diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index 693e66fc4f..a148d9f7f4 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -5202,7 +5202,7 @@ abi_long do_syscall(void *cpu_env, int num, abi_long arg1,
                         NULL, NULL, 0);
           }
           thread_env = NULL;
-          object_delete(OBJECT(ENV_GET_CPU(cpu_env)));
+          object_unref(OBJECT(ENV_GET_CPU(cpu_env)));
           g_free(ts);
           pthread_exit(NULL);
       }
diff --git a/target-i386/helper.c b/target-i386/helper.c
index bdf83084ff..d1cb4e2445 100644
--- a/target-i386/helper.c
+++ b/target-i386/helper.c
@@ -1278,14 +1278,14 @@ X86CPU *cpu_x86_init(const char *cpu_model)
     env->cpu_model_str = cpu_model;
 
     if (cpu_x86_register(cpu, cpu_model) < 0) {
-        object_delete(OBJECT(cpu));
+        object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
         return NULL;
     }
 
     x86_cpu_realize(OBJECT(cpu), &error);
     if (error) {
         error_free(error);
-        object_delete(OBJECT(cpu));
+        object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
         return NULL;
     }
     return cpu;
diff --git a/target-ppc/translate_init.c b/target-ppc/translate_init.c
index e2021c4a05..f0388508bc 100644
--- a/target-ppc/translate_init.c
+++ b/target-ppc/translate_init.c
@@ -10358,7 +10358,7 @@ PowerPCCPU *cpu_ppc_init(const char *cpu_model)
     if (err != NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", error_get_pretty(err));
         error_free(err);
-        object_delete(OBJECT(cpu));
+        object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/target-sparc/cpu.c b/target-sparc/cpu.c
index f404aa8b5f..4bc1afc755 100644
--- a/target-sparc/cpu.c
+++ b/target-sparc/cpu.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ SPARCCPU *cpu_sparc_init(const char *cpu_model)
     }
 
     if (cpu_sparc_register(env, cpu_model) < 0) {
-        object_delete(OBJECT(cpu));
+        object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
         return NULL;
     }
     qemu_init_vcpu(env);