diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.c b/target-i386/cpu.c
index e308987..243ea3e 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.c
@@ -1519,8 +1519,13 @@ 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" feature strings)
+ */
+X86CPU *cpu_x86_create(const char *cpu_model)
 {
+    X86CPU *cpu = NULL;
+    CPUX86State *env;
     x86_def_t def1, *def = &def1;
     QDict *props = NULL;
     Error *error = NULL;
@@ -1542,6 +1547,10 @@ int cpu_x86_register(X86CPU *cpu, const char *cpu_model)
         goto out;
     }
 
+    cpu = X86_CPU(object_new(TYPE_X86_CPU));
+    env = &cpu->env;
+    env->cpu_model_str = cpu_model;
+
     def->kvm_features |= kvm_default_features;
     add_flagname_to_bitmaps("hypervisor", &def->features,
                             &def->ext_features, &def->ext2_features,
@@ -1562,9 +1571,12 @@ out:
     if (error) {
         fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", error_get_pretty(error));
         error_free(error);
-        return -1;
+        if (cpu) {
+            object_delete(OBJECT(cpu));
+        }
+        return NULL;
     }
-    return 0;
+    return cpu;
 }
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.h b/target-i386/cpu.h
index 4fbfdc8..c0ac8c7 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.h
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.h
@@ -981,7 +981,7 @@ 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 dca1360..7482c97 100644
--- a/target-i386/helper.c
+++ b/target-i386/helper.c
@@ -1240,15 +1240,10 @@ 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;
     }