diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio.c b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio.c
index 544c616..0a96347 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio.c
@@ -101,7 +101,11 @@ void s390_init_cpus(MachineState *machine)
     gchar *name;
 
     if (machine->cpu_model == NULL) {
-        machine->cpu_model = "host";
+        if (kvm_enabled()) {
+            machine->cpu_model = "host";
+        } else {
+            machine->cpu_model = "qemu";
+        }
     }
 
     cpu_states = g_new0(S390CPU *, max_cpus);
diff --git a/target-s390x/Makefile.objs b/target-s390x/Makefile.objs
index dd62cbd..34bd693 100644
--- a/target-s390x/Makefile.objs
+++ b/target-s390x/Makefile.objs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 obj-y += translate.o helper.o cpu.o interrupt.o
 obj-y += int_helper.o fpu_helper.o cc_helper.o mem_helper.o misc_helper.o
-obj-y += gdbstub.o
+obj-y += gdbstub.o cpu_models.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += machine.o ioinst.o arch_dump.o mmu_helper.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_KVM) += kvm.o
diff --git a/target-s390x/cpu-qom.h b/target-s390x/cpu-qom.h
index 66b5d18..bb993d4 100644
--- a/target-s390x/cpu-qom.h
+++ b/target-s390x/cpu-qom.h
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ typedef struct S390CPUClass {
     /*< private >*/
     CPUClass parent_class;
     /*< public >*/
+    bool kvm_required;
+    bool is_static;
+    bool is_migration_safe;
+    const char *desc;
 
     int64_t next_cpu_id;
 
diff --git a/target-s390x/cpu.c b/target-s390x/cpu.c
index e43e2d6..44e53ec 100644
--- a/target-s390x/cpu.c
+++ b/target-s390x/cpu.c
@@ -44,30 +44,6 @@
 #define CR0_RESET       0xE0UL
 #define CR14_RESET      0xC2000000UL;
 
-/* generate CPU information for cpu -? */
-void s390_cpu_list(FILE *f, fprintf_function cpu_fprintf)
-{
-#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
-    (*cpu_fprintf)(f, "s390 %16s\n", "host");
-#endif
-}
-
-#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-CpuDefinitionInfoList *arch_query_cpu_definitions(Error **errp)
-{
-    CpuDefinitionInfoList *entry;
-    CpuDefinitionInfo *info;
-
-    info = g_malloc0(sizeof(*info));
-    info->name = g_strdup("host");
-
-    entry = g_malloc0(sizeof(*entry));
-    entry->value = info;
-
-    return entry;
-}
-#endif
-
 static void s390_cpu_set_pc(CPUState *cs, vaddr value)
 {
     S390CPU *cpu = S390_CPU(cs);
@@ -206,6 +182,12 @@ static void s390_cpu_realizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     CPUS390XState *env = &cpu->env;
     Error *err = NULL;
 
+    /* the model has to be realized before qemu_init_vcpu() due to kvm */
+    s390_realize_cpu_model(cs, &err);
+    if (err) {
+        goto out;
+    }
+
 #if !defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
     if (cpu->id >= max_cpus) {
         error_setg(&err, "Unable to add CPU: %" PRIi64
@@ -435,6 +417,7 @@ static void s390_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     scc->cpu_reset = s390_cpu_reset;
     scc->initial_cpu_reset = s390_cpu_initial_reset;
     cc->reset = s390_cpu_full_reset;
+    cc->class_by_name = s390_cpu_class_by_name,
     cc->has_work = s390_cpu_has_work;
     cc->do_interrupt = s390_cpu_do_interrupt;
     cc->dump_state = s390_cpu_dump_state;
@@ -470,7 +453,7 @@ static const TypeInfo s390_cpu_type_info = {
     .instance_size = sizeof(S390CPU),
     .instance_init = s390_cpu_initfn,
     .instance_finalize = s390_cpu_finalize,
-    .abstract = false,
+    .abstract = true,
     .class_size = sizeof(S390CPUClass),
     .class_init = s390_cpu_class_init,
 };
diff --git a/target-s390x/cpu.h b/target-s390x/cpu.h
index c216bda..e34742e 100644
--- a/target-s390x/cpu.h
+++ b/target-s390x/cpu.h
@@ -631,6 +631,8 @@ extern void subsystem_reset(void);
 
 void s390_cpu_list(FILE *f, fprintf_function cpu_fprintf);
 #define cpu_list s390_cpu_list
+void s390_realize_cpu_model(CPUState *cs, Error **errp);
+ObjectClass *s390_cpu_class_by_name(const char *name);
 
