diff --git a/include/hw/core/cpu.h b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
index 6373aa4501..5d6f8dca43 100644
--- a/include/hw/core/cpu.h
+++ b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ struct SysemuCPUOps;
 /**
  * CPUClass:
  * @class_by_name: Callback to map -cpu command line model name to an
- * instantiatable CPU type.
+ *                 instantiatable CPU type.
  * @parse_features: Callback to parse command line arguments.
  * @reset_dump_flags: #CPUDumpFlags to use for reset logging.
  * @has_work: Callback for checking if there is work to do.
@@ -772,9 +772,10 @@ void cpu_reset(CPUState *cpu);
  * @typename: The CPU base type.
  * @cpu_model: The model string without any parameters.
  *
- * Looks up a CPU #ObjectClass matching name @cpu_model.
+ * Looks up a concrete CPU #ObjectClass matching name @cpu_model.
  *
- * Returns: A #CPUClass or %NULL if not matching class is found.
+ * Returns: A concrete #CPUClass or %NULL if no matching class is found
+ *          or if the matching class is abstract.
  */
 ObjectClass *cpu_class_by_name(const char *typename, const char *cpu_model);
 
diff --git a/hw/core/cpu-common.c b/hw/core/cpu-common.c
index baa6d28b64..d4112b8919 100644
--- a/hw/core/cpu-common.c
+++ b/hw/core/cpu-common.c
@@ -146,10 +146,18 @@ static bool cpu_common_has_work(CPUState *cs)
 
 ObjectClass *cpu_class_by_name(const char *typename, const char *cpu_model)
 {
-    CPUClass *cc = CPU_CLASS(object_class_by_name(typename));
+    ObjectClass *oc;
+    CPUClass *cc;
 
-    assert(cpu_model && cc->class_by_name);
-    return cc->class_by_name(cpu_model);
+    oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
+    cc = CPU_CLASS(oc);
+    assert(cc->class_by_name);
+    assert(cpu_model);
+    oc = cc->class_by_name(cpu_model);
+    if (oc == NULL || object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    return oc;
 }
 
 static void cpu_common_parse_features(const char *typename, char *features,
diff --git a/target/alpha/cpu.c b/target/alpha/cpu.c
index fae2cb6ec7..39cf841b3e 100644
--- a/target/alpha/cpu.c
+++ b/target/alpha/cpu.c
@@ -126,8 +126,7 @@ static ObjectClass *alpha_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     int i;
 
     oc = object_class_by_name(cpu_model);
-    if (oc != NULL && object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_ALPHA_CPU) != NULL &&
-        !object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (oc != NULL && object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_ALPHA_CPU) != NULL) {
         return oc;
     }
 
diff --git a/target/arm/cpu.c b/target/arm/cpu.c
index df6496b019..25e9d2ae7b 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu.c
+++ b/target/arm/cpu.c
@@ -2401,8 +2401,7 @@ static ObjectClass *arm_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_strfreev(cpuname);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_ARM_CPU) ||
-        object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_ARM_CPU)) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/avr/cpu.c b/target/avr/cpu.c
index 14d8b9d1f0..44de1e18d1 100644
--- a/target/avr/cpu.c
+++ b/target/avr/cpu.c
@@ -157,8 +157,7 @@ static ObjectClass *avr_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     ObjectClass *oc;
 
     oc = object_class_by_name(cpu_model);
-    if (object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_AVR_CPU) == NULL ||
-        object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_AVR_CPU) == NULL) {
         oc = NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/cris/cpu.c b/target/cris/cpu.c
index be4a44c218..675b73ac04 100644
--- a/target/cris/cpu.c
+++ b/target/cris/cpu.c
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ static ObjectClass *cris_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     typename = g_strdup_printf(CRIS_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), cpu_model);
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (oc != NULL && (!object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_CRIS_CPU) ||
-                       object_class_is_abstract(oc))) {
+    if (oc != NULL && !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_CRIS_CPU)) {
         oc = NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/hexagon/cpu.c b/target/hexagon/cpu.c
index 1adc11b713..9d1ffc3b4b 100644
--- a/target/hexagon/cpu.c
+++ b/target/hexagon/cpu.c
@@ -63,8 +63,7 @@ static ObjectClass *hexagon_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_strfreev(cpuname);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_HEXAGON_CPU) ||
-        object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_HEXAGON_CPU)) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/loongarch/cpu.c b/target/loongarch/cpu.c
index ef1bf89dac..06d1b9bb95 100644
--- a/target/loongarch/cpu.c
+++ b/target/loongarch/cpu.c
@@ -648,8 +648,7 @@ static ObjectClass *loongarch_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
         }
     }
 
