diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index a3a93aeed38486ea49f339995ab6529e1f1daa41..a1dfc010204c7caefda5267939cfa860a9b89d3b 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -612,15 +612,9 @@ static int cpu_get_free_index(Error **errp)
     return cpu;
 }
 
-void cpu_exec_exit(CPUState *cpu)
+static void cpu_release_index(CPUState *cpu)
 {
-    if (cpu->cpu_index == -1) {
-        /* cpu_index was never allocated by this @cpu or was already freed. */
-        return;
-    }
-
     bitmap_clear(cpu_index_map, cpu->cpu_index, 1);
-    cpu->cpu_index = -1;
 }
 #else
 
@@ -635,11 +629,33 @@ static int cpu_get_free_index(Error **errp)
     return cpu_index;
 }
 
-void cpu_exec_exit(CPUState *cpu)
+static void cpu_release_index(CPUState *cpu)
 {
+    return;
 }
 #endif
 
+void cpu_exec_exit(CPUState *cpu)
+{
+#if defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
+    cpu_list_lock();
+#endif
+    if (cpu->cpu_index == -1) {
+        /* cpu_index was never allocated by this @cpu or was already freed. */
+#if defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
+        cpu_list_unlock();
+#endif
+        return;
+    }
+
+    QTAILQ_REMOVE(&cpus, cpu, node);
+    cpu_release_index(cpu);
+    cpu->cpu_index = -1;
+#if defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
+    cpu_list_unlock();
+#endif
+}
+
 void cpu_exec_init(CPUState *cpu, Error **errp)
 {
     CPUClass *cc = CPU_GET_CLASS(cpu);