diff --git a/target/mips/helper.h b/target/mips/helper.h
index 4ee7916d8b2..d49620f9282 100644
--- a/target/mips/helper.h
+++ b/target/mips/helper.h
@@ -614,8 +614,6 @@ DEF_HELPER_FLAGS_3(dmthlip, 0, void, tl, tl, env)
 DEF_HELPER_FLAGS_3(wrdsp, 0, void, tl, tl, env)
 DEF_HELPER_FLAGS_2(rddsp, 0, tl, tl, env)
 
-DEF_HELPER_3(cache, void, env, tl, i32)
-
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
 #include "tcg/sysemu_helper.h.inc"
 #endif /* !CONFIG_USER_ONLY */
diff --git a/target/mips/tcg/sysemu_helper.h.inc b/target/mips/tcg/sysemu_helper.h.inc
index 38e55cbf118..1ccbf687237 100644
--- a/target/mips/tcg/sysemu_helper.h.inc
+++ b/target/mips/tcg/sysemu_helper.h.inc
@@ -173,3 +173,4 @@ DEF_HELPER_1(ei, tl, env)
 DEF_HELPER_1(eret, void, env)
 DEF_HELPER_1(eretnc, void, env)
 DEF_HELPER_1(deret, void, env)
+DEF_HELPER_3(cache, void, env, tl, i32)
diff --git a/target/mips/op_helper.c b/target/mips/op_helper.c
index 3903545831f..659c4d15668 100644
--- a/target/mips/op_helper.c
+++ b/target/mips/op_helper.c
@@ -789,38 +789,3 @@ void mips_cpu_do_transaction_failed(CPUState *cs, hwaddr physaddr,
     }
 }
 #endif /* !CONFIG_USER_ONLY */
-
-void helper_cache(CPUMIPSState *env, target_ulong addr, uint32_t op)
-{
-#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-    static const char *const type_name[] = {
-        "Primary Instruction",
-        "Primary Data or Unified Primary",
-        "Tertiary",
-        "Secondary"
-    };
-    uint32_t cache_type = extract32(op, 0, 2);
-    uint32_t cache_operation = extract32(op, 2, 3);
-    target_ulong index = addr & 0x1fffffff;
-
-    switch (cache_operation) {
-    case 0b010: /* Index Store Tag */
-        memory_region_dispatch_write(env->itc_tag, index, env->CP0_TagLo,
-                                     MO_64, MEMTXATTRS_UNSPECIFIED);
-        break;
-    case 0b001: /* Index Load Tag */
-        memory_region_dispatch_read(env->itc_tag, index, &env->CP0_TagLo,
-                                    MO_64, MEMTXATTRS_UNSPECIFIED);
-        break;
-    case 0b000: /* Index Invalidate */
-    case 0b100: /* Hit Invalidate */
-    case 0b110: /* Hit Writeback */
-        /* no-op */
-        break;
-    default:
-        qemu_log_mask(LOG_UNIMP, "cache operation:%u (type: %s cache)\n",
-                      cache_operation, type_name[cache_type]);
-        break;
-    }
-#endif
-}
diff --git a/target/mips/tcg/sysemu/special_helper.c b/target/mips/tcg/sysemu/special_helper.c
index 927a640d076..ffd5d0086b6 100644
--- a/target/mips/tcg/sysemu/special_helper.c
+++ b/target/mips/tcg/sysemu/special_helper.c
@@ -138,3 +138,36 @@ void helper_deret(CPUMIPSState *env)
 
     debug_post_eret(env);
 }
+
+void helper_cache(CPUMIPSState *env, target_ulong addr, uint32_t op)
+{
+    static const char *const type_name[] = {
+        "Primary Instruction",
+        "Primary Data or Unified Primary",
+        "Tertiary",
+        "Secondary"
+    };
+    uint32_t cache_type = extract32(op, 0, 2);
+    uint32_t cache_operation = extract32(op, 2, 3);
+    target_ulong index = addr & 0x1fffffff;
+
+    switch (cache_operation) {
+    case 0b010: /* Index Store Tag */
+        memory_region_dispatch_write(env->itc_tag, index, env->CP0_TagLo,
+                                     MO_64, MEMTXATTRS_UNSPECIFIED);
+        break;
+    case 0b001: /* Index Load Tag */
+        memory_region_dispatch_read(env->itc_tag, index, &env->CP0_TagLo,
+                                    MO_64, MEMTXATTRS_UNSPECIFIED);
+        break;
+    case 0b000: /* Index Invalidate */
+    case 0b100: /* Hit Invalidate */
+    case 0b110: /* Hit Writeback */
+        /* no-op */
+        break;
+    default:
+        qemu_log_mask(LOG_UNIMP, "cache operation:%u (type: %s cache)\n",
+                      cache_operation, type_name[cache_type]);
+        break;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/target/mips/translate.c b/target/mips/translate.c
index 8702f9220be..c2e60178d05 100644
--- a/target/mips/translate.c
+++ b/target/mips/translate.c
@@ -39,6 +39,19 @@
 #include "fpu_helper.h"
 #include "translate.h"
 
+/*
+ * Many sysemu-only helpers are not reachable for user-only.
+ * Define stub generators here, so that we need not either sprinkle
+ * ifdefs through the translator, nor provide the helper function.
+ */
+#define STUB_HELPER(NAME, ...) \
+    static inline void gen_helper_##NAME(__VA_ARGS__) \
+    { qemu_build_not_reached(); }
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
+STUB_HELPER(cache, TCGv_env env, TCGv val, TCGv_i32 reg)
+#endif
+
 enum {
     /* indirect opcode tables */
     OPC_SPECIAL  = (0x00 << 26),
