diff --git a/hw/ppc/pnv.c b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
index efc9cf2cc3..575f18958d 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/pnv.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
@@ -2577,6 +2577,34 @@ static int pnv10_xive_match_nvt(XiveFabric *xfb, uint8_t format,
     return total_count;
 }
 
+static bool pnv_machine_get_big_core(Object *obj, Error **errp)
+{
+    PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(obj);
+    return pnv->big_core;
+}
+
+static void pnv_machine_set_big_core(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
+{
+    PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(obj);
+    pnv->big_core = value;
+}
+
+static bool pnv_machine_get_hb(Object *obj, Error **errp)
+{
+    PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(obj);
+
+    return !!pnv->fw_load_addr;
+}
+
+static void pnv_machine_set_hb(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
+{
+    PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(obj);
+
+    if (value) {
+        pnv->fw_load_addr = 0x8000000;
+    }
+}
+
 static void pnv_machine_power8_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 {
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_CLASS(oc);
@@ -2628,6 +2656,12 @@ static void pnv_machine_power9_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     pmc->dt_power_mgt = pnv_dt_power_mgt;
 
     machine_class_allow_dynamic_sysbus_dev(mc, TYPE_PNV_PHB);
+
+    object_class_property_add_bool(oc, "big-core",
+                                   pnv_machine_get_big_core,
+                                   pnv_machine_set_big_core);
+    object_class_property_set_description(oc, "big-core",
+                              "Use big-core (aka fused-core) mode");
 }
 
 static void pnv_machine_p10_common_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
@@ -2664,6 +2698,17 @@ static void pnv_machine_power10_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 
     pnv_machine_p10_common_class_init(oc, data);
     mc->desc = "IBM PowerNV (Non-Virtualized) POWER10";
+
+    /*
+     * This is the parent of POWER10 Rainier class, so properies go here
+     * rather than common init (which would add them to both parent and
+     * child which is invalid).
+     */
+    object_class_property_add_bool(oc, "big-core",
+                                   pnv_machine_get_big_core,
+                                   pnv_machine_set_big_core);
+    object_class_property_set_description(oc, "big-core",
+                              "Use big-core (aka fused-core) mode");
 }
 
 static void pnv_machine_p10_rainier_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
@@ -2676,22 +2721,6 @@ static void pnv_machine_p10_rainier_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     pmc->i2c_init = pnv_rainier_i2c_init;
 }
 
-static bool pnv_machine_get_hb(Object *obj, Error **errp)
-{
-    PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(obj);
-
-    return !!pnv->fw_load_addr;
-}
-
-static void pnv_machine_set_hb(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
-{
-    PnvMachineState *pnv = PNV_MACHINE(obj);
-
-    if (value) {
-        pnv->fw_load_addr = 0x8000000;
-    }
-}
-
 static void pnv_cpu_do_nmi_on_cpu(CPUState *cs, run_on_cpu_data arg)
 {
     CPUPPCState *env = cpu_env(cs);
diff --git a/hw/ppc/pnv_core.c b/hw/ppc/pnv_core.c
index 68cc5914c6..e03ac5441e 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/pnv_core.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/pnv_core.c
@@ -280,7 +280,8 @@ static void pnv_core_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     PnvCore *pc = PNV_CORE(OBJECT(dev));
     PnvCoreClass *pcc = PNV_CORE_GET_CLASS(pc);
     CPUCore *cc = CPU_CORE(OBJECT(dev));
-    PnvMachineClass *pmc = PNV_MACHINE_GET_CLASS(pc->chip->pnv_machine);
+    PnvMachineState *pnv = pc->chip->pnv_machine;
+    PnvMachineClass *pmc = PNV_MACHINE_GET_CLASS(pnv);
     const char *typename = pnv_core_cpu_typename(pc);
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     void *obj;
@@ -289,6 +290,7 @@ static void pnv_core_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     assert(pc->chip);
 
+    pc->big_core = pnv->big_core;
     pc->tod_state.big_core_quirk = pmc->quirk_tb_big_core;
 
     pc->threads = g_new(PowerPCCPU *, cc->nr_threads);
@@ -299,7 +301,7 @@ static void pnv_core_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         obj = object_new(typename);
         cpu = POWERPC_CPU(obj);
 
-        pc->threads[i] = POWERPC_CPU(obj);
+        pc->threads[i] = cpu;
         if (cc->nr_threads > 1) {
             cpu->env.has_smt_siblings = true;
         }
