diff --git a/hw/vfio/container.c b/hw/vfio/container.c
index bb3990aece..ff540e1c59 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/container.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/container.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "hw/vfio/vfio-container.h"
 #include "vfio-helpers.h"
 #include "vfio-cpr.h"
+#include "vfio-listener.h"
 
 #define TYPE_HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE_LEGACY_VFIO TYPE_HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE "-legacy-vfio"
 
diff --git a/hw/vfio/iommufd.c b/hw/vfio/iommufd.c
index a5bd189a86..7488d21215 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/iommufd.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/iommufd.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "vfio-iommufd.h"
 #include "vfio-helpers.h"
 #include "vfio-cpr.h"
+#include "vfio-listener.h"
 
 #define TYPE_HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE_IOMMUFD_VFIO             \
             TYPE_HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE_IOMMUFD "-vfio"
diff --git a/hw/vfio/common.c b/hw/vfio/listener.c
similarity index 100%
rename from hw/vfio/common.c
rename to hw/vfio/listener.c
diff --git a/hw/vfio/meson.build b/hw/vfio/meson.build
index 9c8a989db2..bccb05098c 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/meson.build
+++ b/hw/vfio/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 vfio_ss = ss.source_set()
 vfio_ss.add(files(
-  'common.c',
+  'listener.c',
   'container-base.c',
   'container.c',
   'helpers.c',
diff --git a/hw/vfio/trace-events b/hw/vfio/trace-events
index aa0ba695fa..ddb1bcc24a 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/trace-events
+++ b/hw/vfio/trace-events
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ vfio_pci_igd_bdsm_enabled(const char *name, int size) "%s %dMB"
 vfio_pci_igd_host_bridge_enabled(const char *name) "%s"
 vfio_pci_igd_lpc_bridge_enabled(const char *name) "%s"
 
-# common.c
+# listener.c
 vfio_iommu_map_notify(const char *op, uint64_t iova_start, uint64_t iova_end) "iommu %s @ 0x%"PRIx64" - 0x%"PRIx64
 vfio_listener_region_skip(const char *name, uint64_t start, uint64_t end) "SKIPPING %s 0x%"PRIx64" - 0x%"PRIx64
 vfio_spapr_group_attach(int groupfd, int tablefd) "Attached groupfd %d to liobn fd %d"
diff --git a/hw/vfio/vfio-listener.h b/hw/vfio/vfio-listener.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..93af6747b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hw/vfio/vfio-listener.h
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/*
+ * VFIO MemoryListener services
+ *
+ * Copyright Red Hat, Inc. 2025
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#ifndef HW_VFIO_VFIO_LISTENER_H
+#define HW_VFIO_VFIO_LISTENER_H
+
+extern const MemoryListener vfio_memory_listener;
+
+#endif /* HW_VFIO_VFIO_LISTENER_H */
diff --git a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h
index 0dfae24b72..92381c6160 100644
--- a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h
+++ b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ VFIODevice *vfio_get_vfio_device(Object *obj);
 
 typedef QLIST_HEAD(VFIODeviceList, VFIODevice) VFIODeviceList;
 extern VFIODeviceList vfio_device_list;
-extern const MemoryListener vfio_memory_listener;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_LINUX
 int vfio_get_region_info(VFIODevice *vbasedev, int index,