diff --git a/hw/nios2/10m50_devboard.c b/hw/nios2/10m50_devboard.c
index b6868b8233..e4007f6d7f 100644
--- a/hw/nios2/10m50_devboard.c
+++ b/hw/nios2/10m50_devboard.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ static void nios2_10m50_ghrd_init(MachineState *machine)
                                 phys_ram_alias);
 
     /* Create CPU -- FIXME */
-    cpu = cpu_nios2_init("nios2");
+    cpu = NIOS2_CPU(cpu_generic_init(TYPE_NIOS2_CPU, "nios2"));
 
     /* Register: CPU interrupt controller (PIC) */
     cpu_irq = nios2_cpu_pic_init(cpu);
diff --git a/target/nios2/cpu.c b/target/nios2/cpu.c
index d56bb7245a..5b02fb67ea 100644
--- a/target/nios2/cpu.c
+++ b/target/nios2/cpu.c
@@ -83,13 +83,9 @@ static void nios2_cpu_initfn(Object *obj)
     }
 }
 
-Nios2CPU *cpu_nios2_init(const char *cpu_model)
+static ObjectClass *nios2_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
 {
-    Nios2CPU *cpu = NIOS2_CPU(object_new(TYPE_NIOS2_CPU));
-
-    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(cpu), true, "realized", NULL);
-
-    return cpu;
+    return object_class_by_name(TYPE_NIOS2_CPU);
 }
 
 static void nios2_cpu_realizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
@@ -203,6 +199,7 @@ static void nios2_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     ncc->parent_reset = cc->reset;
     cc->reset = nios2_cpu_reset;
 
+    cc->class_by_name = nios2_cpu_class_by_name;
     cc->has_work = nios2_cpu_has_work;
     cc->do_interrupt = nios2_cpu_do_interrupt;
     cc->cpu_exec_interrupt = nios2_cpu_exec_interrupt;
diff --git a/target/nios2/cpu.h b/target/nios2/cpu.h
index 13931f3f0b..50d803a217 100644
--- a/target/nios2/cpu.h
+++ b/target/nios2/cpu.h
@@ -212,7 +212,6 @@ static inline Nios2CPU *nios2_env_get_cpu(CPUNios2State *env)
 #define ENV_OFFSET offsetof(Nios2CPU, env)
 
 void nios2_tcg_init(void);
-Nios2CPU *cpu_nios2_init(const char *cpu_model);
 void nios2_cpu_do_interrupt(CPUState *cs);
 int cpu_nios2_signal_handler(int host_signum, void *pinfo, void *puc);
 void dump_mmu(FILE *f, fprintf_function cpu_fprintf, CPUNios2State *env);
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@ void nios2_check_interrupts(CPUNios2State *env);
 #define TARGET_PHYS_ADDR_SPACE_BITS 32
 #define TARGET_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_BITS 32
 
-#define cpu_init(cpu_model) CPU(cpu_nios2_init(cpu_model))
+#define cpu_init(cpu_model) cpu_generic_init(TYPE_NIOS2_CPU, cpu_model)
 
 #define cpu_gen_code cpu_nios2_gen_code
 #define cpu_signal_handler cpu_nios2_signal_handler