diff --git a/src/mess/drivers/fmtowns.c b/src/mess/drivers/fmtowns.c
index 7e9f30b6bdf..ed3a78d733a 100644
--- a/src/mess/drivers/fmtowns.c
+++ b/src/mess/drivers/fmtowns.c
@@ -2618,7 +2618,6 @@ void towns_state::machine_reset()
 	m_cdrom = machine().device<cdrom_image_device>("cdrom");
 	m_cdda = machine().device("cdda");
 	m_scsi = machine().device<fmscsi_device>("scsi:fm");
-	m_ram = m_ram;
 	m_ftimer = 0x00;
 	m_freerun_timer = 0x00;
 	m_nmi_mask = 0x00;
diff --git a/src/mess/includes/fmtowns.h b/src/mess/includes/fmtowns.h
index 201dcafad01..f37487ca89f 100644
--- a/src/mess/includes/fmtowns.h
+++ b/src/mess/includes/fmtowns.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ class towns_state : public driver_device
 		: driver_device(mconfig, type, tag),
 			m_maincpu(*this, "maincpu"),
 			m_speaker(*this, "speaker"),
+			m_ram(*this, RAM_TAG),
 			m_nvram(*this, "nvram"),
 			m_nvram16(*this, "nvram16")
 	{ }
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ class towns_state : public driver_device
 	device_t* m_cdda;
 	required_device<speaker_sound_device> m_speaker;
 	class fmscsi_device* m_scsi;
-	ram_device* m_ram;
+	required_device<ram_device> m_ram;
 
 	UINT16 m_ftimer;
 	UINT16 m_freerun_timer;