diff --git a/include/hw/core/cpu.h b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
index d96ff4dace..1dfb788415 100644
--- a/include/hw/core/cpu.h
+++ b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@ struct AccelCPUClass;
  * 32-bit VM coredump.
  * @write_elf32_qemunote: Callback for writing a CPU- and QEMU-specific ELF
  * note to a 32-bit VM coredump.
- * @vmsd: State description for migration.
+ * @legacy_vmsd: Legacy state description for migration.
+ *               Do not use in new targets, use #DeviceClass::vmsd instead.
  * @gdb_num_core_regs: Number of core registers accessible to GDB.
  * @gdb_core_xml_file: File name for core registers GDB XML description.
  * @gdb_stop_before_watchpoint: Indicates whether GDB expects the CPU to stop
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ struct CPUClass {
     int (*write_elf32_qemunote)(WriteCoreDumpFunction f, CPUState *cpu,
                                 void *opaque);
 
-    const VMStateDescription *vmsd;
+    const VMStateDescription *legacy_vmsd;
     const char *gdb_core_xml_file;
     gchar * (*gdb_arch_name)(CPUState *cpu);
     const char * (*gdb_get_dynamic_xml)(CPUState *cpu, const char *xmlname);
diff --git a/cpu.c b/cpu.c
index 6fe4af2797..c57f4c302b 100644
--- a/cpu.c
+++ b/cpu.c
@@ -143,13 +143,13 @@ void cpu_exec_realizefn(CPUState *cpu, Error **errp)
 #ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     assert(qdev_get_vmsd(DEVICE(cpu)) == NULL ||
            qdev_get_vmsd(DEVICE(cpu))->unmigratable);
-    assert(cc->vmsd == NULL);
+    assert(cc->legacy_vmsd == NULL);
 #else
     if (qdev_get_vmsd(DEVICE(cpu)) == NULL) {
         vmstate_register(NULL, cpu->cpu_index, &vmstate_cpu_common, cpu);
     }
-    if (cc->vmsd != NULL) {
-        vmstate_register(NULL, cpu->cpu_index, cc->vmsd, cpu);
+    if (cc->legacy_vmsd != NULL) {
+        vmstate_register(NULL, cpu->cpu_index, cc->legacy_vmsd, cpu);
     }
 #endif /* CONFIG_USER_ONLY */
 }
@@ -159,10 +159,10 @@ void cpu_exec_unrealizefn(CPUState *cpu)
     CPUClass *cc = CPU_GET_CLASS(cpu);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-    assert(cc->vmsd == NULL);
+    assert(cc->legacy_vmsd == NULL);
 #else
-    if (cc->vmsd != NULL) {
-        vmstate_unregister(NULL, cc->vmsd, cpu);
+    if (cc->legacy_vmsd != NULL) {
+        vmstate_unregister(NULL, cc->legacy_vmsd, cpu);
     }
     if (qdev_get_vmsd(DEVICE(cpu)) == NULL) {
         vmstate_unregister(NULL, &vmstate_cpu_common, cpu);
diff --git a/target/arm/cpu.c b/target/arm/cpu.c
index 7aeb4b1381..bf82276611 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu.c
+++ b/target/arm/cpu.c
@@ -1983,7 +1983,7 @@ static void arm_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     cc->get_phys_page_attrs_debug = arm_cpu_get_phys_page_attrs_debug;
     cc->asidx_from_attrs = arm_asidx_from_attrs;
-    cc->vmsd = &vmstate_arm_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vmstate_arm_cpu;
     cc->virtio_is_big_endian = arm_cpu_virtio_is_big_endian;
     cc->write_elf64_note = arm_cpu_write_elf64_note;
     cc->write_elf32_note = arm_cpu_write_elf32_note;
diff --git a/target/avr/cpu.c b/target/avr/cpu.c
index 0f4596932b..37a8ebcc86 100644
--- a/target/avr/cpu.c
+++ b/target/avr/cpu.c
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ static void avr_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     cc->set_pc = avr_cpu_set_pc;
     cc->memory_rw_debug = avr_cpu_memory_rw_debug;
     cc->get_phys_page_debug = avr_cpu_get_phys_page_debug;
-    cc->vmsd = &vms_avr_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vms_avr_cpu;
     cc->disas_set_info = avr_cpu_disas_set_info;
     cc->gdb_read_register = avr_cpu_gdb_read_register;
     cc->gdb_write_register = avr_cpu_gdb_write_register;
