diff --git a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-device.c b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-device.c
index 2482f98c2..927d931c1 100644
--- a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-device.c
+++ b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-device.c
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (FuVliDevice, fu_vli_device, FU_TYPE_USB_DEVICE)
 
 #define GET_PRIVATE(o) (fu_vli_device_get_instance_private (o))
 
+enum {
+	PROP_0,
+	PROP_KIND,
+	PROP_LAST
+};
+
 static const gchar *
 fu_vli_device_spi_req_to_string (FuVliDeviceSpiReq req)
 {
@@ -428,7 +434,11 @@ fu_vli_device_set_kind (FuVliDevice *self, FuVliDeviceKind device_kind)
 	FuVliDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	guint32 sz;
 
-	priv->kind = device_kind;
+	/* set and notify if different */
+	if (priv->kind != device_kind) {
+		priv->kind = device_kind;
+		g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (self), "kind");
+	}
 
 	/* set maximum firmware size */
 	sz = fu_vli_common_device_kind_get_size (device_kind);
@@ -620,6 +630,35 @@ fu_vli_device_set_quirk_kv (FuDevice *device,
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
+static void
+fu_vli_device_get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id, GValue *value, GParamSpec *pspec)
+{
+	FuVliDevice *self = FU_VLI_DEVICE (object);
+	FuVliDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	switch (prop_id) {
+	case PROP_KIND:
+		g_value_set_uint (value, priv->kind);
+		break;
+	default:
+		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+fu_vli_device_set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id, const GValue *value, GParamSpec *pspec)
+{
+	FuVliDevice *self = FU_VLI_DEVICE (object);
+	switch (prop_id) {
+	case PROP_KIND:
+		fu_vli_device_set_kind (self, g_value_get_uint (value));
+		break;
+	default:
+		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 fu_vli_device_init (FuVliDevice *self)
 {
@@ -640,6 +679,18 @@ static void
 fu_vli_device_class_init (FuVliDeviceClass *klass)
 {
 	FuDeviceClass *klass_device = FU_DEVICE_CLASS (klass);
+	GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
+	GParamSpec *pspec;
+
+	/* properties */
+	object_class->get_property = fu_vli_device_get_property;
+	object_class->set_property = fu_vli_device_set_property;
+	pspec = g_param_spec_uint ("kind", NULL, NULL,
+				   0, G_MAXUINT, 0,
+				   G_PARAM_READWRITE |
+				   G_PARAM_STATIC_NAME);
+	g_object_class_install_property (object_class, PROP_KIND, pspec);
+
 	klass_device->to_string = fu_vli_device_to_string;
 	klass_device->set_quirk_kv = fu_vli_device_set_quirk_kv;
 	klass_device->setup = fu_vli_device_setup;