diff --git a/hw/arm/highbank.c b/hw/arm/highbank.c
index 2a88b843e9..46b9f1e0c0 100644
--- a/hw/arm/highbank.c
+++ b/hw/arm/highbank.c
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ static void calxeda_init(QEMUMachineInitArgs *args, enum cxmachines machine)
 
     for (n = 0; n < smp_cpus; n++) {
         ObjectClass *oc = cpu_class_by_name(TYPE_ARM_CPU, cpu_model);
+        Object *cpuobj;
         ARMCPU *cpu;
         Error *err = NULL;
 
@@ -238,15 +239,14 @@ static void calxeda_init(QEMUMachineInitArgs *args, enum cxmachines machine)
             exit(1);
         }
 
-        cpu = ARM_CPU(object_new(object_class_get_name(oc)));
+        cpuobj = object_new(object_class_get_name(oc));
+        cpu = ARM_CPU(cpuobj);
 
-        object_property_set_int(OBJECT(cpu), MPCORE_PERIPHBASE, "reset-cbar",
-                                &err);
-        if (err) {
-            error_report("%s", error_get_pretty(err));
-            exit(1);
+        if (object_property_find(cpuobj, "reset-cbar", NULL)) {
+            object_property_set_int(cpuobj, MPCORE_PERIPHBASE,
+                                    "reset-cbar", &error_abort);
         }
-        object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(cpu), true, "realized", &err);
+        object_property_set_bool(cpuobj, true, "realized", &err);
         if (err) {
             error_report("%s", error_get_pretty(err));
             exit(1);
diff --git a/hw/arm/vexpress.c b/hw/arm/vexpress.c
index 67628af588..169eb061a3 100644
--- a/hw/arm/vexpress.c
+++ b/hw/arm/vexpress.c
@@ -192,10 +192,9 @@ static void init_cpus(const char *cpu_model, const char *privdev,
         Object *cpuobj = object_new(object_class_get_name(cpu_oc));
         Error *err = NULL;
 
-        object_property_set_int(cpuobj, periphbase, "reset-cbar", &err);
-        if (err) {
-            error_report("%s", error_get_pretty(err));
-            exit(1);
+        if (object_property_find(cpuobj, "reset-cbar", NULL)) {
+            object_property_set_int(cpuobj, periphbase,
+                                    "reset-cbar", &error_abort);
         }
         object_property_set_bool(cpuobj, true, "realized", &err);
         if (err) {