diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.c b/target-i386/cpu.c
index 8f185569607af97fa6ae160fcddf106b0f593570..aee4d3e7ce105e8e1b0fae0618b21216d86fd8c8 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.c
@@ -2135,7 +2135,7 @@ out:
     return cpu;
 }
 
-X86CPU *cpu_x86_init_user(const char *cpu_model)
+CPUX86State *cpu_x86_init_user(const char *cpu_model)
 {
     Error *error = NULL;
     X86CPU *cpu;
@@ -2153,10 +2153,10 @@ out:
         error_free(error);
         if (cpu != NULL) {
             object_unref(OBJECT(cpu));
-            cpu = NULL;
         }
+        return NULL;
     }
-    return cpu;
+    return &cpu->env;
 }
 
 static void x86_cpu_cpudef_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
diff --git a/target-i386/cpu.h b/target-i386/cpu.h
index 41d7f0ac6ea5c174b1cf3b05ceb0bfda14853fbc..d5bd74e16b8885bd6582df4f3b23bdcab0a996ef 100644
--- a/target-i386/cpu.h
+++ b/target-i386/cpu.h
@@ -982,7 +982,6 @@ typedef struct CPUX86State {
 
 #include "cpu-qom.h"
 
-X86CPU *cpu_x86_init_user(const char *cpu_model);
 X86CPU *cpu_x86_create(const char *cpu_model, DeviceState *icc_bridge,
                        Error **errp);
 int cpu_x86_exec(CPUX86State *s);
@@ -1171,14 +1170,9 @@ uint64_t cpu_get_tsc(CPUX86State *env);
 # define PHYS_ADDR_MASK 0xfffffffffLL
 # endif
 
-static inline CPUX86State *cpu_init(const char *cpu_model)
-{
-    X86CPU *cpu = cpu_x86_init_user(cpu_model);
-    if (cpu == NULL) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    return &cpu->env;
-}
+/* CPU creation function for *-user */
+CPUX86State *cpu_x86_init_user(const char *cpu_model);
+#define cpu_init cpu_x86_init_user
 
 #define cpu_exec cpu_x86_exec
 #define cpu_gen_code cpu_x86_gen_code