diff --git a/hw/alpha/dp264.c b/hw/alpha/dp264.c
index 3b307ad873..1c5a177102 100644
--- a/hw/alpha/dp264.c
+++ b/hw/alpha/dp264.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static int clipper_pci_map_irq(PCIDevice *d, int irq_num)
 static void clipper_init(MachineState *machine)
 {
     ram_addr_t ram_size = machine->ram_size;
-    const char *cpu_model = machine->cpu_model;
+    const char *cpu_model = machine->cpu_model ? machine->cpu_model : "ev67";
     const char *kernel_filename = machine->kernel_filename;
     const char *kernel_cmdline = machine->kernel_cmdline;
     const char *initrd_filename = machine->initrd_filename;
@@ -67,7 +67,11 @@ static void clipper_init(MachineState *machine)
     /* Create up to 4 cpus.  */
     memset(cpus, 0, sizeof(cpus));
     for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; ++i) {
-        cpus[i] = cpu_alpha_init(cpu_model ? cpu_model : "ev67");
+        cpus[i] = ALPHA_CPU(cpu_generic_init(TYPE_ALPHA_CPU, cpu_model));
+        if (!cpus[i]) {
+            error_report("Unable to find CPU definition");
+            exit(1);
+        }
     }
 
     cpus[0]->env.trap_arg0 = ram_size;
diff --git a/target/alpha/cpu.c b/target/alpha/cpu.c
index 76150f48d3..1ea597b9dd 100644
--- a/target/alpha/cpu.c
+++ b/target/alpha/cpu.c
@@ -155,24 +155,14 @@ static ObjectClass *alpha_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     if (oc != NULL && object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
         oc = NULL;
     }
-    return oc;
-}
 
-AlphaCPU *cpu_alpha_init(const char *cpu_model)
-{
-    AlphaCPU *cpu;
-    ObjectClass *cpu_class;
-
-    cpu_class = alpha_cpu_class_by_name(cpu_model);
-    if (cpu_class == NULL) {
-        /* Default to ev67; no reason not to emulate insns by default.  */
-        cpu_class = object_class_by_name(TYPE("ev67"));
+    /* TODO: remove match everything nonsense */
+    /* Default to ev67; no reason not to emulate insns by default. */
+    if (!oc) {
+        oc = object_class_by_name(TYPE("ev67"));
     }
-    cpu = ALPHA_CPU(object_new(object_class_get_name(cpu_class)));
 
-    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(cpu), true, "realized", NULL);
-
-    return cpu;
+    return oc;
 }
 
 static void ev4_cpu_initfn(Object *obj)
diff --git a/target/alpha/cpu.h b/target/alpha/cpu.h
index e95be2b34b..0738e97d6d 100644
--- a/target/alpha/cpu.h
+++ b/target/alpha/cpu.h
@@ -468,9 +468,7 @@ enum {
 
 void alpha_translate_init(void);
 
-AlphaCPU *cpu_alpha_init(const char *cpu_model);
-
-#define cpu_init(cpu_model) CPU(cpu_alpha_init(cpu_model))
+#define cpu_init(cpu_model) cpu_generic_init(TYPE_ALPHA_CPU, cpu_model)
 
 void alpha_cpu_list(FILE *f, fprintf_function cpu_fprintf);
 /* you can call this signal handler from your SIGBUS and SIGSEGV