diff --git a/hw/riscv/opentitan.c b/hw/riscv/opentitan.c
index 2d401dcb23..4495a2c039 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/opentitan.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/opentitan.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ static void lowrisc_ibex_soc_realize(DeviceState *dev_soc, Error **errp)
     object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->cpus), "num-harts", ms->smp.cpus,
                             &error_abort);
     object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->cpus), "resetvec", 0x8080, &error_abort);
-    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->cpus), &error_abort);
+    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->cpus), &error_fatal);
 
     /* Boot ROM */
     memory_region_init_rom(&s->rom, OBJECT(dev_soc), "riscv.lowrisc.ibex.rom",
diff --git a/hw/riscv/sifive_e.c b/hw/riscv/sifive_e.c
index dcb87b6cfd..d65d2fd869 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/sifive_e.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/sifive_e.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static void sifive_e_soc_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     object_property_set_str(OBJECT(&s->cpus), "cpu-type", ms->cpu_type,
                             &error_abort);
-    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->cpus), &error_abort);
+    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->cpus), &error_fatal);
 
     /* Mask ROM */
     memory_region_init_rom(&s->mask_rom, OBJECT(dev), "riscv.sifive.e.mrom",
diff --git a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
index cc8c7637cb..a2495b5ae7 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
@@ -830,8 +830,8 @@ static void sifive_u_soc_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     qdev_prop_set_string(DEVICE(&s->u_cpus), "cpu-type", s->cpu_type);
     qdev_prop_set_uint64(DEVICE(&s->u_cpus), "resetvec", 0x1004);
 
-    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->e_cpus), &error_abort);
-    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->u_cpus), &error_abort);
+    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->e_cpus), &error_fatal);
+    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->u_cpus), &error_fatal);
     /*
      * The cluster must be realized after the RISC-V hart array container,
      * as the container's CPU object is only created on realize, and the