diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
index 3b824e85d2..9f5e8cb848 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
@@ -271,12 +271,7 @@ virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(const virCPUDef *cpu)
 virCPUDef *
 virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu)
 {
-    g_autoptr(virCPUDef) copy = NULL;
-
-    if (!cpu)
-        return NULL;
-
-    copy = virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(cpu);
+    g_autoptr(virCPUDef) copy = virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(cpu);
 
     virCPUDefCopyModel(copy, cpu, false);
 
diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
index 560b597777..82083d668c 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
@@ -201,7 +201,8 @@ virCPUDefStealModel(virCPUDef *dst,
                     bool keepVendor);
 
 virCPUDef *
-virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu);
+virCPUDefCopy(const virCPUDef *cpu)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
 virCPUDef *
 virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(const virCPUDef *cpu)
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c b/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
index 30db99cca1..a33e4da9a9 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
@@ -406,8 +406,12 @@ ppc64Compute(virCPUDef *host,
     size_t i;
 
     /* Ensure existing configurations are handled correctly */
-    if (!(cpu = virCPUDefCopy(other)) ||
-        virCPUppc64ConvertLegacy(cpu) < 0)
+    if (!other)
+        return VIR_CPU_COMPARE_ERROR;
+
+    cpu = virCPUDefCopy(other);
+
+    if (virCPUppc64ConvertLegacy(cpu) < 0)
         return VIR_CPU_COMPARE_ERROR;
 
     if (cpu->arch != VIR_ARCH_NONE) {
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
index 6560b7a502..a8a537cbb6 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
@@ -3206,7 +3206,7 @@ static int
 virCPUx86ExpandFeatures(virCPUDef *cpu)
 {
     virCPUx86Map *map;
-    g_autoptr(virCPUDef) expanded = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virCPUDef) expanded = virCPUDefCopy(cpu);
     g_autoptr(virCPUx86Model) model = NULL;
     bool host = cpu->type == VIR_CPU_TYPE_HOST;
     size_t i;
@@ -3214,9 +3214,6 @@ virCPUx86ExpandFeatures(virCPUDef *cpu)
     if (!(map = virCPUx86GetMap()))
         return -1;
 
-    if (!(expanded = virCPUDefCopy(cpu)))
-        return -1;
-
     virCPUDefFreeFeatures(expanded);
 
     if (!(model = x86ModelFind(map, cpu->model))) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index 376b2c5458..9cc8d99994 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -1856,17 +1856,14 @@ virQEMUCapsHostCPUDataCopy(virQEMUCapsHostCPUData *dst,
         !(dst->info = qemuMonitorCPUModelInfoCopy(src->info)))
         return -1;
 
-    if (src->reported &&
-        !(dst->reported = virCPUDefCopy(src->reported)))
-        return -1;
+    if (src->reported)
+        dst->reported = virCPUDefCopy(src->reported);
 
-    if (src->migratable &&
-        !(dst->migratable = virCPUDefCopy(src->migratable)))
-        return -1;
+    if (src->migratable)
+        dst->migratable = virCPUDefCopy(src->migratable);
 
-    if (src->full &&
-        !(dst->full = virCPUDefCopy(src->full)))
-        return -1;
+    if (src->full)
+        dst->full = virCPUDefCopy(src->full);
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -3886,8 +3883,9 @@ virQEMUCapsInitHostCPUModel(virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
         if (!(fullCPU = virQEMUCapsProbeHostCPU(qemuCaps->arch, NULL)))
             goto error;
 
-        if (!(cpuExpanded = virCPUDefCopy(cpu)) ||
-            virCPUExpandFeatures(qemuCaps->arch, cpuExpanded) < 0)
+        cpuExpanded = virCPUDefCopy(cpu);
+
+        if (virCPUExpandFeatures(qemuCaps->arch, cpuExpanded) < 0)
             goto error;
 
         for (i = 0; i < cpuExpanded->nfeatures; i++) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration_cookie.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration_cookie.c
index e151f33e99..26d07d1ad4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration_cookie.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration_cookie.c
@@ -542,8 +542,7 @@ qemuMigrationCookieAddCPU(qemuMigrationCookie *mig,
     if (mig->cpu)
         return 0;
 
-    if (!(mig->cpu = virCPUDefCopy(vm->def->cpu)))
-        return -1;
+    mig->cpu = virCPUDefCopy(vm->def->cpu);
 
     if (qemuDomainMakeCPUMigratable(mig->cpu) < 0)
         return -1;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 942f75b625..9a612ca443 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -4464,8 +4464,7 @@ qemuProcessUpdateLiveGuestCPU(virDomainObj *vm,
          !def->cpu->model))
         return 0;
 
-    if (!(orig = virCPUDefCopy(def->cpu)))
-        return -1;
+    orig = virCPUDefCopy(def->cpu);
 
     if ((rc = virCPUUpdateLive(def->os.arch, def->cpu, enabled, disabled)) < 0) {
         return -1;
diff --git a/tests/testutilsqemu.c b/tests/testutilsqemu.c
index e2bf598aac..672cef9f95 100644
--- a/tests/testutilsqemu.c
+++ b/tests/testutilsqemu.c
@@ -581,12 +581,11 @@ int qemuTestDriverInit(virQEMUDriver *driver)
 
     memset(driver, 0, sizeof(*driver));
 
-    if (!(cpuDefault = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuDefaultData)) ||
-        !(cpuHaswell = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuHaswellData)) ||
-        !(cpuPower8 = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuPower8Data)) ||
-        !(cpuPower9 = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuPower9Data)) ||
-        !(cpuPower10 = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuPower10Data)))
-        return -1;
+    cpuDefault = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuDefaultData);
+    cpuHaswell = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuHaswellData);
+    cpuPower8 = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuPower8Data);
+    cpuPower9 = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuPower9Data);
+    cpuPower10 = virCPUDefCopy(&cpuPower10Data);
 
     if (virMutexInit(&driver->lock) < 0)
         return -1;