diff --git a/hw/sparc64/niagara.c b/hw/sparc64/niagara.c
index 9a8d6109d4..7a723326c5 100644
--- a/hw/sparc64/niagara.c
+++ b/hw/sparc64/niagara.c
@@ -106,8 +106,7 @@ static void niagara_init(MachineState *machine)
     MemoryRegion *sysmem = get_system_memory();
 
     /* init CPUs */
-    sparc64_cpu_devinit(machine->cpu_model, "Sun UltraSparc T1",
-                        NIAGARA_PROM_BASE);
+    sparc64_cpu_devinit(machine->cpu_type, NIAGARA_PROM_BASE);
     /* set up devices */
     memory_region_allocate_system_memory(&s->hv_ram, NULL, "sun4v-hv.ram",
                                          NIAGARA_HV_RAM_SIZE);
@@ -174,6 +173,7 @@ static void niagara_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->init = niagara_init;
     mc->max_cpus = 1; /* XXX for now */
     mc->default_boot_order = "c";
+    mc->default_cpu_type = SPARC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("Sun-UltraSparc-T1");
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo niagara_type = {
diff --git a/hw/sparc64/sparc64.c b/hw/sparc64/sparc64.c
index 097d529ff1..9453e2c390 100644
--- a/hw/sparc64/sparc64.c
+++ b/hw/sparc64/sparc64.c
@@ -339,8 +339,7 @@ void cpu_tick_set_limit(CPUTimer *timer, uint64_t limit)
     }
 }
 
-SPARCCPU *sparc64_cpu_devinit(const char *cpu_model,
-                              const char *default_cpu_model, uint64_t prom_addr)
+SPARCCPU *sparc64_cpu_devinit(const char *cpu_type, uint64_t prom_addr)
 {
     SPARCCPU *cpu;
     CPUSPARCState *env;
@@ -350,10 +349,7 @@ SPARCCPU *sparc64_cpu_devinit(const char *cpu_model,
     uint32_t  stick_frequency = 100 * 1000000;
     uint32_t hstick_frequency = 100 * 1000000;
 
-    if (cpu_model == NULL) {
-        cpu_model = default_cpu_model;
-    }
-    cpu = SPARC_CPU(cpu_generic_init(TYPE_SPARC_CPU, cpu_model));
+    cpu = SPARC_CPU(cpu_create(cpu_type));
     env = &cpu->env;
 
     env->tick = cpu_timer_create("tick", cpu, tick_irq,
diff --git a/hw/sparc64/sun4u.c b/hw/sparc64/sun4u.c
index 77a787466a..1672f256e7 100644
--- a/hw/sparc64/sun4u.c
+++ b/hw/sparc64/sun4u.c
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@
 #define IVEC_MAX             0x40
 
 struct hwdef {
-    const char * const default_cpu_model;
     uint16_t machine_id;
     uint64_t prom_addr;
     uint64_t console_serial_base;
@@ -446,8 +445,7 @@ static void sun4uv_init(MemoryRegion *address_space_mem,
     bool onboard_nic;
 
     /* init CPUs */
-    cpu = sparc64_cpu_devinit(machine->cpu_model, hwdef->default_cpu_model,
-                              hwdef->prom_addr);
+    cpu = sparc64_cpu_devinit(machine->cpu_type, hwdef->prom_addr);
 
     /* set up devices */
     ram_init(0, machine->ram_size);
@@ -599,14 +597,12 @@ enum {
 static const struct hwdef hwdefs[] = {
     /* Sun4u generic PC-like machine */
     {
-        .default_cpu_model = "TI UltraSparc IIi",
         .machine_id = sun4u_id,
         .prom_addr = 0x1fff0000000ULL,
         .console_serial_base = 0,
     },
     /* Sun4v generic PC-like machine */
     {
-        .default_cpu_model = "Sun UltraSparc T1",
         .machine_id = sun4v_id,
         .prom_addr = 0x1fff0000000ULL,
         .console_serial_base = 0,
@@ -635,6 +631,7 @@ static void sun4u_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->max_cpus = 1; /* XXX for now */
     mc->is_default = 1;
     mc->default_boot_order = "c";
+    mc->default_cpu_type = SPARC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("TI-UltraSparc-IIi");
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo sun4u_type = {
@@ -652,6 +649,7 @@ static void sun4v_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->block_default_type = IF_IDE;
     mc->max_cpus = 1; /* XXX for now */
     mc->default_boot_order = "c";
+    mc->default_cpu_type = SPARC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("Sun-UltraSparc-T1");
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo sun4v_type = {
diff --git a/include/hw/sparc/sparc64.h b/include/hw/sparc/sparc64.h
index 7748939a97..ca3bb4be71 100644
--- a/include/hw/sparc/sparc64.h
+++ b/include/hw/sparc/sparc64.h
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 
-SPARCCPU *sparc64_cpu_devinit(const char *cpu_model,
-                              const char *dflt_cpu_model, uint64_t prom_addr);
+SPARCCPU *sparc64_cpu_devinit(const char *cpu_type, uint64_t prom_addr);
 
 void sparc64_cpu_set_ivec_irq(void *opaque, int irq, int level);