diff --git a/hw/vfio/common.c b/hw/vfio/common.c
index 9505fb3..c764cb3 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/common.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/common.c
@@ -724,12 +724,11 @@
 
         name = g_strdup_printf("%s mmaps[%d]",
                                memory_region_name(region->mem), i);
-        memory_region_init_ram_ptr(&region->mmaps[i].mem,
-                                   memory_region_owner(region->mem),
-                                   name, region->mmaps[i].size,
-                                   region->mmaps[i].mmap);
+        memory_region_init_ram_device_ptr(&region->mmaps[i].mem,
+                                          memory_region_owner(region->mem),
+                                          name, region->mmaps[i].size,
+                                          region->mmaps[i].mmap);
         g_free(name);
-        memory_region_set_skip_dump(&region->mmaps[i].mem);
         memory_region_add_subregion(region->mem, region->mmaps[i].offset,
                                     &region->mmaps[i].mem);
 
diff --git a/hw/vfio/spapr.c b/hw/vfio/spapr.c
index 7443d34..4409bcc 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/spapr.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     }
 
     return !memory_region_is_ram(section->mr) ||
-            memory_region_is_skip_dump(section->mr);
+            memory_region_is_ram_device(section->mr);
 }
 
 static void *vfio_prereg_gpa_to_vaddr(MemoryRegionSection *section, hwaddr gpa)
diff --git a/include/exec/memory.h b/include/exec/memory.h
index 79ccaab..a75b8c3 100644
--- a/include/exec/memory.h
+++ b/include/exec/memory.h
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@
     void (*destructor)(MemoryRegion *mr);
     uint64_t align;
     bool terminates;
-    bool skip_dump;
+    bool ram_device;
     bool enabled;
     bool warning_printed; /* For reservations */
     uint8_t vga_logging_count;
@@ -449,6 +449,30 @@
                                 void *ptr);
 
 /**
+ * memory_region_init_ram_device_ptr:  Initialize RAM device memory region from
+ *                                     a user-provided pointer.
+ *
+ * A RAM device represents a mapping to a physical device, such as to a PCI
+ * MMIO BAR of an vfio-pci assigned device.  The memory region may be mapped
+ * into the VM address space and access to the region will modify memory
+ * directly.  However, the memory region should not be included in a memory
+ * dump (device may not be enabled/mapped at the time of the dump), and
+ * operations incompatible with manipulating MMIO should be avoided.  Replaces
+ * skip_dump flag.
+ *
+ * @mr: the #MemoryRegion to be initialized.
+ * @owner: the object that tracks the region's reference count
+ * @name: the name of the region.
+ * @size: size of the region.
+ * @ptr: memory to be mapped; must contain at least @size bytes.
+ */
+void memory_region_init_ram_device_ptr(MemoryRegion *mr,
+                                       struct Object *owner,
+                                       const char *name,
+                                       uint64_t size,
+                                       void *ptr);
+
+/**
  * memory_region_init_alias: Initialize a memory region that aliases all or a
  *                           part of another memory region.
  *
@@ -574,22 +598,13 @@
 }
 
 /**
- * memory_region_is_skip_dump: check whether a memory region should not be
- *                             dumped
+ * memory_region_is_ram_device: check whether a memory region is a ram device
  *
- * Returns %true is a memory region should not be dumped(e.g. VFIO BAR MMAP).
+ * Returns %true is a memory region is a device backed ram region
  *
  * @mr: the memory region being queried
  */
-bool memory_region_is_skip_dump(MemoryRegion *mr);
-
-/**
- * memory_region_set_skip_dump: Set skip_dump flag, dump will ignore this memory
- *                              region
- *
- * @mr: the memory region being queried
- */
-void memory_region_set_skip_dump(MemoryRegion *mr);
+bool memory_region_is_ram_device(MemoryRegion *mr);
 
 /**
  * memory_region_is_romd: check whether a memory region is in ROMD mode
diff --git a/memory.c b/memory.c
index edbc701..7ffcff1 100644
--- a/memory.c
+++ b/memory.c
@@ -1355,9 +1355,14 @@
     mr->ram_block = qemu_ram_alloc_from_ptr(size, ptr, mr, &error_fatal);
 }
 
-void memory_region_set_skip_dump(MemoryRegion *mr)
+void memory_region_init_ram_device_ptr(MemoryRegion *mr,
+                                       Object *owner,
+                                       const char *name,
+                                       uint64_t size,
+                                       void *ptr)
 {
-    mr->skip_dump = true;
+    memory_region_init_ram_ptr(mr, owner, name, size, ptr);
+    mr->ram_device = true;
 }
 
 void memory_region_init_alias(MemoryRegion *mr,
@@ -1491,9 +1496,9 @@
     return mr->name;
 }
 
-bool memory_region_is_skip_dump(MemoryRegion *mr)
+bool memory_region_is_ram_device(MemoryRegion *mr)
 {
-    return mr->skip_dump;
+    return mr->ram_device;
 }
 
 uint8_t memory_region_get_dirty_log_mask(MemoryRegion *mr)
diff --git a/memory_mapping.c b/memory_mapping.c
index e3e0d95..6a39d71 100644
--- a/memory_mapping.c
+++ b/memory_mapping.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@
 
     /* we only care about RAM */
     if (!memory_region_is_ram(section->mr) ||
-        memory_region_is_skip_dump(section->mr)) {
+        memory_region_is_ram_device(section->mr)) {
         return;
     }