diff --git a/include/hw/core/cpu.h b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
index d64c823e768..42795f12290 100644
--- a/include/hw/core/cpu.h
+++ b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ struct SysemuCPUOps;
  *                 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.
  * @mmu_index: Callback for choosing softmmu mmu index;
  *       may be used internally by memory_rw_debug without TCG.
  * @memory_rw_debug: Callback for GDB memory access.
@@ -151,7 +150,6 @@ struct CPUClass {
     ObjectClass *(*class_by_name)(const char *cpu_model);
     void (*parse_features)(const char *typename, char *str, Error **errp);
 
-    bool (*has_work)(CPUState *cpu);
     int (*mmu_index)(CPUState *cpu, bool ifetch);
     int (*memory_rw_debug)(CPUState *cpu, vaddr addr,
                            uint8_t *buf, int len, bool is_write);
@@ -1154,6 +1152,7 @@ G_NORETURN void cpu_abort(CPUState *cpu, const char *fmt, ...)
 
 /* $(top_srcdir)/cpu.c */
 void cpu_class_init_props(DeviceClass *dc);
+void cpu_exec_class_post_init(CPUClass *cc, void *data);
 void cpu_exec_initfn(CPUState *cpu);
 bool cpu_exec_realizefn(CPUState *cpu, Error **errp);
 void cpu_exec_unrealizefn(CPUState *cpu);
diff --git a/include/hw/core/sysemu-cpu-ops.h b/include/hw/core/sysemu-cpu-ops.h
index dee8a62ca98..877892373f9 100644
--- a/include/hw/core/sysemu-cpu-ops.h
+++ b/include/hw/core/sysemu-cpu-ops.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ typedef struct SysemuCPUOps {
     /**
      * @has_work: Callback for checking if there is work to do.
      */
-    bool (*has_work)(CPUState *cpu);
+    bool (*has_work)(CPUState *cpu); /* MANDATORY NON-NULL */
     /**
      * @get_memory_mapping: Callback for obtaining the memory mappings.
      */
diff --git a/cpu-target.c b/cpu-target.c
index 98e9e7cc4a1..778f622b07a 100644
--- a/cpu-target.c
+++ b/cpu-target.c
@@ -230,6 +230,14 @@ void cpu_class_init_props(DeviceClass *dc)
     device_class_set_props(dc, cpu_common_props);
 }
 
+void cpu_exec_class_post_init(CPUClass *cc, void *data)
+{
+#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
+    /* Check mandatory SysemuCPUOps handlers */
+    g_assert(cc->sysemu_ops->has_work);
+#endif
+}
+
 void cpu_exec_initfn(CPUState *cpu)
 {
     cpu->as = NULL;
diff --git a/hw/core/cpu-common.c b/hw/core/cpu-common.c
index 886aa793c04..eae621f942f 100644
--- a/hw/core/cpu-common.c
+++ b/hw/core/cpu-common.c
@@ -134,11 +134,6 @@ static void cpu_common_reset_hold(Object *obj, ResetType type)
     cpu_exec_reset_hold(cpu);
 }
 
-static bool cpu_common_has_work(CPUState *cs)
-{
-    return false;
-}
-
 ObjectClass *cpu_class_by_name(const char *typename, const char *cpu_model)
 {
     ObjectClass *oc;
@@ -304,7 +299,6 @@ static void cpu_common_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 
     k->parse_features = cpu_common_parse_features;
     k->get_arch_id = cpu_common_get_arch_id;
-    k->has_work = cpu_common_has_work;
     k->gdb_read_register = cpu_common_gdb_read_register;
     k->gdb_write_register = cpu_common_gdb_write_register;
     set_bit(DEVICE_CATEGORY_CPU, dc->categories);
@@ -319,6 +313,11 @@ static void cpu_common_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->user_creatable = false;
 }
 
+static void cpu_common_post_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
+{
+    cpu_exec_class_post_init(CPU_CLASS(klass), data);
+}
+
 static const TypeInfo cpu_type_info = {
     .name = TYPE_CPU,
     .parent = TYPE_DEVICE,
@@ -328,6 +327,7 @@ static const TypeInfo cpu_type_info = {
     .abstract = true,
     .class_size = sizeof(CPUClass),
     .class_init = cpu_common_class_init,
+    .class_post_init = cpu_common_post_class_init,
 };
 
 static void cpu_register_types(void)
diff --git a/hw/core/cpu-system.c b/hw/core/cpu-system.c
index 7b16bda2250..32d09757169 100644
--- a/hw/core/cpu-system.c
+++ b/hw/core/cpu-system.c
@@ -25,12 +25,7 @@
 
 bool cpu_has_work(CPUState *cpu)
 {
-    if (cpu->cc->sysemu_ops->has_work) {
-        return cpu->cc->sysemu_ops->has_work(cpu);
-    }
-
-    g_assert(cpu->cc->has_work);
-    return cpu->cc->has_work(cpu);
+    return cpu->cc->sysemu_ops->has_work(cpu);
 }
 
 bool cpu_paging_enabled(const CPUState *cpu)
