diff --git a/include/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.h b/include/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.h
index 21a3b035a4..643c3160c7 100644
--- a/include/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.h
+++ b/include/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.h
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 #include "hw/usb/chipidea.h"
 #include "hw/usb/imx-usb-phy.h"
 #include "exec/memory.h"
-#include "cpu.h"
 #include "qom/object.h"
 
 #define TYPE_FSL_IMX6 "fsl-imx6"
@@ -51,11 +50,8 @@ OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(FslIMX6State, FSL_IMX6)
 #define FSL_IMX6_NUM_USBS 4
 
 struct FslIMX6State {
-    /*< private >*/
     DeviceState parent_obj;
 
-    /*< public >*/
-    ARMCPU         cpu[FSL_IMX6_NUM_CPUS];
     A9MPPrivState  a9mpcore;
     IMX6CCMState   ccm;
     IMX6SRCState   src;
diff --git a/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.c b/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.c
index 65c7c1a0f9..f05ea62351 100644
--- a/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.c
+++ b/hw/arm/fsl-imx6.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "chardev/char.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
+#include "target/arm/cpu.h"
 
 #define IMX6_ESDHC_CAPABILITIES     0x057834b4
 
@@ -36,17 +37,10 @@
 
 static void fsl_imx6_init(Object *obj)
 {
-    MachineState *ms = MACHINE(qdev_get_machine());
     FslIMX6State *s = FSL_IMX6(obj);
     char name[NAME_SIZE];
     int i;
 
-    for (i = 0; i < MIN(ms->smp.cpus, FSL_IMX6_NUM_CPUS); i++) {
-        snprintf(name, NAME_SIZE, "cpu%d", i);
-        object_initialize_child(obj, name, &s->cpu[i],
-                                ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME("cortex-a9"));
-    }
-
     object_initialize_child(obj, "a9mpcore", &s->a9mpcore, TYPE_A9MPCORE_PRIV);
 
     object_initialize_child(obj, "ccm", &s->ccm, TYPE_IMX6_CCM);
@@ -119,43 +113,18 @@ static void fsl_imx6_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; i++) {
-
-        /* On uniprocessor, the CBAR is set to 0 */
-        if (smp_cpus > 1) {
-            object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->cpu[i]), "reset-cbar",
-                                    FSL_IMX6_A9MPCORE_ADDR, &error_abort);
-        }
-
-        /* All CPU but CPU 0 start in power off mode */
-        if (i) {
-            object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&s->cpu[i]), "start-powered-off",
-                                     true, &error_abort);
-        }
-
-        if (!qdev_realize(DEVICE(&s->cpu[i]), NULL, errp)) {
-            return;
-        }
-    }
-
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->a9mpcore), "num-cores", smp_cpus,
-                            &error_abort);
-
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->a9mpcore), "num-irq",
-                            FSL_IMX6_MAX_IRQ + GIC_INTERNAL, &error_abort);
-
+    qdev_prop_set_uint32(DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), "num-cores", smp_cpus);
+    qdev_prop_set_string(DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), "cpu-type",
+                         ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME("cortex-a9"));
+    qdev_prop_set_uint64(DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), "cpu-reset-cbar",
+                         FSL_IMX6_A9MPCORE_ADDR);
+    qdev_prop_set_uint32(DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), "gic-spi-num",
+                         FSL_IMX6_MAX_IRQ + GIC_INTERNAL);
     if (!sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), errp)) {
         return;
     }
     sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), 0, FSL_IMX6_A9MPCORE_ADDR);
 
-    for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; i++) {
-        sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), i,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->cpu[i]), ARM_CPU_IRQ));
-        sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a9mpcore), i + smp_cpus,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->cpu[i]), ARM_CPU_FIQ));
-    }
-
     if (!sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->ccm), errp)) {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/hw/arm/sabrelite.c b/hw/arm/sabrelite.c
index 56f184b9ae..751053e8e3 100644
--- a/hw/arm/sabrelite.c
+++ b/hw/arm/sabrelite.c
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ static void sabrelite_init(MachineState *machine)
     sabrelite_binfo.secondary_cpu_reset_hook = sabrelite_reset_secondary;
 
     if (!qtest_enabled()) {
-        arm_load_kernel(&s->cpu[0], machine, &sabrelite_binfo);
+        CortexMPPrivState *mp = CORTEX_MPCORE_PRIV(&s->a9mpcore);
+
+        arm_load_kernel(mp->cpu[0], machine, &sabrelite_binfo);
     }
 }
 
