diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index e1e28e5cd1..b5fa738bd8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -2507,6 +2507,44 @@ virQEMUCapsIsCPUUsable(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * virQEMUCapsGetCPUBlockers:
+ * @qemuCaps: QEMU capabilities
+ * @type: virtualization type
+ * @cpu: CPU model
+ * @blockers: where to store the list of features
+ *
+ * Get a list of features that prevent @cpu from being usable. The pointer to
+ * the list will be stored in @blockers and the caller must not free it. The
+ * pointer is valid as long as there is an active reference to @qemuCaps.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 when @cpu is not found in @qemuCaps.
+ */
+int
+virQEMUCapsGetCPUBlockers(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
+                          virDomainVirtType type,
+                          const char *cpu,
+                          char ***blockers)
+{
+    qemuMonitorCPUDefs *defs;
+    size_t i;
+
+    defs = virQEMUCapsGetAccel(qemuCaps, type)->cpuModels;
+
+    if (!defs)
+        return -1;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < defs->ncpus; i++) {
+        if (STREQ(defs->cpus[i].name, cpu)) {
+            *blockers = defs->cpus[i].blockers;
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return -1;
+}
+
+
 bool
 virQEMUCapsIsMachineDeprecated(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
                                virDomainVirtType type,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
index 284b07b64e..54c7e30903 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
@@ -795,6 +795,10 @@ bool virQEMUCapsIsCPUDeprecated(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
 bool virQEMUCapsIsCPUUsable(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
                             virDomainVirtType type,
                             virCPUDef *cpu);
+int virQEMUCapsGetCPUBlockers(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
+                              virDomainVirtType type,
+                              const char *cpu,
+                              char ***blockers);
 bool virQEMUCapsIsMachineDeprecated(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
                                     virDomainVirtType type,
                                     const char *machine);