diff --git a/cpu-target.c b/cpu-target.c
index 14cd623bff..d139a18f5b 100644
--- a/cpu-target.c
+++ b/cpu-target.c
@@ -104,7 +104,13 @@ static void cpu_list(void)
 
 void list_cpus(void)
 {
-    cpu_list();
+    CPUClass *cc = CPU_CLASS(object_class_by_name(CPU_RESOLVING_TYPE));
+
+    if (cc->list_cpus) {
+        cc->list_cpus();
+    } else {
+        cpu_list();
+    }
 }
 
 /* enable or disable single step mode. EXCP_DEBUG is returned by the
diff --git a/include/hw/core/cpu.h b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
index c8d6abff19..5b645df59f 100644
--- a/include/hw/core/cpu.h
+++ b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ struct SysemuCPUOps;
  * CPUClass:
  * @class_by_name: Callback to map -cpu command line model name to an
  *                 instantiatable CPU type.
+ * @list_cpus: list available CPU models and flags.
  * @parse_features: Callback to parse command line arguments.
  * @reset_dump_flags: #CPUDumpFlags to use for reset logging.
  * @memory_rw_debug: Callback for GDB memory access.
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ struct CPUClass {
     /*< public >*/
 
     ObjectClass *(*class_by_name)(const char *cpu_model);
+    void (*list_cpus)(void);
     void (*parse_features)(const char *typename, char *str, Error **errp);
 
     int (*memory_rw_debug)(CPUState *cpu, vaddr addr,