diff --git a/accel/tcg/user-exec-stub.c b/accel/tcg/user-exec-stub.c
index f6d8c8fb6f..b876f5c1e4 100644
--- a/accel/tcg/user-exec-stub.c
+++ b/accel/tcg/user-exec-stub.c
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ void cpu_resume(CPUState *cpu)
 {
 }
 
+void cpu_remove_sync(CPUState *cpu)
+{
+}
+
 void qemu_init_vcpu(CPUState *cpu)
 {
 }
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
index c552112145..e4aeb93c02 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ static void spapr_unrealize_vcpu(PowerPCCPU *cpu, SpaprCpuCore *sc)
         vmstate_unregister(NULL, &vmstate_spapr_cpu_state, cpu->machine_data);
     }
     spapr_irq_cpu_intc_destroy(SPAPR_MACHINE(qdev_get_machine()), cpu);
-    cpu_remove_sync(CPU(cpu));
+    qdev_unrealize(DEVICE(cpu));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ static bool spapr_realize_vcpu(PowerPCCPU *cpu, SpaprMachineState *spapr,
     kvmppc_set_papr(cpu);
 
     if (spapr_irq_cpu_intc_create(spapr, cpu, errp) < 0) {
-        cpu_remove_sync(CPU(cpu));
+        qdev_unrealize(DEVICE(cpu));
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/target/ppc/translate_init.c.inc b/target/ppc/translate_init.c.inc
index bb66526280..d2a8204d60 100644
--- a/target/ppc/translate_init.c.inc
+++ b/target/ppc/translate_init.c.inc
@@ -10328,6 +10328,8 @@ static void ppc_cpu_unrealize(DeviceState *dev)
 
     pcc->parent_unrealize(dev);
 
+    cpu_remove_sync(CPU(cpu));
+
     for (i = 0; i < PPC_CPU_OPCODES_LEN; i++) {
         if (cpu->opcodes[i] == &invalid_handler) {
             continue;