diff --git a/hw/ppc/mac_newworld.c b/hw/ppc/mac_newworld.c
index 27e4e8d136..6327694f85 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/mac_newworld.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/mac_newworld.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ static void ppc_core99_init(MachineState *machine)
     DeviceState *dev, *pic_dev;
     DeviceState *uninorth_internal_dev = NULL, *uninorth_agp_dev = NULL;
     hwaddr nvram_addr = 0xFFF04000;
-    uint64_t tbfreq;
+    uint64_t tbfreq = kvm_enabled() ? kvmppc_get_tbfreq() : TBFREQ;
 
     /* init CPUs */
     for (i = 0; i < machine->smp.cpus; i++) {
@@ -343,13 +343,6 @@ static void ppc_core99_init(MachineState *machine)
     has_adb = (core99_machine->via_config == CORE99_VIA_CONFIG_CUDA ||
                core99_machine->via_config == CORE99_VIA_CONFIG_PMU_ADB);
 
-    /* Timebase Frequency */
-    if (kvm_enabled()) {
-        tbfreq = kvmppc_get_tbfreq();
-    } else {
-        tbfreq = TBFREQ;
-    }
-
     /* init basic PC hardware */
     pci_bus = PCI_HOST_BRIDGE(uninorth_pci)->bus;
 
diff --git a/hw/ppc/mac_oldworld.c b/hw/ppc/mac_oldworld.c
index 86512d31ad..5cabc410e7 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/mac_oldworld.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/mac_oldworld.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ static void ppc_heathrow_init(MachineState *machine)
     uint16_t ppc_boot_device;
     DriveInfo *hd[MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS];
     void *fw_cfg;
-    uint64_t tbfreq;
+    uint64_t tbfreq = kvm_enabled() ? kvmppc_get_tbfreq() : TBFREQ;
 
     /* init CPUs */
     for (i = 0; i < machine->smp.cpus; i++) {
@@ -223,13 +223,6 @@ static void ppc_heathrow_init(MachineState *machine)
         }
     }
 
-    /* Timebase Frequency */
-    if (kvm_enabled()) {
-        tbfreq = kvmppc_get_tbfreq();
-    } else {
-        tbfreq = TBFREQ;
-    }
-
     /* Grackle PCI host bridge */
     grackle_dev = qdev_new(TYPE_GRACKLE_PCI_HOST_BRIDGE);
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(grackle_dev, "ofw-addr", 0x80000000);