diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
index c6e847aa16..2e78b76d0a 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
@@ -115,6 +115,23 @@ virCPUDefCopyModel(virCPUDefPtr dst,
 }
 
 
+void
+virCPUDefStealModel(virCPUDefPtr dst,
+                    virCPUDefPtr src)
+{
+    virCPUDefFreeModel(dst);
+
+    VIR_STEAL_PTR(dst->model, src->model);
+    VIR_STEAL_PTR(dst->vendor, src->vendor);
+    VIR_STEAL_PTR(dst->vendor_id, src->vendor_id);
+    VIR_STEAL_PTR(dst->features, src->features);
+    dst->nfeatures_max = src->nfeatures_max;
+    src->nfeatures_max = 0;
+    dst->nfeatures = src->nfeatures;
+    src->nfeatures = 0;
+}
+
+
 virCPUDefPtr
 virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(const virCPUDef *cpu)
 {
diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
index 2bbab9efb0..a5dd208cdb 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ virCPUDefCopyModel(virCPUDefPtr dst,
                    const virCPUDef *src,
                    bool resetPolicy);
 
+void
+virCPUDefStealModel(virCPUDefPtr dst,
+                    virCPUDefPtr src);
+
 virCPUDefPtr
 virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu);
 
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 26597bbaf5..bdedc18548 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ virCPUDefFormatBuf;
 virCPUDefFree;
 virCPUDefFreeModel;
 virCPUDefParseXML;
+virCPUDefStealModel;
 virCPUDefUpdateFeature;
 virCPUModeTypeToString;