diff --git a/accel/accel-common.c b/accel/accel-common.c
index 7b8ec7e0f7..623df43cc3 100644
--- a/accel/accel-common.c
+++ b/accel/accel-common.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "cpu.h"
 #include "hw/core/accel-cpu.h"
+#include "sysemu/accel-ops.h"
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
 #include "accel-softmmu.h"
@@ -135,3 +136,8 @@ static void register_accel_types(void)
 }
 
 type_init(register_accel_types);
+
+void generic_destroy_vcpu_thread(CPUState *cpu)
+{
+    g_free(cpu->thread);
+}
diff --git a/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c b/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c
index 54457c76c2..b23a67881c 100644
--- a/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c
+++ b/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c
@@ -467,6 +467,7 @@ static void hvf_accel_ops_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     AccelOpsClass *ops = ACCEL_OPS_CLASS(oc);
 
     ops->create_vcpu_thread = hvf_start_vcpu_thread;
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
     ops->kick_vcpu_thread = hvf_kick_vcpu_thread;
 
     ops->synchronize_post_reset = hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_reset;
diff --git a/accel/kvm/kvm-accel-ops.c b/accel/kvm/kvm-accel-ops.c
index c4244a23c6..5a7a9ae79c 100644
--- a/accel/kvm/kvm-accel-ops.c
+++ b/accel/kvm/kvm-accel-ops.c
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ static void kvm_accel_ops_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     AccelOpsClass *ops = ACCEL_OPS_CLASS(oc);
 
     ops->create_vcpu_thread = kvm_start_vcpu_thread;
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
     ops->cpu_thread_is_idle = kvm_vcpu_thread_is_idle;
     ops->cpus_are_resettable = kvm_cpus_are_resettable;
     ops->synchronize_post_reset = kvm_cpu_synchronize_post_reset;
diff --git a/accel/qtest/qtest.c b/accel/qtest/qtest.c
index f6056ac836..ba8573fc2c 100644
--- a/accel/qtest/qtest.c
+++ b/accel/qtest/qtest.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ static void qtest_accel_ops_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     AccelOpsClass *ops = ACCEL_OPS_CLASS(oc);
 
     ops->create_vcpu_thread = dummy_start_vcpu_thread;
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
     ops->get_virtual_clock = qtest_get_virtual_clock;
 };
 
diff --git a/accel/tcg/tcg-accel-ops.c b/accel/tcg/tcg-accel-ops.c
index ea7dcad674..527592c4d7 100644
--- a/accel/tcg/tcg-accel-ops.c
+++ b/accel/tcg/tcg-accel-ops.c
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ void tcg_handle_interrupt(CPUState *cpu, int mask)
 
 static void tcg_accel_ops_init(AccelOpsClass *ops)
 {
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
     if (qemu_tcg_mttcg_enabled()) {
         ops->create_vcpu_thread = mttcg_start_vcpu_thread;
         ops->kick_vcpu_thread = mttcg_kick_vcpu_thread;
diff --git a/accel/xen/xen-all.c b/accel/xen/xen-all.c
index 69aa7d018b..0efda554cc 100644
--- a/accel/xen/xen-all.c
+++ b/accel/xen/xen-all.c
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ static void xen_accel_ops_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     AccelOpsClass *ops = ACCEL_OPS_CLASS(oc);
 
     ops->create_vcpu_thread = dummy_start_vcpu_thread;
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo xen_accel_ops_type = {
diff --git a/include/sysemu/accel-ops.h b/include/sysemu/accel-ops.h
index e296b27b82..fac7d6b34e 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/accel-ops.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/accel-ops.h
@@ -46,4 +46,6 @@ struct AccelOpsClass {
     int64_t (*get_elapsed_ticks)(void);
 };
 
+/* free vcpu thread structures */
+void generic_destroy_vcpu_thread(CPUState *cpu);
 #endif /* ACCEL_OPS_H */
diff --git a/target/i386/hax/hax-accel-ops.c b/target/i386/hax/hax-accel-ops.c
index 136630e9b2..b6ef246cbb 100644
--- a/target/i386/hax/hax-accel-ops.c
+++ b/target/i386/hax/hax-accel-ops.c
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ static void hax_accel_ops_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     AccelOpsClass *ops = ACCEL_OPS_CLASS(oc);
 
     ops->create_vcpu_thread = hax_start_vcpu_thread;
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
     ops->kick_vcpu_thread = hax_kick_vcpu_thread;
 
     ops->synchronize_post_reset = hax_cpu_synchronize_post_reset;
diff --git a/target/i386/nvmm/nvmm-accel-ops.c b/target/i386/nvmm/nvmm-accel-ops.c
index f788f75289..ff9033127a 100644
--- a/target/i386/nvmm/nvmm-accel-ops.c
+++ b/target/i386/nvmm/nvmm-accel-ops.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ static void nvmm_accel_ops_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     AccelOpsClass *ops = ACCEL_OPS_CLASS(oc);
 
     ops->create_vcpu_thread = nvmm_start_vcpu_thread;
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
     ops->kick_vcpu_thread = nvmm_kick_vcpu_thread;
 
     ops->synchronize_post_reset = nvmm_cpu_synchronize_post_reset;
diff --git a/target/i386/whpx/whpx-accel-ops.c b/target/i386/whpx/whpx-accel-ops.c
index 1d30e4e2ed..f4ec6b3518 100644
--- a/target/i386/whpx/whpx-accel-ops.c
+++ b/target/i386/whpx/whpx-accel-ops.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ static void whpx_accel_ops_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     AccelOpsClass *ops = ACCEL_OPS_CLASS(oc);
 
     ops->create_vcpu_thread = whpx_start_vcpu_thread;
+    ops->destroy_vcpu_thread = generic_destroy_vcpu_thread;
     ops->kick_vcpu_thread = whpx_kick_vcpu_thread;
     ops->cpu_thread_is_idle = whpx_vcpu_thread_is_idle;
 
