diff --git a/hw/ide.h b/hw/ide.h
index 73fb550..34d9394 100644
--- a/hw/ide.h
+++ b/hw/ide.h
@@ -28,4 +28,7 @@
 
 void ide_get_bs(BlockDriverState *bs[], BusState *qbus);
 
+/* ide/core.c */
+void ide_drive_get(DriveInfo **hd, int max_bus);
+
 #endif /* HW_IDE_H */
diff --git a/hw/ide/core.c b/hw/ide/core.c
index 007a4ee..c11d457 100644
--- a/hw/ide/core.c
+++ b/hw/ide/core.c
@@ -2826,3 +2826,17 @@
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     }
 };
+
+void ide_drive_get(DriveInfo **hd, int max_bus)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= max_bus) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus: %d\n", max_bus);
+        exit(1);
+    }
+
+    for(i = 0; i < max_bus * MAX_IDE_DEVS; i++) {
+        hd[i] = drive_get(IF_IDE, i / MAX_IDE_DEVS, i % MAX_IDE_DEVS);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/hw/mips_fulong2e.c b/hw/mips_fulong2e.c
index f5ae639..0e90d68 100644
--- a/hw/mips_fulong2e.c
+++ b/hw/mips_fulong2e.c
@@ -338,14 +338,7 @@
     pci_bus = bonito_init((qemu_irq *)&(env->irq[2]));
 
     /* South bridge */
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS; i++) {
-        hd[i] = drive_get(IF_IDE, i / MAX_IDE_DEVS, i % MAX_IDE_DEVS);
-    }
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
 
     via_devfn = vt82c686b_init(pci_bus, PCI_DEVFN(FULONG2E_VIA_SLOT, 0));
     if (via_devfn < 0) {
diff --git a/hw/mips_malta.c b/hw/mips_malta.c
index d8baa6d..bf0d76d 100644
--- a/hw/mips_malta.c
+++ b/hw/mips_malta.c
@@ -905,15 +905,7 @@
     pci_bus = gt64120_register(i8259);
 
     /* Southbridge */
-
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS; i++) {
-        hd[i] = drive_get(IF_IDE, i / MAX_IDE_DEVS, i % MAX_IDE_DEVS);
-    }
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
 
     piix4_devfn = piix4_init(pci_bus, 80);
     isa_bus_irqs(i8259);
diff --git a/hw/mips_r4k.c b/hw/mips_r4k.c
index 8feb461..2834a46 100644
--- a/hw/mips_r4k.c
+++ b/hw/mips_r4k.c
@@ -287,15 +287,7 @@
     if (nd_table[0].vlan)
         isa_ne2000_init(0x300, 9, &nd_table[0]);
 
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS; i++) {
-        hd[i] = drive_get(IF_IDE, i / MAX_IDE_DEVS, i % MAX_IDE_DEVS);
-    }
-
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
     for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS; i++)
         isa_ide_init(ide_iobase[i], ide_iobase2[i], ide_irq[i],
                      hd[MAX_IDE_DEVS * i],
diff --git a/hw/pc_piix.c b/hw/pc_piix.c
index b3ede89..4d54ca1 100644
--- a/hw/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/pc_piix.c
@@ -129,15 +129,7 @@
             pci_nic_init_nofail(nd, "e1000", NULL);
     }
 
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS; i++) {
-        hd[i] = drive_get(IF_IDE, i / MAX_IDE_DEVS, i % MAX_IDE_DEVS);
-    }
-
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
     if (pci_enabled) {
         PCIDevice *dev;
         dev = pci_piix3_ide_init(pci_bus, hd, piix3_devfn + 1);
diff --git a/hw/ppc_newworld.c b/hw/ppc_newworld.c
index b9245f0..86f1cfb 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_newworld.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_newworld.c
@@ -325,20 +325,13 @@
     for(i = 0; i < nb_nics; i++)
         pci_nic_init_nofail(&nd_table[i], "ne2k_pci", NULL);
 
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
     dbdma = DBDMA_init(&dbdma_mem_index);
 
     /* We only emulate 2 out of 3 IDE controllers for now */
     ide_mem_index[0] = -1;
-    hd[0] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 0, 0);
-    hd[1] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 0, 1);
     ide_mem_index[1] = pmac_ide_init(hd, pic[0x0d], dbdma, 0x16, pic[0x02]);
-    hd[0] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 1, 0);
-    hd[1] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 1, 1);
-    ide_mem_index[2] = pmac_ide_init(hd, pic[0x0e], dbdma, 0x1a, pic[0x02]);
+    ide_mem_index[2] = pmac_ide_init(&hd[MAX_IDE_DEVS], pic[0x0e], dbdma, 0x1a, pic[0x02]);
 
     /* cuda also initialize ADB */
     if (machine_arch == ARCH_MAC99_U3) {
diff --git a/hw/ppc_oldworld.c b/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
index 8a4e088..75a3127 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
@@ -236,21 +236,16 @@
         pci_nic_init_nofail(&nd_table[i], "ne2k_pci", NULL);
 
 
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
 
     /* First IDE channel is a MAC IDE on the MacIO bus */
-    hd[0] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 0, 0);
-    hd[1] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 0, 1);
     dbdma = DBDMA_init(&dbdma_mem_index);
     ide_mem_index[0] = -1;
     ide_mem_index[1] = pmac_ide_init(hd, pic[0x0D], dbdma, 0x16, pic[0x02]);
 
     /* Second IDE channel is a CMD646 on the PCI bus */
-    hd[0] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 1, 0);
-    hd[1] = drive_get(IF_IDE, 1, 1);
+    hd[0] = hd[MAX_IDE_DEVS];
+    hd[1] = hd[MAX_IDE_DEVS + 1];
     hd[3] = hd[2] = NULL;
     pci_cmd646_ide_init(pci_bus, hd, 0);
 
diff --git a/hw/ppc_prep.c b/hw/ppc_prep.c
index 5615ef9..0e9cfc2 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_prep.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_prep.c
@@ -681,15 +681,7 @@
         }
     }
 
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS; i++) {
-        hd[i] = drive_get(IF_IDE, i / MAX_IDE_DEVS, i % MAX_IDE_DEVS);
-    }
-
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
     for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS; i++) {
         isa_ide_init(ide_iobase[i], ide_iobase2[i], ide_irq[i],
                      hd[2 * i],
diff --git a/hw/sun4u.c b/hw/sun4u.c
index dbb5a15..5eb38cf 100644
--- a/hw/sun4u.c
+++ b/hw/sun4u.c
@@ -793,14 +793,7 @@
     for(i = 0; i < nb_nics; i++)
         pci_nic_init_nofail(&nd_table[i], "ne2k_pci", NULL);
 
-    if (drive_get_max_bus(IF_IDE) >= MAX_IDE_BUS) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: too many IDE bus\n");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-    for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS; i++) {
-        hd[i] = drive_get(IF_IDE, i / MAX_IDE_DEVS,
-                          i % MAX_IDE_DEVS);
-    }
+    ide_drive_get(hd, MAX_IDE_BUS);
 
     pci_cmd646_ide_init(pci_bus, hd, 1);