diff --git a/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c b/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c
index ed9b406fd3..5ac4f76613 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/virtex_ml507.c
@@ -89,14 +89,14 @@ static void mmubooke_create_initial_mapping(CPUPPCState *env,
 
 static PowerPCCPU *ppc440_init_xilinx(ram_addr_t *ram_size,
                                       int do_init,
-                                      const char *cpu_model,
+                                      const char *cpu_type,
                                       uint32_t sysclk)
 {
     PowerPCCPU *cpu;
     CPUPPCState *env;
     qemu_irq *irqs;
 
-    cpu = POWERPC_CPU(cpu_generic_init(TYPE_POWERPC_CPU, cpu_model));
+    cpu = POWERPC_CPU(cpu_create(cpu_type));
     env = &cpu->env;
 
     ppc_booke_timers_init(cpu, sysclk, 0/* no flags */);
@@ -211,11 +211,7 @@ static void virtex_init(MachineState *machine)
     int i;
 
     /* init CPUs */
-    if (machine->cpu_model == NULL) {
-        machine->cpu_model = "440-Xilinx";
-    }
-
-    cpu = ppc440_init_xilinx(&ram_size, 1, machine->cpu_model, 400000000);
+    cpu = ppc440_init_xilinx(&ram_size, 1, machine->cpu_type, 400000000);
     env = &cpu->env;
 
     if (env->mmu_model != POWERPC_MMU_BOOKE) {
@@ -307,6 +303,7 @@ static void virtex_machine_init(MachineClass *mc)
 {
     mc->desc = "Xilinx Virtex ML507 reference design";
     mc->init = virtex_init;
+    mc->default_cpu_type = POWERPC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("440-xilinx");
 }
 
 DEFINE_MACHINE("virtex-ml507", virtex_machine_init)