diff -r 51ce51ce19d6 -r cc4bc8869ff8 src/dev/arm/base_gic.cc
--- a/src/dev/arm/base_gic.cc	Thu Feb 05 11:07:09 2015 +0000
+++ b/src/dev/arm/base_gic.cc	Thu Feb 05 11:07:48 2015 +0000
@@ -39,12 +39,21 @@
 
 #include "dev/arm/base_gic.hh"
 
+#include "dev/arm/realview.hh"
 #include "params/BaseGic.hh"
 
 BaseGic::BaseGic(const Params *p)
         : PioDevice(p),
           platform(p->platform)
 {
+    RealView *const rv(dynamic_cast<RealView*>(p->platform));
+    // The platform keeps track of the GIC that is hooked up to the
+    // system. Due to quirks in gem5's configuration system, the
+    // platform can't take a GIC as parameter. Instead, we need to
+    // register with the platform when a new GIC is created. If we
+    // can't find a platform, something is seriously wrong.
+    fatal_if(!rv, "GIC model can't register with platform code");
+    rv->setGic(this);
 }
 
 BaseGic::~BaseGic()
diff -r 51ce51ce19d6 -r cc4bc8869ff8 src/dev/arm/gic_pl390.cc
--- a/src/dev/arm/gic_pl390.cc	Thu Feb 05 11:07:09 2015 +0000
+++ b/src/dev/arm/gic_pl390.cc	Thu Feb 05 11:07:48 2015 +0000
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 #include "debug/IPI.hh"
 #include "debug/Interrupt.hh"
 #include "dev/arm/gic_pl390.hh"
-#include "dev/arm/realview.hh"
 #include "dev/terminal.hh"
 #include "mem/packet.hh"
 #include "mem/packet_access.hh"
@@ -102,11 +101,6 @@
             bankedIntPriority[i][j] = 0;
         }
     }
-
-    RealView *rv = dynamic_cast<RealView*>(p->platform);
-    assert(rv);
-    rv->setGic(this);
-
 }
 
 Tick