diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
index 8ca4f94..9d21ca9 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ struct sPAPRMachineClass {
     /*< public >*/
     bool dr_lmb_enabled;       /* enable dynamic-reconfig/hotplug of LMBs */
     bool use_ohci_by_default;  /* use USB-OHCI instead of XHCI */
-    const char *tcg_default_cpu; /* which (TCG) CPU to simulate by default */
     bool pre_2_10_has_unused_icps;
     void (*phb_placement)(sPAPRMachineState *spapr, uint32_t index,
                           uint64_t *buid, hwaddr *pio, 
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.h
index 42765de..f2d48d6 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.h
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ typedef struct sPAPRCPUCoreClass {
     const char *cpu_type;
 } sPAPRCPUCoreClass;
 
-char *spapr_get_cpu_core_type(const char *model);
+const char *spapr_get_cpu_core_type(const char *cpu_type);
 #endif
diff --git a/target/ppc/cpu.h b/target/ppc/cpu.h
index 64aef17..989761b 100644
--- a/target/ppc/cpu.h
+++ b/target/ppc/cpu.h
@@ -1278,7 +1278,6 @@ extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_ppc_cpu;
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 void ppc_translate_init(void);
-const char *ppc_cpu_lookup_alias(const char *alias);
 /* 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/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index 0661dba..29de845 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -2123,7 +2123,7 @@ static void spapr_init_cpus(sPAPRMachineState *spapr)
 {
     MachineState *machine = MACHINE(spapr);
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(machine);
-    char *type = spapr_get_cpu_core_type(machine->cpu_model);
+    const char *type = spapr_get_cpu_core_type(machine->cpu_type);
     int smt = kvmppc_smt_threads();
     const CPUArchIdList *possible_cpus;
     int boot_cores_nr = smp_cpus / smp_threads;
@@ -2178,7 +2178,6 @@ static void spapr_init_cpus(sPAPRMachineState *spapr)
             object_property_set_bool(core, true, "realized", &error_fatal);
         }
     }
-    g_free(type);
 }
 
 static void spapr_set_vsmt_mode(sPAPRMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
@@ -2362,12 +2361,6 @@ static void ppc_spapr_init(MachineState *machine)
     }
 
     /* init CPUs */
-    if (machine->cpu_model == NULL) {
-        machine->cpu_model = kvm_enabled() ? "host" : smc->tcg_default_cpu;
-    }
-
-    cpu_parse_cpu_model(TYPE_POWERPC_CPU, machine->cpu_model);
-
     spapr_set_vsmt_mode(spapr, &error_fatal);
 
     spapr_init_cpus(spapr);
@@ -3258,7 +3251,7 @@ static void spapr_core_pre_plug(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev, DeviceState *dev,
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(hotplug_dev);
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     CPUCore *cc = CPU_CORE(dev);
-    char *base_core_type = spapr_get_cpu_core_type(machine->cpu_model);
+    const char *base_core_type = spapr_get_cpu_core_type(machine->cpu_type);
     const char *type = object_get_typename(OBJECT(dev));
     CPUArchId *core_slot;
     int index;
@@ -3304,7 +3297,6 @@ static void spapr_core_pre_plug(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev, DeviceState *dev,
     numa_cpu_pre_plug(core_slot, dev, &local_err);
 
 out:
-    g_free(base_core_type);
     error_propagate(errp, local_err);
 }
 
@@ -3603,7 +3595,7 @@ static void spapr_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     hc->unplug_request = spapr_machine_device_unplug_request;
 
     smc->dr_lmb_enabled = true;
-    smc->tcg_default_cpu = "power8_v2.0";
+    mc->default_cpu_type = POWERPC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("power8_v2.0");
     mc->has_hotpluggable_cpus = true;
     smc->resize_hpt_default = SPAPR_RESIZE_HPT_ENABLED;
     fwc->get_dev_path = spapr_get_fw_dev_path;
@@ -3849,7 +3841,7 @@ static void spapr_machine_2_7_class_options(MachineClass *mc)
     sPAPRMachineClass *smc = SPAPR_MACHINE_CLASS(mc);
 
