diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu.c b/src/cpu/cpu.c
index 19afeab7b9..d2b7ce3da9 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu.c
@@ -750,9 +750,13 @@ cpuModelIsAllowed(const char *model,
  * @arch: CPU architecture
  * @models: where to store the NULL-terminated list of supported models
  *
- * Fetches all CPU models supported by libvirt on @archName.
+ * Fetches all CPU models supported by libvirt on @archName. If there are
+ * no restrictions on CPU models on @archName (i.e., the CPU model is just
+ * passed directly to a hypervisor), this function returns 0 and sets
+ * @models to NULL.
  *
- * Returns number of supported CPU models or -1 on error.
+ * Returns number of supported CPU models, 0 if any CPU model is supported,
+ * or -1 on error.
  */
 int
 cpuGetModels(virArch arch, char ***models)
@@ -770,10 +774,9 @@ cpuGetModels(virArch arch, char ***models)
     }
 
     if (!driver->getModels) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_SUPPORT,
-                       _("CPU driver for %s has no CPU model support"),
-                       virArchToString(arch));
-        return -1;
+        if (models)
+            *models = NULL;
+        return 0;
     }
 
     return driver->getModels(models);
diff --git a/src/libvirt-host.c b/src/libvirt-host.c
index 2a3de03115..335798abf7 100644
--- a/src/libvirt-host.c
+++ b/src/libvirt-host.c
@@ -1005,7 +1005,8 @@ virConnectCompareCPU(virConnectPtr conn,
  *
  * Get the list of supported CPU models for a specific architecture.
  *
- * Returns -1 on error, number of elements in @models on success.
+ * Returns -1 on error, number of elements in @models on success (0 means
+ * libvirt accepts any CPU model).
  */
 int
 virConnectGetCPUModelNames(virConnectPtr conn, const char *arch, char ***models,
diff --git a/tools/virsh-host.c b/tools/virsh-host.c
index 2337ce8e6e..2fd368662a 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-host.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-host.c
@@ -1149,9 +1149,13 @@ cmdCPUModelNames(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
         return false;
     }
 
-    for (i = 0; i < nmodels; i++) {
-        vshPrint(ctl, "%s\n", models[i]);
-        VIR_FREE(models[i]);
+    if (nmodels == 0) {
+        vshPrintExtra(ctl, "%s\n", _("all CPU models are accepted"));
+    } else {
+        for (i = 0; i < nmodels; i++) {
+            vshPrint(ctl, "%s\n", models[i]);
+            VIR_FREE(models[i]);
+        }
     }
     VIR_FREE(models);