diff --git a/target/i386/cpu.c b/target/i386/cpu.c
index de828e29d8..0a9ac65974 100644
--- a/target/i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target/i386/cpu.c
@@ -1671,11 +1671,8 @@ static char *x86_cpu_type_name(const char *model_name)
 
 static ObjectClass *x86_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
 {
-    ObjectClass *oc;
-    char *typename = x86_cpu_type_name(cpu_model);
-    oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
-    g_free(typename);
-    return oc;
+    g_autofree char *typename = x86_cpu_type_name(cpu_model);
+    return object_class_by_name(typename);
 }
 
 static char *x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(X86CPUClass *cc)
@@ -4226,7 +4223,6 @@ static void mark_unavailable_features(X86CPU *cpu, FeatureWord w, uint64_t mask,
     CPUX86State *env = &cpu->env;
     FeatureWordInfo *f = &feature_word_info[w];
     int i;
-    char *feat_word_str;
 
     if (!cpu->force_features) {
         env->features[w] &= ~mask;
@@ -4239,13 +4235,12 @@ static void mark_unavailable_features(X86CPU *cpu, FeatureWord w, uint64_t mask,
 
     for (i = 0; i < 64; ++i) {
         if ((1ULL << i) & mask) {
-            feat_word_str = feature_word_description(f, i);
+            g_autofree char *feat_word_str = feature_word_description(f, i);
             warn_report("%s: %s%s%s [bit %d]",
                         verbose_prefix,
                         feat_word_str,
                         f->feat_names[i] ? "." : "",
                         f->feat_names[i] ? f->feat_names[i] : "", i);
-            g_free(feat_word_str);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -4747,17 +4742,14 @@ static gint x86_cpu_list_compare(gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
     ObjectClass *class_b = (ObjectClass *)b;
     X86CPUClass *cc_a = X86_CPU_CLASS(class_a);
     X86CPUClass *cc_b = X86_CPU_CLASS(class_b);
-    char *name_a, *name_b;
     int ret;
 
     if (cc_a->ordering != cc_b->ordering) {
         ret = cc_a->ordering - cc_b->ordering;
     } else {
-        name_a = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(cc_a);
-        name_b = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(cc_b);
+        g_autofree char *name_a = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(cc_a);
+        g_autofree char *name_b = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(cc_b);
         ret = strcmp(name_a, name_b);
-        g_free(name_a);
-        g_free(name_b);
     }
     return ret;
 }
@@ -4795,9 +4787,9 @@ static void x86_cpu_list_entry(gpointer data, gpointer user_data)
 {
     ObjectClass *oc = data;
     X86CPUClass *cc = X86_CPU_CLASS(oc);
-    char *name = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(cc);
-    char *desc = g_strdup(cc->model_description);
-    char *alias_of = x86_cpu_class_get_alias_of(cc);
+    g_autofree char *name = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(cc);
+    g_autofree char *desc = g_strdup(cc->model_description);
+    g_autofree char *alias_of = x86_cpu_class_get_alias_of(cc);
 
     if (!desc && alias_of) {
         if (cc->model && cc->model->version == CPU_VERSION_AUTO) {
@@ -4811,9 +4803,6 @@ static void x86_cpu_list_entry(gpointer data, gpointer user_data)
     }
 
     qemu_printf("x86 %-20s  %-48s\n", name, desc);
-    g_free(name);
-    g_free(desc);
-    g_free(alias_of);
 }
 
 /* list available CPU models and flags */
@@ -5252,7 +5241,7 @@ static void x86_cpu_cpudef_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 
 static void x86_register_cpu_model_type(const char *name, X86CPUModel *model)
 {
-    char *typename = x86_cpu_type_name(name);
+    g_autofree char *typename = x86_cpu_type_name(name);
     TypeInfo ti = {
         .name = typename,
         .parent = TYPE_X86_CPU,
@@ -5261,14 +5250,12 @@ static void x86_register_cpu_model_type(const char *name, X86CPUModel *model)
     };
 
     type_register(&ti);
-    g_free(typename);
 }
 
 static void x86_register_cpudef_types(X86CPUDefinition *def)
 {
     X86CPUModel *m;
     const X86CPUVersionDefinition *vdef;
-    char *name;
 
     /* AMD aliases are handled at runtime based on CPUID vendor, so
      * they shouldn't be set on the CPU model table.
@@ -5288,11 +5275,11 @@ static void x86_register_cpudef_types(X86CPUDefinition *def)
 
     for (vdef = x86_cpu_def_get_versions(def); vdef->version; vdef++) {
         X86CPUModel *m = g_new0(X86CPUModel, 1);
+        g_autofree char *name =
+            x86_cpu_versioned_model_name(def, vdef->version);
         m->cpudef = def;
         m->version = vdef->version;
-        name = x86_cpu_versioned_model_name(def, vdef->version);
         x86_register_cpu_model_type(name, m);
-        g_free(name);
 
         if (vdef->alias) {
             X86CPUModel *am = g_new0(X86CPUModel, 1);
@@ -6364,9 +6351,8 @@ static void x86_cpu_realizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     if (xcc->host_cpuid_required) {
         if (!accel_uses_host_cpuid()) {
-            char *name = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(xcc);
+            g_autofree char *name = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(xcc);
             error_setg(&local_err, "CPU model '%s' requires KVM", name);
-            g_free(name);
             goto out;
         }
 
@@ -6482,10 +6468,9 @@ static void x86_cpu_realizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     /* Cache information initialization */
     if (!cpu->legacy_cache) {
         if (!xcc->model || !xcc->model->cpudef->cache_info) {
-            char *name = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(xcc);
+            g_autofree char *name = x86_cpu_class_get_model_name(xcc);
             error_setg(errp,
                        "CPU model '%s' doesn't support legacy-cache=off", name);
-            g_free(name);
             return;
         }
         env->cache_info_cpuid2 = env->cache_info_cpuid4 = env->cache_info_amd =