diff --git a/hw/intc/riscv_aplic.c b/hw/intc/riscv_aplic.c
index 0974c6a5db..e5714267c0 100644
--- a/hw/intc/riscv_aplic.c
+++ b/hw/intc/riscv_aplic.c
@@ -893,6 +893,26 @@ static void riscv_aplic_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     RISCVAPLICState *aplic = RISCV_APLIC(dev);
 
     if (riscv_use_emulated_aplic(aplic->msimode)) {
+        /* Create output IRQ lines for non-MSI mode */
+        if (!aplic->msimode) {
+            /* Claim the CPU interrupt to be triggered by this APLIC */
+            for (i = 0; i < aplic->num_harts; i++) {
+                RISCVCPU *cpu;
+
+                cpu = RISCV_CPU(cpu_by_arch_id(aplic->hartid_base + i));
+                if (riscv_cpu_claim_interrupts(cpu,
+                    (aplic->mmode) ? MIP_MEIP : MIP_SEIP) < 0) {
+                    error_report("%s already claimed",
+                                 (aplic->mmode) ? "MEIP" : "SEIP");
+                    exit(1);
+                }
+            }
+
+            aplic->external_irqs = g_malloc(sizeof(qemu_irq) *
+                                            aplic->num_harts);
+            qdev_init_gpio_out(dev, aplic->external_irqs, aplic->num_harts);
+        }
+
         aplic->bitfield_words = (aplic->num_irqs + 31) >> 5;
         aplic->sourcecfg = g_new0(uint32_t, aplic->num_irqs);
         aplic->state = g_new0(uint32_t, aplic->num_irqs);
@@ -927,23 +947,6 @@ static void riscv_aplic_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         }
     }
 
-    /* Create output IRQ lines for non-MSI mode */
-    if (!aplic->msimode) {
-        aplic->external_irqs = g_malloc(sizeof(qemu_irq) * aplic->num_harts);
-        qdev_init_gpio_out(dev, aplic->external_irqs, aplic->num_harts);
-
-        /* Claim the CPU interrupt to be triggered by this APLIC */
-        for (i = 0; i < aplic->num_harts; i++) {
-            RISCVCPU *cpu = RISCV_CPU(cpu_by_arch_id(aplic->hartid_base + i));
-            if (riscv_cpu_claim_interrupts(cpu,
-                (aplic->mmode) ? MIP_MEIP : MIP_SEIP) < 0) {
-                error_report("%s already claimed",
-                             (aplic->mmode) ? "MEIP" : "SEIP");
-                exit(1);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     msi_nonbroken = true;
 }
 
@@ -1067,15 +1070,15 @@ DeviceState *riscv_aplic_create(hwaddr addr, hwaddr size,
 
     if (riscv_use_emulated_aplic(msimode)) {
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev), 0, addr);
-    }
 
-    if (!msimode) {
-        for (i = 0; i < num_harts; i++) {
-            CPUState *cpu = cpu_by_arch_id(hartid_base + i);
+        if (!msimode) {
+            for (i = 0; i < num_harts; i++) {
+                CPUState *cpu = cpu_by_arch_id(hartid_base + i);
 
-            qdev_connect_gpio_out_named(dev, NULL, i,
-                                        qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(cpu),
+                qdev_connect_gpio_out_named(dev, NULL, i,
+                                            qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(cpu),
                                             (mmode) ? IRQ_M_EXT : IRQ_S_EXT));
+            }
         }
     }