 #define EXCP_EXT 1 /* external interrupt */
 #define EXCP_SVC 2 /* supervisor call (syscall) */
diff --git a/target-s390x/cpu_models.c b/target-s390x/cpu_models.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01f442c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/target-s390x/cpu_models.c
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+/*
+ * CPU models for s390x
+ *
+ * Copyright 2016 IBM Corp.
+ *
+ * Author(s): David Hildenbrand <dahi@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or (at
+ * your option) any later version. See the COPYING file in the top-level
+ * directory.
+ */
+
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "cpu.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
+#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
+#include "sysemu/arch_init.h"
+#endif
+
+struct S390PrintCpuListInfo {
+    FILE *f;
+    fprintf_function print;
+};
+
+static void print_cpu_model_list(ObjectClass *klass, void *opaque)
+{
+    struct S390PrintCpuListInfo *info = opaque;
+    S390CPUClass *scc = S390_CPU_CLASS(klass);
+    char *name = g_strdup(object_class_get_name(klass));
+    const char *details = "";
+
+    if (scc->is_static) {
+        details = "(static, migration-safe)";
+    } else if (scc->is_migration_safe) {
+        details = "(migration-safe)";
+    }
+
+    /* strip off the -s390-cpu */
+    g_strrstr(name, "-" TYPE_S390_CPU)[0] = 0;
+    (*info->print)(info->f, "s390 %-15s %-35s %s\n", name, scc->desc,
+                   details);
+    g_free(name);
+}
+
+void s390_cpu_list(FILE *f, fprintf_function print)
+{
+    struct S390PrintCpuListInfo info = {
+        f = f,
+        print = print,
+    };
+
+    object_class_foreach(print_cpu_model_list, TYPE_S390_CPU, false, &info);
+}
+
+#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
+static void create_cpu_model_list(ObjectClass *klass, void *opaque)
+{
+    CpuDefinitionInfoList **cpu_list = opaque;
+    CpuDefinitionInfoList *entry;
+    CpuDefinitionInfo *info;
+    char *name = g_strdup(object_class_get_name(klass));
+    S390CPUClass *scc = S390_CPU_CLASS(klass);
+
+    /* strip off the -s390-cpu */
+    g_strrstr(name, "-" TYPE_S390_CPU)[0] = 0;
+    info = g_malloc0(sizeof(*info));
+    info->name = name;
+    info->has_migration_safe = true;
+    info->migration_safe = scc->is_migration_safe;
+    info->q_static = scc->is_static;
+
+
+    entry = g_malloc0(sizeof(*entry));
+    entry->value = info;
+    entry->next = *cpu_list;
+    *cpu_list = entry;
+}
+
+CpuDefinitionInfoList *arch_query_cpu_definitions(Error **errp)
+{
+    CpuDefinitionInfoList *list = NULL;
+
+    object_class_foreach(create_cpu_model_list, TYPE_S390_CPU, false, &list);
+
+    return list;
+}
+#endif
+
+void s390_realize_cpu_model(CPUState *cs, Error **errp)
+{
+    S390CPUClass *xcc = S390_CPU_GET_CLASS(cs);
+
+    if (xcc->kvm_required && !kvm_enabled()) {
+        error_setg(errp, "CPU definition requires KVM");
+        return;
+    }
+}
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
+static void s390_host_cpu_model_initfn(Object *obj)
+{
+}
+#endif
+
+static void s390_qemu_cpu_model_initfn(Object *obj)
+{
+}
+
+static void s390_cpu_model_finalize(Object *obj)
+{
+}
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
+static void s390_host_cpu_model_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
+{
+    S390CPUClass *xcc = S390_CPU_CLASS(oc);
+
+    xcc->kvm_required = true;
+    xcc->desc = "KVM only: All recognized features";
+}
+#endif
+
+static void s390_qemu_cpu_model_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
+{
+    S390CPUClass *xcc = S390_CPU_CLASS(oc);
+
+    xcc->is_migration_safe = true;
+    xcc->desc = g_strdup_printf("QEMU Virtual CPU version %s",
+                                qemu_hw_version());
+}
+
+#define S390_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX "-" TYPE_S390_CPU
+#define S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME(name) (name S390_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX)
+
+/* Generate type name for a cpu model. Caller has to free the string. */
+static char *s390_cpu_type_name(const char *model_name)
+{
+    return g_strdup_printf(S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME("%s"), model_name);
+}
+
+ObjectClass *s390_cpu_class_by_name(const char *name)
+{
+    char *typename = s390_cpu_type_name(name);
+    ObjectClass *oc;
+
+    oc = object_class_by_name(typename);
+    g_free(typename);
+    return oc;
+}
+
+static const TypeInfo qemu_s390_cpu_type_info = {
+    .name = S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME("qemu"),
+    .parent = TYPE_S390_CPU,
+    .instance_init = s390_qemu_cpu_model_initfn,
+    .instance_finalize = s390_cpu_model_finalize,
+    .class_init = s390_qemu_cpu_model_class_init,
+};
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
+static const TypeInfo host_s390_cpu_type_info = {
+    .name = S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME("host"),
+    .parent = TYPE_S390_CPU,
+    .instance_init = s390_host_cpu_model_initfn,
+    .instance_finalize = s390_cpu_model_finalize,
+    .class_init = s390_host_cpu_model_class_init,
+};
+#endif
+
+static void register_types(void)
+{
+    type_register_static(&qemu_s390_cpu_type_info);
+#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
+    type_register_static(&host_s390_cpu_type_info);
+#endif
+}
+
+type_init(register_types)
diff --git a/target-s390x/helper.c b/target-s390x/helper.c
index 54a5177..68bd2f9 100644
--- a/target-s390x/helper.c
+++ b/target-s390x/helper.c
@@ -70,7 +70,38 @@ void s390x_cpu_timer(void *opaque)
 
 S390CPU *cpu_s390x_create(const char *cpu_model, Error **errp)
 {
-    return S390_CPU(object_new(TYPE_S390_CPU));
+    static bool features_parsed;
+    char *name, *features;
+    const char *typename;
+    ObjectClass *oc;
+    CPUClass *cc;
+
+    name = g_strdup(cpu_model);
+    features = strchr(name, ',');
+    if (features) {
+        features[0] = 0;
+        features++;
+    }
+
+    oc = cpu_class_by_name(TYPE_S390_CPU, name);
+    if (!oc) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Unknown CPU definition \'%s\'", name);
+        g_free(name);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    typename = object_class_get_name(oc);
+
+    if (!features_parsed) {
+        features_parsed = true;
+        cc = CPU_CLASS(oc);
+        cc->parse_features(typename, features, errp);
+    }
+    g_free(name);
+
+    if (*errp) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    return S390_CPU(CPU(object_new(typename)));
 }
 
 S390CPU *s390x_new_cpu(const char *cpu_model, int64_t id, Error **errp)
