diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu.c b/src/cpu/cpu.c
index 731df26ea764f66613d8a1cb68002e666faec52c..1952b53ecf1b1b299e3929644960f553f34e75e6 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu.c
@@ -142,12 +142,6 @@ cpuCompare(virCPUDefPtr host,
 
     VIR_DEBUG("host=%p, cpu=%p", host, cpu);
 
-    if (!cpu->model) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s",
-                       _("no guest CPU model specified"));
-        return VIR_CPU_COMPARE_ERROR;
-    }
-
     if ((driver = cpuGetSubDriver(host->arch)) == NULL)
         return VIR_CPU_COMPARE_ERROR;
 
@@ -376,12 +370,6 @@ cpuGuestData(virCPUDefPtr host,
 
     VIR_DEBUG("host=%p, guest=%p, data=%p, msg=%p", host, guest, data, msg);
 
-    if (!guest->model) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s",
-                       _("no guest CPU model specified"));
-        return VIR_CPU_COMPARE_ERROR;
-    }
-
     if ((driver = cpuGetSubDriver(host->arch)) == NULL)
         return VIR_CPU_COMPARE_ERROR;
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_generic.c b/src/cpu/cpu_generic.c
index a9cde4ca3c612dd5cdaa65b7b445d35d165b1c8c..f26a62dc63b1c4344a99ecdf2a08373a89085c26 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_generic.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_generic.c
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ genericCompare(virCPUDefPtr host,
     size_t i;
     unsigned int reqfeatures;
 
+    if (!cpu->model) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s",
+                       _("no guest CPU model specified"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     if ((cpu->arch != VIR_ARCH_NONE &&
          host->arch != cpu->arch) ||
         STRNEQ(host->model, cpu->model)) {
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c b/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
index a72cc32ae4327cf6934d9d4ba3cd83e0ba60854b..364c8ed082093263b96661f7329981227b3e0b99 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ ppc64ConvertLegacyCPUDef(const virCPUDef *legacy)
     if (!(cpu = virCPUDefCopy(legacy)))
         goto out;
 
-    if (!(STREQ(cpu->model, "POWER7_v2.1") ||
+    if (!cpu->model ||
+        !(STREQ(cpu->model, "POWER7_v2.1") ||
           STREQ(cpu->model, "POWER7_v2.3") ||
           STREQ(cpu->model, "POWER7+_v2.1") ||
           STREQ(cpu->model, "POWER8_v1.0"))) {
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
index f5f769730e279dc72191660c2cc4f303a50e8ae4..90949f68cce125ce925e7bd422b62ce07e2514f7 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
@@ -1371,6 +1371,12 @@ x86Compute(virCPUDefPtr host,
     virArch arch;
     size_t i;
 
+    if (!cpu->model) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s",
+                       _("no guest CPU model specified"));
+        return VIR_CPU_COMPARE_ERROR;
+    }
+
     if (cpu->arch != VIR_ARCH_NONE) {
         bool found = false;