diff --git a/include/hw/i386/pc.h b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
index 84639d0ebc..911e460097 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/pc.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ typedef struct PCMachineState {
     bool smbus_enabled;
     bool sata_enabled;
     bool pit_enabled;
+    bool hpet_enabled;
 
     /* NUMA information: */
     uint64_t numa_nodes;
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/x86.h b/include/hw/i386/x86.h
index d5dcf7a07f..4e66a15ff5 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/x86.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/x86.h
@@ -124,7 +124,4 @@ qemu_irq x86_allocate_cpu_irq(void);
 void gsi_handler(void *opaque, int n, int level);
 void ioapic_init_gsi(GSIState *gsi_state, const char *parent_name);
 
-/* hpet.c */
-extern int no_hpet;
-
 #endif
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index 4e323755d0..416fb0e0f6 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -1142,28 +1142,31 @@ void pc_basic_device_init(struct PCMachineState *pcms,
      * Without KVM_CAP_PIT_STATE2, we cannot switch off the in-kernel PIT
      * when the HPET wants to take over. Thus we have to disable the latter.
      */
-    if (!no_hpet && (!kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() || kvm_has_pit_state2())) {
+    if (pcms->hpet_enabled && (!kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() ||
+                               kvm_has_pit_state2())) {
         hpet = qdev_try_new(TYPE_HPET);
-        if (hpet) {
-            /* For pc-piix-*, hpet's intcap is always IRQ2. For pc-q35-1.7
-             * and earlier, use IRQ2 for compat. Otherwise, use IRQ16~23,
-             * IRQ8 and IRQ2.
-             */
-            uint8_t compat = object_property_get_uint(OBJECT(hpet),
-                    HPET_INTCAP, NULL);
-            if (!compat) {
-                qdev_prop_set_uint32(hpet, HPET_INTCAP, hpet_irqs);
-            }
-            sysbus_realize_and_unref(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(hpet), &error_fatal);
-            sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(hpet), 0, HPET_BASE);
+        if (!hpet) {
+            error_report("couldn't create HPET device");
+            exit(1);
+        }
+        /* For pc-piix-*, hpet's intcap is always IRQ2. For pc-q35-1.7
+            * and earlier, use IRQ2 for compat. Otherwise, use IRQ16~23,
+            * IRQ8 and IRQ2.
+            */
+        uint8_t compat = object_property_get_uint(OBJECT(hpet),
+                HPET_INTCAP, NULL);
+        if (!compat) {
+            qdev_prop_set_uint32(hpet, HPET_INTCAP, hpet_irqs);
+        }
+        sysbus_realize_and_unref(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(hpet), &error_fatal);
+        sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(hpet), 0, HPET_BASE);
 
-            for (i = 0; i < GSI_NUM_PINS; i++) {
-                sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(hpet), i, gsi[i]);
-            }
-            pit_isa_irq = -1;
-            pit_alt_irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(hpet, HPET_LEGACY_PIT_INT);
-            rtc_irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(hpet, HPET_LEGACY_RTC_INT);
+        for (i = 0; i < GSI_NUM_PINS; i++) {
+            sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(hpet), i, gsi[i]);
         }
+        pit_isa_irq = -1;
+        pit_alt_irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(hpet, HPET_LEGACY_PIT_INT);
+        rtc_irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(hpet, HPET_LEGACY_RTC_INT);
     }
     *rtc_state = mc146818_rtc_init(isa_bus, 2000, rtc_irq);
 
@@ -1535,6 +1538,20 @@ static void pc_machine_set_pit(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
     pcms->pit_enabled = value;
 }
 
+static bool pc_machine_get_hpet(Object *obj, Error **errp)
+{
+    PCMachineState *pcms = PC_MACHINE(obj);
+
+    return pcms->hpet_enabled;
+}
+
+static void pc_machine_set_hpet(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
+{
+    PCMachineState *pcms = PC_MACHINE(obj);
+
+    pcms->hpet_enabled = value;
+}
+
 static void pc_machine_get_max_ram_below_4g(Object *obj, Visitor *v,
                                             const char *name, void *opaque,
                                             Error **errp)
@@ -1585,6 +1602,9 @@ static void pc_machine_initfn(Object *obj)
     pcms->smbus_enabled = true;
     pcms->sata_enabled = true;
     pcms->pit_enabled = true;
+#ifdef CONFIG_HPET
+    pcms->hpet_enabled = true;
+#endif
 
     pc_system_flash_create(pcms);
     pcms->pcspk = isa_new(TYPE_PC_SPEAKER);
@@ -1705,6 +1725,9 @@ static void pc_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 
     object_class_property_add_bool(oc, PC_MACHINE_PIT,
         pc_machine_get_pit, pc_machine_set_pit);
+
+    object_class_property_add_bool(oc, "hpet",
+        pc_machine_get_hpet, pc_machine_set_hpet);
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo pc_machine_info = {
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
index 0cf22a57ad..13d1628f13 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
         i440fx_state = NULL;
         isa_bus = isa_bus_new(NULL, get_system_memory(), system_io,
                               &error_abort);
-        no_hpet = 1;
+        pcms->hpet_enabled = false;
     }
     isa_bus_irqs(isa_bus, x86ms->gsi);
 
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index cb476aa70b..c2281f45a8 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -146,7 +146,6 @@ static Chardev **serial_hds;
 Chardev *parallel_hds[MAX_PARALLEL_PORTS];
 int win2k_install_hack = 0;
 int singlestep = 0;
-int no_hpet = 0;
 int fd_bootchk = 1;
 static int no_reboot;
 int no_shutdown = 0;
@@ -3562,7 +3561,8 @@ void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                 qemu_opts_parse_noisily(olist, "acpi=off", false);
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_no_hpet:
-                no_hpet = 1;
+                olist = qemu_find_opts("machine");
+                qemu_opts_parse_noisily(olist, "hpet=off", false);
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_no_reboot:
                 no_reboot = 1;
