 static void virtex_init(MachineState *machine)
 {
-    ram_addr_t ram_size = machine->ram_size;
     const char *kernel_filename = machine->kernel_filename;
     const char *kernel_cmdline = machine->kernel_cmdline;
     hwaddr initrd_base = 0;
@@ -204,7 +203,6 @@ static void virtex_init(MachineState *machine)
     CPUPPCState *env;
     hwaddr ram_base = 0;
     DriveInfo *dinfo;
-    MemoryRegion *phys_ram = g_new(MemoryRegion, 1);
     qemu_irq irq[32], *cpu_irq;
     int kernel_size;
     int i;
@@ -221,8 +219,7 @@ static void virtex_init(MachineState *machine)
 
     qemu_register_reset(main_cpu_reset, cpu);
 
-    memory_region_allocate_system_memory(phys_ram, NULL, "ram", ram_size);
-    memory_region_add_subregion(address_space_mem, ram_base, phys_ram);
+    memory_region_add_subregion(address_space_mem, ram_base, machine->ram);
 
     dinfo = drive_get(IF_PFLASH, 0, 0);
     pflash_cfi01_register(PFLASH_BASEADDR, "virtex.flash", FLASH_SIZE,
@@ -265,7 +262,7 @@ static void virtex_init(MachineState *machine)
             /* If we failed loading ELF's try a raw image.  */
             kernel_size = load_image_targphys(kernel_filename,
                                               boot_offset,
-                                              ram_size);
+                                              machine->ram_size);
             boot_info.bootstrap_pc = boot_offset;
             high = boot_info.bootstrap_pc + kernel_size + 8192;
         }
@@ -276,7 +273,7 @@ static void virtex_init(MachineState *machine)
         if (machine->initrd_filename) {
             initrd_base = high = ROUND_UP(high, 4);
             initrd_size = load_image_targphys(machine->initrd_filename,
-                                              high, ram_size - high);
+                                              high, machine->ram_size - high);
 
             if (initrd_size < 0) {
                 error_report("couldn't load ram disk '%s'",
@@ -290,7 +287,7 @@ static void virtex_init(MachineState *machine)
         boot_info.fdt = high + (8192 * 2);
         boot_info.fdt &= ~8191;
 
-        xilinx_load_device_tree(boot_info.fdt, ram_size,
+        xilinx_load_device_tree(boot_info.fdt, machine->ram_size,
                                 initrd_base, initrd_size,
                                 kernel_cmdline);
     }
@@ -302,6 +299,7 @@ static void virtex_machine_init(MachineClass *mc)
     mc->desc = "Xilinx Virtex ML507 reference design";
     mc->init = virtex_init;
     mc->default_cpu_type = POWERPC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("440-xilinx");
+    mc->default_ram_id = "ram";
 }
 
 DEFINE_MACHINE("virtex-ml507", virtex_machine_init)