diff --git a/include/qom/object.h b/include/qom/object.h
index 9c7c361..4cd7704 100644
--- a/include/qom/object.h
+++ b/include/qom/object.h
@@ -974,6 +974,14 @@
 Object *object_get_root(void);
 
 /**
+ * object_get_canonical_path_component:
+ *
+ * Returns: The final component in the object's canonical path.  The canonical
+ * path is the path within the composition tree starting from the root.
+ */
+gchar *object_get_canonical_path_component(Object *obj);
+
+/**
  * object_get_canonical_path:
  *
  * Returns: The canonical path for a object.  This is the path within the
diff --git a/qom/object.c b/qom/object.c
index 660859c..3290375 100644
--- a/qom/object.c
+++ b/qom/object.c
@@ -1102,39 +1102,49 @@
     g_free(full_type);
 }
 
+gchar *object_get_canonical_path_component(Object *obj)
+{
+    ObjectProperty *prop = NULL;
+
+    g_assert(obj);
+    g_assert(obj->parent != NULL);
+
+    QTAILQ_FOREACH(prop, &obj->parent->properties, node) {
+        if (!object_property_is_child(prop)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (prop->opaque == obj) {
+            return g_strdup(prop->name);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* obj had a parent but was not a child, should never happen */
+    g_assert_not_reached();
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 gchar *object_get_canonical_path(Object *obj)
 {
     Object *root = object_get_root();
-    char *newpath = NULL, *path = NULL;
+    char *newpath, *path = NULL;
 
     while (obj != root) {
-        ObjectProperty *prop = NULL;
+        char *component = object_get_canonical_path_component(obj);
 
-        g_assert(obj->parent != NULL);
-
-        QTAILQ_FOREACH(prop, &obj->parent->properties, node) {
-            if (!object_property_is_child(prop)) {
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            if (prop->opaque == obj) {
-                if (path) {
-                    newpath = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s", prop->name, path);
-                    g_free(path);
-                    path = newpath;
-                } else {
-                    path = g_strdup(prop->name);
-                }
-                break;
-            }
+        if (path) {
+            newpath = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s", component, path);
+            g_free(component);
+            g_free(path);
+            path = newpath;
+        } else {
+            path = component;
         }
 
-        g_assert(prop != NULL);
-
         obj = obj->parent;
     }
 
-    newpath = g_strdup_printf("/%s", path);
+    newpath = g_strdup_printf("/%s", path ? path : "");
     g_free(path);
 
     return newpath;