diff --git a/hw/core/gpio.c b/hw/core/gpio.c
index 80d07a6ec99..6e32a8eec61 100644
--- a/hw/core/gpio.c
+++ b/hw/core/gpio.c
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@ void qdev_connect_gpio_out_named(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, int n,
                                      name ? name : "unnamed-gpio-out", n);
     if (input_pin && !OBJECT(input_pin)->parent) {
         /* We need a name for object_property_set_link to work */
-        object_property_add_child(container_get(qdev_get_machine(),
-                                                "/unattached"),
+        object_property_add_child(machine_get_container("unattached"),
                                   "non-qdev-gpio[*]", OBJECT(input_pin));
     }
     object_property_set_link(OBJECT(dev), propname,
diff --git a/hw/core/qdev.c b/hw/core/qdev.c
index 9973e029ffa..cfdb7beca24 100644
--- a/hw/core/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/core/qdev.c
@@ -476,8 +476,7 @@ static void device_set_realized(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
         if (!obj->parent) {
             gchar *name = g_strdup_printf("device[%d]", unattached_count++);
 
-            object_property_add_child(container_get(qdev_get_machine(),
-                                                    "/unattached"),
+            object_property_add_child(machine_get_container("unattached"),
                                       name, obj);
             unattached_parent = true;
             g_free(name);
diff --git a/hw/core/sysbus.c b/hw/core/sysbus.c
index e64d99c8edf..9355849ff0a 100644
--- a/hw/core/sysbus.c
+++ b/hw/core/sysbus.c
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ void foreach_dynamic_sysbus_device(FindSysbusDeviceFunc *func, void *opaque)
     };
 
     /* Loop through all sysbus devices that were spawned outside the machine */
-    container = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), "/peripheral");
+    container = machine_get_container("peripheral");
     find_sysbus_device(container, &find);
-    container = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), "/peripheral-anon");
+    container = machine_get_container("peripheral-anon");
     find_sysbus_device(container, &find);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index 71118765884..9334b033f65 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ static int check_fdc(Object *obj, void *opaque)
 }
 
 static const char * const fdc_container_path[] = {
-    "/unattached", "/peripheral", "/peripheral-anon"
+    "unattached", "peripheral", "peripheral-anon"
 };
 
 /*
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ static ISADevice *pc_find_fdc0(void)
     CheckFdcState state = { 0 };
 
     for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(fdc_container_path); i++) {
-        container = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), fdc_container_path[i]);
+        container = machine_get_container(fdc_container_path[i]);
         object_child_foreach(container, check_fdc, &state);
     }
 
diff --git a/system/ioport.c b/system/ioport.c
index fd551d0375e..55c2a752396 100644
--- a/system/ioport.c
+++ b/system/ioport.c
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ static void portio_list_add_1(PortioList *piolist,
     object_ref(&mrpio->mr);
     object_unparent(OBJECT(&mrpio->mr));
     if (!piolist->owner) {
-        owner = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), "/unattached");
+        owner = machine_get_container("unattached");
     } else {
         owner = piolist->owner;
     }
diff --git a/system/memory.c b/system/memory.c
index 78e17e0efa8..b17b5538ffa 100644
--- a/system/memory.c
+++ b/system/memory.c
@@ -1238,7 +1238,7 @@ static void memory_region_do_init(MemoryRegion *mr,
         char *name_array = g_strdup_printf("%s[*]", escaped_name);
 
         if (!owner) {
-            owner = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), "/unattached");
+            owner = machine_get_container("unattached");
         }
 
         object_property_add_child(owner, name_array, OBJECT(mr));
diff --git a/system/qdev-monitor.c b/system/qdev-monitor.c
index c844f538025..7f4a1f5083b 100644
--- a/system/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/system/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ static Object *qdev_get_peripheral(void)
     static Object *dev;
 
     if (dev == NULL) {
-        dev = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), "/peripheral");
+        dev = machine_get_container("peripheral");
     }
 
     return dev;
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ static Object *qdev_get_peripheral_anon(void)
     static Object *dev;
 
     if (dev == NULL) {
-        dev = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), "/peripheral-anon");
+        dev = machine_get_container("peripheral-anon");
     }
 
     return dev;
@@ -1098,7 +1098,7 @@ static GSList *qdev_build_hotpluggable_device_list(Object *peripheral)
 static void peripheral_device_del_completion(ReadLineState *rs,
                                              const char *str)
 {
-    Object *peripheral = container_get(qdev_get_machine(), "/peripheral");
+    Object *peripheral = machine_get_container("peripheral");
     GSList *list, *item;
 
     list = qdev_build_hotpluggable_device_list(peripheral);
diff --git a/system/vl.c b/system/vl.c
index 0843b7ab49b..20e0eaf95ac 100644
--- a/system/vl.c
+++ b/system/vl.c
@@ -2137,8 +2137,7 @@ static void qemu_create_machine(QDict *qdict)
     object_property_add_child(object_get_root(), "machine",
                               OBJECT(current_machine));
     qemu_create_machine_containers(OBJECT(current_machine));
-    object_property_add_child(container_get(OBJECT(current_machine),
-                                            "/unattached"),
+    object_property_add_child(machine_get_container("unattached"),
                               "sysbus", OBJECT(sysbus_get_default()));
 
     if (machine_class->minimum_page_bits) {
