diff --git a/target/s390x/cpu.h b/target/s390x/cpu.h
index 9b549dc..6cc96ae 100644
--- a/target/s390x/cpu.h
+++ b/target/s390x/cpu.h
@@ -684,12 +684,14 @@ static inline unsigned int s390_cpu_set_state(uint8_t cpu_state, S390CPU *cpu)
 /* cpu_models.c */
 void s390_cpu_list(FILE *f, fprintf_function cpu_fprintf);
 #define cpu_list s390_cpu_list
-const char *s390_default_cpu_model_name(void);
-
 
 /* helper.c */
 #define cpu_init(cpu_model) cpu_generic_init(TYPE_S390_CPU, cpu_model)
 S390CPU *s390x_new_cpu(const char *typename, uint32_t core_id, Error **errp);
+
+#define S390_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX "-" TYPE_S390_CPU
+#define S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME(name) (name S390_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX)
+
 /* you can call this signal handler from your SIGBUS and SIGSEGV
    signal handlers to inform the virtual CPU of exceptions. non zero
    is returned if the signal was handled by the virtual CPU.  */
diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
index fafbc6d..1bcb700 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
@@ -55,15 +55,8 @@ S390CPU *s390_cpu_addr2state(uint16_t cpu_addr)
 static void s390_init_cpus(MachineState *machine)
 {
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(machine);
-    const char *typename;
-    gchar **model_pieces;
-    ObjectClass *oc;
-    CPUClass *cc;
     int i;
 
-    if (machine->cpu_model == NULL) {
-        machine->cpu_model = s390_default_cpu_model_name();
-    }
     if (tcg_enabled() && max_cpus > 1) {
         error_report("Number of SMP CPUs requested (%d) exceeds max CPUs "
                      "supported by TCG (1) on s390x", max_cpus);
@@ -73,25 +66,8 @@ static void s390_init_cpus(MachineState *machine)
     /* initialize possible_cpus */
     mc->possible_cpu_arch_ids(machine);
 
-    model_pieces = g_strsplit(machine->cpu_model, ",", 2);
-    if (!model_pieces[0]) {
-        error_report("Invalid/empty CPU model name");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    oc = cpu_class_by_name(TYPE_S390_CPU, model_pieces[0]);
-    if (!oc) {
-        error_report("Unable to find CPU definition: %s", model_pieces[0]);
-        exit(1);
-    }
-    typename = object_class_get_name(oc);
-    cc = CPU_CLASS(oc);
-    /* after parsing, properties will be applied to all *typename* instances */
-    cc->parse_features(typename, model_pieces[1], &error_fatal);
-    g_strfreev(model_pieces);
-
     for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; i++) {
-        s390x_new_cpu(typename, i, &error_fatal);
+        s390x_new_cpu(machine->cpu_type, i, &error_fatal);
     }
 }
 
@@ -446,6 +422,8 @@ static void ccw_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->get_hotplug_handler = s390_get_hotplug_handler;
     mc->cpu_index_to_instance_props = s390_cpu_index_to_props;
     mc->possible_cpu_arch_ids = s390_possible_cpu_arch_ids;
+    /* it is overridden with 'host' cpu *in kvm_arch_init* */
+    mc->default_cpu_type = S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME("qemu");
     hc->plug = s390_machine_device_plug;
     hc->unplug_request = s390_machine_device_unplug_request;
     nc->nmi_monitor_handler = s390_nmi;
diff --git a/target/s390x/cpu_models.c b/target/s390x/cpu_models.c
index 5169379..0bf7e14 100644
--- a/target/s390x/cpu_models.c
+++ b/target/s390x/cpu_models.c
@@ -1207,9 +1207,6 @@ static void s390_qemu_cpu_model_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
                                 qemu_hw_version());
 }
 
-#define S390_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX "-" TYPE_S390_CPU
-#define S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME(name) (name S390_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX)
-
 /* Generate type name for a cpu model. Caller has to free the string. */
 static char *s390_cpu_type_name(const char *model_name)
 {
@@ -1232,14 +1229,6 @@ ObjectClass *s390_cpu_class_by_name(const char *name)
     return oc;
 }
 
-const char *s390_default_cpu_model_name(void)
-{
-     if (kvm_enabled()) {
-        return "host";
-     }
-     return "qemu";
-}
-
 static const TypeInfo qemu_s390_cpu_type_info = {
     .name = S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME("qemu"),
     .parent = TYPE_S390_CPU,
diff --git a/target/s390x/kvm.c b/target/s390x/kvm.c
index 720cb1d..5dfdd96 100644
--- a/target/s390x/kvm.c
+++ b/target/s390x/kvm.c
@@ -287,6 +287,9 @@ void kvm_s390_crypto_reset(void)
 
 int kvm_arch_init(MachineState *ms, KVMState *s)
 {
+    MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(ms);
+
+    mc->default_cpu_type = S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME("host");
     cap_sync_regs = kvm_check_extension(s, KVM_CAP_SYNC_REGS);
     cap_async_pf = kvm_check_extension(s, KVM_CAP_ASYNC_PF);
     cap_mem_op = kvm_check_extension(s, KVM_CAP_S390_MEM_OP);
