diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.cc b/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.cc
index 31b863099d..1e21fabf09 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.cc
@@ -61,6 +61,25 @@ void Vmm::Config::update(Xml_node node)
 		_cpu_count = 1;
 	}
 
-	Virtio_device_update_policy policy(*this);
-	_model.update_from_xml(policy, node);
+	update_list_model_from_xml(_model, node,
+
+		/* create */
+		[&] (Xml_node const &node) -> Virtio_device &
+		{
+			Config::Name name = node.attribute_value("name", Config::Name());
+			Virtio_device::Type t = Virtio_device::type_from_xml(node);
+
+			if (t == Virtio_device::INVALID || !name.valid()) {
+				error("Invalid type or missing name in Virtio device node");
+				throw Invalid_configuration();
+			}
+			return *new (_heap) Virtio_device(name, t, *this);
+		},
+
+		/* destroy */
+		[&] (Virtio_device &dev) { destroy(_heap, &dev); },
+
+		/* update */
+		[&] (Virtio_device &, Xml_node const &) { }
+	);
 }
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.h b/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.h
index ac1ef8c670..a59223f6c8 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/vmm/config.h
@@ -62,6 +62,30 @@ class Vmm::Config
 				void   * const mmio_start;
 				size_t   const mmio_size;
 				unsigned const irq;
+
+				static Type type_from_xml(Xml_node const &node)
+				{
+					Config::Name const type = node.attribute_value("type", Config::Name());
+
+					if (type == "console") return CONSOLE;
+					if (type == "net")     return NET;
+					if (type == "block")   return BLOCK;
+					if (type == "gpu")     return GPU;
+					if (type == "input")   return INPUT;
+
+					return INVALID;
+				}
+
+				bool matches(Xml_node const &node) const
+				{
+					return (name == node.attribute_value("name", Config::Name()))
+					    && (type == type_from_xml(node));
+				}
+
+				static bool type_matches(Xml_node const &node)
+				{
+					return node.has_type("virtio_device");
+				}
 		};
 
 	private:
@@ -94,52 +118,6 @@ class Vmm::Config
 
 		List_model<Virtio_device> _model {};
 
-		struct Virtio_device_update_policy
-			: List_model<Config::Virtio_device>::Update_policy
-		{
-			Config & config;
-
-			Virtio_device_update_policy(Config & config)
-			: config(config) {}
-
-			static Virtio_device::Type type(Xml_node node)
-			{
-				Virtio_device::Type t = Virtio_device::INVALID;
-				Config::Name type = node.attribute_value("type", Config::Name());
-				if (type == "console") t = Virtio_device::CONSOLE;
-				if (type == "net")     t = Virtio_device::NET;
-				if (type == "block")   t = Virtio_device::BLOCK;
-				if (type == "gpu")     t = Virtio_device::GPU;
-				if (type == "input")   t = Virtio_device::INPUT;
-				return t;
-			}
-
-			void destroy_element(Element & dev) { destroy(config._heap, &dev); }
-
-			Element & create_element(Genode::Xml_node node)
-			{
-				Config::Name name = node.attribute_value("name", Config::Name());
-				Virtio_device::Type t = type(node);
-				if (t == Virtio_device::INVALID || !name.valid()) {
-					error("Invalid type or missing name in Virtio device node");
-					throw Invalid_configuration();
-				}
-				return *(new (config._heap) Element(name, t, config));
-			}
-
-			void update_element(Element &, Genode::Xml_node) {}
-
-			static bool element_matches_xml_node(Element const & dev, Xml_node node)
-			{
-				Config::Name name = node.attribute_value("name", Config::Name());
-				Virtio_device::Type t = type(node);
-				return name == dev.name && t == dev.type;
-			}
-
-			static bool node_is_element(Xml_node node) {
-				return node.has_type("virtio_device"); }
-		};
-
 	public:
 
 		Config(Heap & heap) : _heap(heap) {