     spapr_machine_2_8_class_options(mc);
-    smc->tcg_default_cpu = "power7_v2.3";
+    mc->default_cpu_type = POWERPC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("power7_v2.3");
     SET_MACHINE_COMPAT(mc, SPAPR_COMPAT_2_7);
     smc->phb_placement = phb_placement_2_7;
 }
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
index f2da4be..2c47850 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
@@ -61,29 +61,19 @@ static void spapr_cpu_init(sPAPRMachineState *spapr, PowerPCCPU *cpu,
  * Return the sPAPR CPU core type for @model which essentially is the CPU
  * model specified with -cpu cmdline option.
  */
-char *spapr_get_cpu_core_type(const char *model)
+const char *spapr_get_cpu_core_type(const char *cpu_type)
 {
-    char *core_type;
-    gchar **model_pieces = g_strsplit(model, ",", 2);
-    gchar *cpu_model = g_ascii_strdown(model_pieces[0], -1);
-    g_strfreev(model_pieces);
-
-    core_type = g_strdup_printf("%s-" TYPE_SPAPR_CPU_CORE, cpu_model);
-
-    /* Check whether it exists or whether we have to look up an alias name */
-    if (!object_class_by_name(core_type)) {
-        const char *realmodel;
-
-        g_free(core_type);
-        core_type = NULL;
-        realmodel = ppc_cpu_lookup_alias(cpu_model);
-        if (realmodel) {
-            core_type = spapr_get_cpu_core_type(realmodel);
-        }
+    int len = strlen(cpu_type) - strlen(POWERPC_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX);
+    char *core_type = g_strdup_printf(SPAPR_CPU_CORE_TYPE_NAME("%.*s"),
+                                      len, cpu_type);
+    ObjectClass *oc = object_class_by_name(core_type);
+
+    g_free(core_type);
+    if (!oc) {
+        return NULL;
     }
-    g_free(cpu_model);
 
-    return core_type;
+    return object_class_get_name(oc);
 }
 
 static void spapr_cpu_core_unrealizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
diff --git a/target/ppc/kvm.c b/target/ppc/kvm.c
index cb5777a..abc222e 100644
--- a/target/ppc/kvm.c
+++ b/target/ppc/kvm.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ static bool kvmppc_is_pr(KVMState *ks)
     return kvm_vm_check_extension(ks, KVM_CAP_PPC_GET_PVINFO) != 0;
 }
 
-static int kvm_ppc_register_host_cpu_type(void);
+static int kvm_ppc_register_host_cpu_type(MachineState *ms);
 
 int kvm_arch_init(MachineState *ms, KVMState *s)
 {
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ int kvm_arch_init(MachineState *ms, KVMState *s)
                         "VM to stall at times!\n");
     }
 
-    kvm_ppc_register_host_cpu_type();
+    kvm_ppc_register_host_cpu_type(ms);
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -2487,12 +2487,13 @@ PowerPCCPUClass *kvm_ppc_get_host_cpu_class(void)
     return pvr_pcc;
 }
 
-static int kvm_ppc_register_host_cpu_type(void)
+static int kvm_ppc_register_host_cpu_type(MachineState *ms)
 {
     TypeInfo type_info = {
         .name = TYPE_HOST_POWERPC_CPU,
         .class_init = kvmppc_host_cpu_class_init,
     };
+    MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(ms);
     PowerPCCPUClass *pvr_pcc;
     ObjectClass *oc;
     DeviceClass *dc;
@@ -2504,6 +2505,8 @@ static int kvm_ppc_register_host_cpu_type(void)
     }
     type_info.parent = object_class_get_name(OBJECT_CLASS(pvr_pcc));
     type_register(&type_info);
+    /* override TCG default cpu type with 'host' cpu model */
+    mc->default_cpu_type = TYPE_HOST_POWERPC_CPU;
 
     oc = object_class_by_name(type_info.name);
     g_assert(oc);
diff --git a/target/ppc/translate_init.c b/target/ppc/translate_init.c
index 5ee91e8..a968e86 100644
--- a/target/ppc/translate_init.c
+++ b/target/ppc/translate_init.c
@@ -10277,6 +10277,19 @@ PowerPCCPUClass *ppc_cpu_class_by_pvr_mask(uint32_t pvr)
     return pcc;
 }
 
+static const char *ppc_cpu_lookup_alias(const char *alias)
+{
+    int ai;
+
+    for (ai = 0; ppc_cpu_aliases[ai].alias != NULL; ai++) {
+        if (strcmp(ppc_cpu_aliases[ai].alias, alias) == 0) {
+            return ppc_cpu_aliases[ai].model;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 static ObjectClass *ppc_cpu_class_by_name(const char *name)
 {
     char *cpu_model, *typename;
@@ -10370,19 +10383,6 @@ static void ppc_cpu_parse_featurestr(const char *typename, char *features,
     pcc->parent_parse_features(typename, features, errp);
 }
 
-const char *ppc_cpu_lookup_alias(const char *alias)
-{
-    int ai;
-
-    for (ai = 0; ppc_cpu_aliases[ai].alias != NULL; ai++) {
-        if (strcmp(ppc_cpu_aliases[ai].alias, alias) == 0) {
-            return ppc_cpu_aliases[ai].model;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return NULL;
-}
-
 PowerPCCPUClass *ppc_cpu_get_family_class(PowerPCCPUClass *pcc)
 {
     ObjectClass *oc = OBJECT_CLASS(pcc);
