diff --git a/src/systemc/core/object.cc b/src/systemc/core/object.cc
index 68c52eb065..39403ca34d 100644
--- a/src/systemc/core/object.cc
+++ b/src/systemc/core/object.cc
@@ -118,7 +118,12 @@ Object::operator = (const Object &)
 
 Object::~Object()
 {
-    panic_if(!children.empty(), "Parent object still has children.\n");
+    // Promote all children to be top level objects.
+    for (auto child: children) {
+        addObject(&topLevelObjects, child);
+        child->_gem5_object->parent = nullptr;
+    }
+    children.clear();
 
     if (parent)
         popObject(&parent->_gem5_object->children, _name);
diff --git a/src/systemc/core/object.hh b/src/systemc/core/object.hh
index 1317986bce..c87a98b2dc 100644
--- a/src/systemc/core/object.hh
+++ b/src/systemc/core/object.hh
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ class Object
     Objects children;
     Events events;
     sc_core::sc_object *parent;
-    ObjectsIt parentIt;
 
     sc_core::sc_attr_cltn cltn;
 };