diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index dda8edb274..d07cfe1651 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -3257,6 +3257,12 @@ static int virt_hvf_get_physical_address_range(MachineState *ms)
     return requested_ipa_size;
 }
 
+static const char *virt_get_default_cpu_type(const MachineState *ms)
+{
+    return tcg_enabled() ? ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME("cortex-a15")
+                         : ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME("max");
+}
+
 static GPtrArray *virt_get_valid_cpu_types(const MachineState *ms)
 {
     GPtrArray *vct = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func(g_free);
@@ -3312,11 +3318,7 @@ static void virt_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, const void *data)
     mc->minimum_page_bits = 12;
     mc->possible_cpu_arch_ids = virt_possible_cpu_arch_ids;
     mc->cpu_index_to_instance_props = virt_cpu_index_to_props;
-#ifdef CONFIG_TCG
-    mc->default_cpu_type = ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME("cortex-a15");
-#else
-    mc->default_cpu_type = ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME("max");
-#endif
+    mc->get_default_cpu_type = virt_get_default_cpu_type;
     mc->get_valid_cpu_types = virt_get_valid_cpu_types;
     mc->get_default_cpu_node_id = virt_get_default_cpu_node_id;
     mc->kvm_type = virt_kvm_type;