diff --git a/hw/pc.c b/hw/pc.c
index 53cc173eb2..07caba78ba 100644
--- a/hw/pc.c
+++ b/hw/pc.c
@@ -876,7 +876,6 @@ void pc_cpus_init(const char *cpu_model)
 
     for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; i++) {
         if (!cpu_x86_init(cpu_model)) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "Unable to find x86 CPU definition\n");
             exit(1);
         }
     }
diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.c b/target-i386/cpu.c
index 462d6c9c2d..dfcf86e862 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.c
@@ -1516,16 +1516,50 @@ static void filter_features_for_kvm(X86CPU *cpu)
 }
 #endif
 
-static int cpu_x86_register(X86CPU *cpu, const char *cpu_model)
+static void cpu_x86_register(X86CPU *cpu, const char *name, Error **errp)
 {
     CPUX86State *env = &cpu->env;
     x86_def_t def1, *def = &def1;
-    Error *error = NULL;
-    char *name, *features;
-    gchar **model_pieces;
 
     memset(def, 0, sizeof(*def));
 
+    if (cpu_x86_find_by_name(def, name) < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Unable to find CPU definition: %s", name);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (kvm_enabled()) {
+        def->kvm_features |= kvm_default_features;
+    }
+    def->ext_features |= CPUID_EXT_HYPERVISOR;
+
+    object_property_set_str(OBJECT(cpu), def->vendor, "vendor", errp);
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->level, "level", errp);
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->family, "family", errp);
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->model, "model", errp);
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->stepping, "stepping", errp);
+    env->cpuid_features = def->features;
+    env->cpuid_ext_features = def->ext_features;
+    env->cpuid_ext2_features = def->ext2_features;
+    env->cpuid_ext3_features = def->ext3_features;
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->xlevel, "xlevel", errp);
+    env->cpuid_kvm_features = def->kvm_features;
+    env->cpuid_svm_features = def->svm_features;
+    env->cpuid_ext4_features = def->ext4_features;
+    env->cpuid_7_0_ebx_features = def->cpuid_7_0_ebx_features;
+    env->cpuid_xlevel2 = def->xlevel2;
+
+    object_property_set_str(OBJECT(cpu), def->model_id, "model-id", errp);
+}
+
+X86CPU *cpu_x86_init(const char *cpu_model)
+{
+    X86CPU *cpu = NULL;
+    CPUX86State *env;
+    gchar **model_pieces;
+    char *name, *features;
+    Error *error = NULL;
+
     model_pieces = g_strsplit(cpu_model, ",", 2);
     if (!model_pieces[0]) {
         error_setg(&error, "Invalid/empty CPU model name");
@@ -1534,68 +1568,34 @@ static int cpu_x86_register(X86CPU *cpu, const char *cpu_model)
     name = model_pieces[0];
     features = model_pieces[1];
 
-    if (cpu_x86_find_by_name(def, name) < 0) {
-        error_setg(&error, "Unable to find CPU definition: %s", name);
-        goto out;
-    }
+    cpu = X86_CPU(object_new(TYPE_X86_CPU));
+    env = &cpu->env;
+    env->cpu_model_str = cpu_model;
 
-    if (kvm_enabled()) {
-        def->kvm_features |= kvm_default_features;
-    }
-    def->ext_features |= CPUID_EXT_HYPERVISOR;
-
-    object_property_set_str(OBJECT(cpu), def->vendor, "vendor", &error);
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->level, "level", &error);
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->family, "family", &error);
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->model, "model", &error);
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->stepping, "stepping", &error);
-    env->cpuid_features = def->features;
-    env->cpuid_ext_features = def->ext_features;
-    env->cpuid_ext2_features = def->ext2_features;
-    env->cpuid_ext3_features = def->ext3_features;
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), def->xlevel, "xlevel", &error);
-    env->cpuid_kvm_features = def->kvm_features;
-    env->cpuid_svm_features = def->svm_features;
-    env->cpuid_ext4_features = def->ext4_features;
-    env->cpuid_7_0_ebx_features = def->cpuid_7_0_ebx_features;
-    env->cpuid_xlevel2 = def->xlevel2;
-
-    object_property_set_str(OBJECT(cpu), def->model_id, "model-id", &error);
+    cpu_x86_register(cpu, name, &error);
     if (error) {
         goto out;
     }
 
     cpu_x86_parse_featurestr(cpu, features, &error);
+    if (error) {
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(cpu), true, "realized", &error);
+    if (error) {
+        goto out;
+    }
+
 out:
     g_strfreev(model_pieces);
     if (error) {
         fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", error_get_pretty(error));
         error_free(error);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
-X86CPU *cpu_x86_init(const char *cpu_model)
-{
-    X86CPU *cpu;
-    CPUX86State *env;
-    Error *error = NULL;
-
-    cpu = X86_CPU(object_new(TYPE_X86_CPU));
-    env = &cpu->env;
-    env->cpu_model_str = cpu_model;
-
-    if (cpu_x86_register(cpu, cpu_model) < 0) {
-        object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(cpu), true, "realized", &error);
-    if (error) {
-        error_free(error);
-        object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
-        return NULL;
+        if (cpu != NULL) {
+            object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
+            cpu = NULL;
+        }
     }
     return cpu;
 }