diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index 1016ec9e1c..5a9c97ccc5 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ void machine_set_cpu_numa_node(MachineState *machine,
     }
 }
 
-static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts)
+static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     unsigned cpus    = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "cpus", 0);
     unsigned sockets = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "sockets", 0);
@@ -766,28 +766,28 @@ static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts)
         threads = cpus / (cores * sockets);
         threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
     } else if (sockets * cores * threads < cpus) {
-        error_report("cpu topology: "
-                        "sockets (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) < "
-                        "smp_cpus (%u)",
-                        sockets, cores, threads, cpus);
-        exit(1);
+        error_setg(errp, "cpu topology: "
+                   "sockets (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) < "
+                   "smp_cpus (%u)",
+                   sockets, cores, threads, cpus);
+        return;
     }
 
     ms->smp.max_cpus =
             qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "maxcpus", cpus);
 
     if (ms->smp.max_cpus < cpus) {
-        error_report("maxcpus must be equal to or greater than smp");
-        exit(1);
+        error_setg(errp, "maxcpus must be equal to or greater than smp");
+        return;
     }
 
     if (sockets * cores * threads != ms->smp.max_cpus) {
-        error_report("Invalid CPU topology: "
-                        "sockets (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) "
-                        "!= maxcpus (%u)",
-                        sockets, cores, threads,
-                        ms->smp.max_cpus);
-        exit(1);
+        error_setg(errp, "Invalid CPU topology: "
+                   "sockets (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) "
+                   "!= maxcpus (%u)",
+                   sockets, cores, threads,
+                   ms->smp.max_cpus);
+        return;
     }
 
     ms->smp.cpus = cpus;
@@ -1126,9 +1126,13 @@ MemoryRegion *machine_consume_memdev(MachineState *machine,
 bool machine_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(ms);
+    ERRP_GUARD();
 
     if (opts) {
-        mc->smp_parse(ms, opts);
+        mc->smp_parse(ms, opts, errp);
+        if (*errp) {
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     /* sanity-check smp_cpus and max_cpus against mc */
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index e206ac85f3..cce275dcb1 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ void pc_acpi_smi_interrupt(void *opaque, int irq, int level)
  * This function is very similar to smp_parse()
  * in hw/core/machine.c but includes CPU die support.
  */
-void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts)
+static void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     unsigned cpus    = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "cpus", 0);
     unsigned sockets = qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "sockets", 0);
@@ -738,28 +738,28 @@ void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts)
         threads = cpus / (cores * dies * sockets);
         threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
     } else if (sockets * dies * cores * threads < cpus) {
-        error_report("cpu topology: "
-                        "sockets (%u) * dies (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) < "
-                        "smp_cpus (%u)",
-                        sockets, dies, cores, threads, cpus);
-        exit(1);
+        error_setg(errp, "cpu topology: "
+                   "sockets (%u) * dies (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) < "
+                   "smp_cpus (%u)",
+                   sockets, dies, cores, threads, cpus);
+        return;
     }
 
     ms->smp.max_cpus =
             qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "maxcpus", cpus);
 
     if (ms->smp.max_cpus < cpus) {
-        error_report("maxcpus must be equal to or greater than smp");
-        exit(1);
+        error_setg(errp, "maxcpus must be equal to or greater than smp");
+        return;
     }
 
     if (sockets * dies * cores * threads != ms->smp.max_cpus) {
-        error_report("Invalid CPU topology deprecated: "
-                        "sockets (%u) * dies (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) "
-                        "!= maxcpus (%u)",
-                        sockets, dies, cores, threads,
-                        ms->smp.max_cpus);
-        exit(1);
+        error_setg(errp, "Invalid CPU topology deprecated: "
+                   "sockets (%u) * dies (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) "
+                   "!= maxcpus (%u)",
+                   sockets, dies, cores, threads,
+                   ms->smp.max_cpus);
+        return;
     }
 
     ms->smp.cpus = cpus;
diff --git a/include/hw/boards.h b/include/hw/boards.h
index 87ae5cc300..0483d6af86 100644
--- a/include/hw/boards.h
+++ b/include/hw/boards.h
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ struct MachineClass {
     void (*reset)(MachineState *state);
     void (*wakeup)(MachineState *state);
     int (*kvm_type)(MachineState *machine, const char *arg);
-    void (*smp_parse)(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts);
+    void (*smp_parse)(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
 
     BlockInterfaceType block_default_type;
     int units_per_default_bus;
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/pc.h b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
index 4c2ca6d36a..87294f2632 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/pc.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
@@ -138,8 +138,6 @@ extern int fd_bootchk;
 
 void pc_acpi_smi_interrupt(void *opaque, int irq, int level);
 
-void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, QemuOpts *opts);
-
 void pc_guest_info_init(PCMachineState *pcms);
 
 #define PCI_HOST_PROP_PCI_HOLE_START   "pci-hole-start"