diff --git a/target/i386/cpu.c b/target/i386/cpu.c
index c496bfa1c2..5a1c8ead8e 100644
--- a/target/i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target/i386/cpu.c
@@ -6749,7 +6749,7 @@ static void x86_cpu_common_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     cc->write_elf64_qemunote = x86_cpu_write_elf64_qemunote;
     cc->write_elf32_note = x86_cpu_write_elf32_note;
     cc->write_elf32_qemunote = x86_cpu_write_elf32_qemunote;
-    cc->vmsd = &vmstate_x86_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vmstate_x86_cpu;
 #endif /* !CONFIG_USER_ONLY */
 
     cc->gdb_arch_name = x86_gdb_arch_name;
diff --git a/target/mips/cpu.c b/target/mips/cpu.c
index 1ad2fe4aa3..eba56ac899 100644
--- a/target/mips/cpu.c
+++ b/target/mips/cpu.c
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ static void mips_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *c, void *data)
     cc->gdb_write_register = mips_cpu_gdb_write_register;
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     cc->get_phys_page_debug = mips_cpu_get_phys_page_debug;
-    cc->vmsd = &vmstate_mips_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vmstate_mips_cpu;
 #endif
     cc->disas_set_info = mips_cpu_disas_set_info;
     cc->gdb_num_core_regs = 73;
diff --git a/target/ppc/cpu_init.c b/target/ppc/cpu_init.c
index 22ecbccad8..668fd141db 100644
--- a/target/ppc/cpu_init.c
+++ b/target/ppc/cpu_init.c
@@ -9305,7 +9305,7 @@ static void ppc_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     cc->gdb_write_register = ppc_cpu_gdb_write_register;
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     cc->get_phys_page_debug = ppc_cpu_get_phys_page_debug;
-    cc->vmsd = &vmstate_ppc_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vmstate_ppc_cpu;
 #endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_SOFTMMU)
     cc->write_elf64_note = ppc64_cpu_write_elf64_note;
diff --git a/target/riscv/cpu.c b/target/riscv/cpu.c
index 3191fd0082..16510da259 100644
--- a/target/riscv/cpu.c
+++ b/target/riscv/cpu.c
@@ -638,8 +638,7 @@ static void riscv_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *c, void *data)
     cc->disas_set_info = riscv_cpu_disas_set_info;
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     cc->get_phys_page_debug = riscv_cpu_get_phys_page_debug;
-    /* For now, mark unmigratable: */
-    cc->vmsd = &vmstate_riscv_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vmstate_riscv_cpu;
     cc->write_elf64_note = riscv_cpu_write_elf64_note;
     cc->write_elf32_note = riscv_cpu_write_elf32_note;
 #endif
diff --git a/target/s390x/cpu.c b/target/s390x/cpu.c
index 64455cf309..7ce425f611 100644
--- a/target/s390x/cpu.c
+++ b/target/s390x/cpu.c
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ static void s390_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     cc->gdb_write_register = s390_cpu_gdb_write_register;
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     cc->get_phys_page_debug = s390_cpu_get_phys_page_debug;
-    cc->vmsd = &vmstate_s390_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vmstate_s390_cpu;
     cc->get_crash_info = s390_cpu_get_crash_info;
     cc->write_elf64_note = s390_cpu_write_elf64_note;
 #endif
diff --git a/target/sparc/cpu.c b/target/sparc/cpu.c
index aece2c7dc8..ba497561bf 100644
--- a/target/sparc/cpu.c
+++ b/target/sparc/cpu.c
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ static void sparc_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     cc->gdb_write_register = sparc_cpu_gdb_write_register;
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     cc->get_phys_page_debug = sparc_cpu_get_phys_page_debug;
-    cc->vmsd = &vmstate_sparc_cpu;
+    cc->legacy_vmsd = &vmstate_sparc_cpu;
 #endif
     cc->disas_set_info = cpu_sparc_disas_set_info;
 
