diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs b/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
index da7afcba1..87a97e47a 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::thread;
 use vm_memory::{
     Address, ByteValued, Bytes, GuestAddress, GuestAddressSpace, GuestMemoryAtomic,
-    GuestMemoryError, GuestMemoryMmap, GuestUsize,
+    GuestMemoryError, GuestMemoryMmap, MmapRegion,
 };
 use vm_migration::{Migratable, MigratableError, Pausable, Snapshottable, Transportable};
 use vmm_sys_util::eventfd::EventFd;
@@ -322,13 +322,22 @@ pub struct Pmem {
     interrupt_cb: Option<Arc<dyn VirtioInterrupt>>,
     epoll_threads: Option<Vec<thread::JoinHandle<result::Result<(), DeviceError>>>>,
     paused: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+
+    // Hold ownership of the memory that is allocated for the device
+    // which will be automatically dropped when the device is dropped
+    _region: MmapRegion,
 }
 
 impl Pmem {
-    pub fn new(disk: File, addr: GuestAddress, size: GuestUsize, iommu: bool) -> io::Result<Pmem> {
+    pub fn new(
+        disk: File,
+        addr: GuestAddress,
+        _region: MmapRegion,
+        iommu: bool,
+    ) -> io::Result<Pmem> {
         let config = VirtioPmemConfig {
             start: addr.raw_value().to_le(),
-            size: size.to_le(),
+            size: (_region.size() as u64).to_le(),
         };
 
         let mut avail_features = 1u64 << VIRTIO_F_VERSION_1;
@@ -348,6 +357,7 @@ impl Pmem {
             interrupt_cb: None,
             epoll_threads: None,
             paused: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)),
+            _region,
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/vmm/src/device_manager.rs b/vmm/src/device_manager.rs
index 3dde9e935..27330f9cc 100644
--- a/vmm/src/device_manager.rs
+++ b/vmm/src/device_manager.rs
@@ -1467,8 +1467,6 @@ impl DeviceManager {
         .map_err(DeviceManagerError::NewMmapRegion)?;
         let addr: u64 = mmap_region.as_ptr() as u64;
 
-        self._mmap_regions.push(mmap_region);
-
         self.memory_manager
             .lock()
             .unwrap()
@@ -1482,7 +1480,7 @@ impl DeviceManager {
             .map_err(DeviceManagerError::MemoryManager)?;
 
         let virtio_pmem_device = Arc::new(Mutex::new(
-            vm_virtio::Pmem::new(file, pmem_guest_addr, size as GuestUsize, pmem_cfg.iommu)
+            vm_virtio::Pmem::new(file, pmem_guest_addr, mmap_region, pmem_cfg.iommu)
                 .map_err(DeviceManagerError::CreateVirtioPmem)?,
         ));