diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.c b/target-i386/cpu.c
index 3b9bbfe..b242bf1 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.c
@@ -1539,13 +1539,22 @@ static void filter_features_for_kvm(X86CPU *cpu)
 }
 #endif
 
-int cpu_x86_register(X86CPU *cpu, const char *cpu_model)
+/* Create and initialize a X86CPU object, based on the full CPU model string
+ * (that may include "+feature,-feature,feature=xxx" feature strings)
+ */
+X86CPU *cpu_x86_create(const char *cpu_model)
 {
+    X86CPU *cpu;
+    CPUX86State *env;
     x86_def_t def1, *def = &def1;
     Error *error = NULL;
     char *name, *features;
     gchar **model_pieces;
 
+    cpu = X86_CPU(object_new(TYPE_X86_CPU));
+    env = &cpu->env;
+    env->cpu_model_str = cpu_model;
+
     memset(def, 0, sizeof(*def));
 
     model_pieces = g_strsplit(cpu_model, ",", 2);
@@ -1578,10 +1587,11 @@ int cpu_x86_register(X86CPU *cpu, const char *cpu_model)
     }
 
     g_strfreev(model_pieces);
-    return 0;
+    return cpu;
 error:
+    object_delete(OBJECT(cpu));
     g_strfreev(model_pieces);
-    return -1;
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.h b/target-i386/cpu.h
index 386c4f6..3ebaae9 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.h
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.h
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ int cpu_x86_signal_handler(int host_signum, void *pinfo,
 void cpu_x86_cpuid(CPUX86State *env, uint32_t index, uint32_t count,
                    uint32_t *eax, uint32_t *ebx,
                    uint32_t *ecx, uint32_t *edx);
-int cpu_x86_register(X86CPU *cpu, const char *cpu_model);
+X86CPU *cpu_x86_create(const char *cpu_model);
 void cpu_clear_apic_feature(CPUX86State *env);
 void host_cpuid(uint32_t function, uint32_t count,
                 uint32_t *eax, uint32_t *ebx, uint32_t *ecx, uint32_t *edx);
diff --git a/target-i386/helper.c b/target-i386/helper.c
index bf206cf..23af4a8 100644
--- a/target-i386/helper.c
+++ b/target-i386/helper.c
@@ -1243,15 +1243,10 @@ int cpu_x86_get_descr_debug(CPUX86State *env, unsigned int selector,
 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_delete(OBJECT(cpu));
+    cpu = cpu_x86_create(cpu_model);
+    if (!cpu) {
         return NULL;
     }