diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 6449f3a11d..a44af9c3c1 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -710,11 +710,12 @@ int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_delete_file(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp)
 int bdrv_probe_blocksizes(BlockDriverState *bs, BlockSizes *bsz)
 {
     BlockDriver *drv = bs->drv;
+    BlockDriverState *filtered = bdrv_filter_bs(bs);
 
     if (drv && drv->bdrv_probe_blocksizes) {
         return drv->bdrv_probe_blocksizes(bs, bsz);
-    } else if (drv && drv->is_filter && bs->file) {
-        return bdrv_probe_blocksizes(bs->file->bs, bsz);
+    } else if (filtered) {
+        return bdrv_probe_blocksizes(filtered, bsz);
     }
 
     return -ENOTSUP;
@@ -729,11 +730,12 @@ int bdrv_probe_blocksizes(BlockDriverState *bs, BlockSizes *bsz)
 int bdrv_probe_geometry(BlockDriverState *bs, HDGeometry *geo)
 {
     BlockDriver *drv = bs->drv;
+    BlockDriverState *filtered = bdrv_filter_bs(bs);
 
     if (drv && drv->bdrv_probe_geometry) {
         return drv->bdrv_probe_geometry(bs, geo);
-    } else if (drv && drv->is_filter && bs->file) {
-        return bdrv_probe_geometry(bs->file->bs, geo);
+    } else if (filtered) {
+        return bdrv_probe_geometry(filtered, geo);
     }
 
     return -ENOTSUP;
@@ -5421,6 +5423,8 @@ int bdrv_has_zero_init_1(BlockDriverState *bs)
 
 int bdrv_has_zero_init(BlockDriverState *bs)
 {
+    BlockDriverState *filtered;
+
     if (!bs->drv) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -5433,8 +5437,10 @@ int bdrv_has_zero_init(BlockDriverState *bs)
     if (bs->drv->bdrv_has_zero_init) {
         return bs->drv->bdrv_has_zero_init(bs);
     }
-    if (bs->file && bs->drv->is_filter) {
-        return bdrv_has_zero_init(bs->file->bs);
+
+    filtered = bdrv_filter_bs(bs);
+    if (filtered) {
+        return bdrv_has_zero_init(filtered);
     }
 
     /* safe default */
@@ -5479,8 +5485,9 @@ int bdrv_get_info(BlockDriverState *bs, BlockDriverInfo *bdi)
         return -ENOMEDIUM;
     }
     if (!drv->bdrv_get_info) {
-        if (bs->file && drv->is_filter) {
-            return bdrv_get_info(bs->file->bs, bdi);
+        BlockDriverState *filtered = bdrv_filter_bs(bs);
+        if (filtered) {
+            return bdrv_get_info(filtered, bdi);
         }
         return -ENOTSUP;
     }
@@ -6546,6 +6553,8 @@ int bdrv_amend_options(BlockDriverState *bs, QemuOpts *opts,
 bool bdrv_recurse_can_replace(BlockDriverState *bs,
                               BlockDriverState *to_replace)
 {
+    BlockDriverState *filtered;
+
     if (!bs || !bs->drv) {
         return false;
     }
@@ -6560,9 +6569,9 @@ bool bdrv_recurse_can_replace(BlockDriverState *bs,
     }
 
     /* For filters without an own implementation, we can recurse on our own */
-    if (bs->drv->is_filter) {
-        BdrvChild *child = bs->file ?: bs->backing;
-        return bdrv_recurse_can_replace(child->bs, to_replace);
+    filtered = bdrv_filter_bs(bs);
+    if (filtered) {
+        return bdrv_recurse_can_replace(filtered, to_replace);
     }
 
     /* Safe default */
diff --git a/block/io.c b/block/io.c
index df8f2a98d4..385176b331 100644
--- a/block/io.c
+++ b/block/io.c
@@ -3307,6 +3307,7 @@ int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_truncate(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, bool exact,
                                   Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs = child->bs;
+    BdrvChild *filtered;
     BlockDriver *drv = bs->drv;
     BdrvTrackedRequest req;
     int64_t old_size, new_bytes;
@@ -3358,6 +3359,8 @@ int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_truncate(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, bool exact,
         goto out;
     }
 
+    filtered = bdrv_filter_child(bs);
+
     /*
      * If the image has a backing file that is large enough that it would
      * provide data for the new area, we cannot leave it unallocated because
@@ -3390,8 +3393,8 @@ int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_truncate(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, bool exact,
             goto out;
         }
         ret = drv->bdrv_co_truncate(bs, offset, exact, prealloc, flags, errp);
-    } else if (bs->file && drv->is_filter) {
-        ret = bdrv_co_truncate(bs->file, offset, exact, prealloc, flags, errp);
+    } else if (filtered) {
+        ret = bdrv_co_truncate(filtered, offset, exact, prealloc, flags, errp);
     } else {
         error_setg(errp, "Image format driver does not support resize");
         ret = -ENOTSUP;
diff --git a/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c b/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
index 47bc0f650c..dec656c074 100644
--- a/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
+++ b/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
@@ -356,13 +356,7 @@ static int init_dirty_bitmap_migration(void)
         while (bs && bs->drv && bs->drv->is_filter &&
                !bdrv_has_named_bitmaps(bs))
         {
-            if (bs->backing) {
-                bs = bs->backing->bs;
-            } else if (bs->file) {
-                bs = bs->file->bs;
-            } else {
-                bs = NULL;
-            }
+            bs = bdrv_filter_bs(bs);
         }
 
         if (bs && bs->drv && !bs->drv->is_filter) {