-    if (object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_LOONGARCH_CPU)
-        && !object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_LOONGARCH_CPU)) {
         return oc;
     }
     return NULL;
diff --git a/target/m68k/cpu.c b/target/m68k/cpu.c
index 538d9473c2..11c7e0a790 100644
--- a/target/m68k/cpu.c
+++ b/target/m68k/cpu.c
@@ -111,8 +111,7 @@ static ObjectClass *m68k_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     typename = g_strdup_printf(M68K_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), cpu_model);
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (oc != NULL && (object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_M68K_CPU) == NULL ||
-                       object_class_is_abstract(oc))) {
+    if (oc != NULL && object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_M68K_CPU) == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/openrisc/cpu.c b/target/openrisc/cpu.c
index f5a3d5273b..1173260017 100644
--- a/target/openrisc/cpu.c
+++ b/target/openrisc/cpu.c
@@ -164,8 +164,7 @@ static ObjectClass *openrisc_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     typename = g_strdup_printf(OPENRISC_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), cpu_model);
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (oc != NULL && (!object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_OPENRISC_CPU) ||
-                       object_class_is_abstract(oc))) {
+    if (oc != NULL && !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_OPENRISC_CPU)) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/riscv/cpu.c b/target/riscv/cpu.c
index ac4a6c7eec..63624e8b76 100644
--- a/target/riscv/cpu.c
+++ b/target/riscv/cpu.c
@@ -636,8 +636,7 @@ static ObjectClass *riscv_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_strfreev(cpuname);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_RISCV_CPU) ||
-        object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_RISCV_CPU)) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/rx/cpu.c b/target/rx/cpu.c
index 4d0d3a0c8c..9cc9d9d15e 100644
--- a/target/rx/cpu.c
+++ b/target/rx/cpu.c
@@ -111,16 +111,12 @@ static ObjectClass *rx_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     char *typename;
 
     oc = object_class_by_name(cpu_model);
-    if (oc != NULL && object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_RX_CPU) != NULL &&
-        !object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (oc != NULL && object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_RX_CPU) != NULL) {
         return oc;
     }
     typename = g_strdup_printf(RX_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), cpu_model);
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (oc != NULL && object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
-        oc = NULL;
-    }
 
     return oc;
 }
diff --git a/target/sh4/cpu.c b/target/sh4/cpu.c
index 788e41fea6..a8ec98b134 100644
--- a/target/sh4/cpu.c
+++ b/target/sh4/cpu.c
@@ -152,9 +152,6 @@ static ObjectClass *superh_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
 
     typename = g_strdup_printf(SUPERH_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), s);
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
-    if (oc != NULL && object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
-        oc = NULL;
-    }
 
 out:
     g_free(s);
diff --git a/target/tricore/cpu.c b/target/tricore/cpu.c
index 5ca666ee12..034e01c189 100644
--- a/target/tricore/cpu.c
+++ b/target/tricore/cpu.c
@@ -132,8 +132,7 @@ static ObjectClass *tricore_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     typename = g_strdup_printf(TRICORE_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), cpu_model);
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_TRICORE_CPU) ||
-        object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (!oc || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_TRICORE_CPU)) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return oc;
diff --git a/target/xtensa/cpu.c b/target/xtensa/cpu.c
index ea1dae7390..e20fe87bf2 100644
--- a/target/xtensa/cpu.c
+++ b/target/xtensa/cpu.c
@@ -141,8 +141,7 @@ static ObjectClass *xtensa_cpu_class_by_name(const char *cpu_model)
     typename = g_strdup_printf(XTENSA_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), cpu_model);
     oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
     g_free(typename);
-    if (oc == NULL || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_XTENSA_CPU) ||
-        object_class_is_abstract(oc)) {
+    if (oc == NULL || !object_class_dynamic_cast(oc, TYPE_XTENSA_CPU)) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return oc;
