diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
index b71528ef5e..c6e847aa16 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
@@ -114,8 +114,9 @@ virCPUDefCopyModel(virCPUDefPtr dst,
     return 0;
 }
 
+
 virCPUDefPtr
-virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu)
+virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(const virCPUDef *cpu)
 {
     virCPUDefPtr copy;
 
@@ -131,6 +132,18 @@ virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu)
     copy->threads = cpu->threads;
     copy->arch = cpu->arch;
 
+    return copy;
+}
+
+
+virCPUDefPtr
+virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu)
+{
+    virCPUDefPtr copy;
+
+    if (!(copy = virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(cpu)))
+        return NULL;
+
     if (virCPUDefCopyModel(copy, cpu, false) < 0)
         goto error;
 
@@ -141,6 +154,7 @@ virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+
 virCPUDefPtr
 virCPUDefParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
                   xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
index 705ba6d902..2bbab9efb0 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ virCPUDefCopyModel(virCPUDefPtr dst,
 virCPUDefPtr
 virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu);
 
+virCPUDefPtr
+virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(const virCPUDef *cpu);
+
 virCPUDefPtr
 virCPUDefParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
                   xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index b6561e803a..26597bbaf5 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ virCapabilitiesSetNetPrefix;
 virCPUDefAddFeature;
 virCPUDefCopy;
 virCPUDefCopyModel;
+virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel;
 virCPUDefFormat;
 virCPUDefFormatBuf;
 virCPUDefFree;