diff --git a/cpu-target.c b/cpu-target.c
index c05ef1ff096..dff8c0747f9 100644
--- a/cpu-target.c
+++ b/cpu-target.c
@@ -19,15 +19,12 @@
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
-#include "hw/qdev-core.h"
-#include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/qemu-print.h"
 #include "migration/vmstate.h"
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
 #include "hw/core/sysemu-cpu-ops.h"
 #include "exec/address-spaces.h"
-#include "exec/memory.h"
 #endif
 #include "system/accel-ops.h"
 #include "system/cpus.h"
@@ -179,61 +176,6 @@ void cpu_exec_unrealizefn(CPUState *cpu)
     accel_cpu_common_unrealize(cpu);
 }
 
-/*
- * This can't go in hw/core/cpu.c because that file is compiled only
- * once for both user-mode and system builds.
- */
-static const Property cpu_common_props[] = {
-#ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-    /*
-     * Create a property for the user-only object, so users can
-     * adjust prctl(PR_SET_UNALIGN) from the command-line.
-     * Has no effect if the target does not support the feature.
-     */
-    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("prctl-unalign-sigbus", CPUState,
-                     prctl_unalign_sigbus, false),
-#else
-    /*
-     * Create a memory property for system CPU object, so users can
-     * wire up its memory.  The default if no link is set up is to use
-     * the system address space.
-     */
-    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("memory", CPUState, memory, TYPE_MEMORY_REGION,
-                     MemoryRegion *),
-#endif
-};
-
-#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-static bool cpu_get_start_powered_off(Object *obj, Error **errp)
-{
-    CPUState *cpu = CPU(obj);
-    return cpu->start_powered_off;
-}
-
-static void cpu_set_start_powered_off(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
-{
-    CPUState *cpu = CPU(obj);
-    cpu->start_powered_off = value;
-}
-#endif
-
-void cpu_class_init_props(DeviceClass *dc)
-{
-#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-    ObjectClass *oc = OBJECT_CLASS(dc);
-
-    /*
-     * We can't use DEFINE_PROP_BOOL in the Property array for this
-     * property, because we want this to be settable after realize.
-     */
-    object_class_property_add_bool(oc, "start-powered-off",
-                                   cpu_get_start_powered_off,
-                                   cpu_set_start_powered_off);
-#endif
-
-    device_class_set_props(dc, cpu_common_props);
-}
-
 void cpu_exec_initfn(CPUState *cpu)
 {
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
diff --git a/hw/core/cpu-system.c b/hw/core/cpu-system.c
index 6aae28a349a..c63c984a803 100644
--- a/hw/core/cpu-system.c
+++ b/hw/core/cpu-system.c
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
+#include "exec/memory.h"
 #include "exec/tswap.h"
+#include "hw/qdev-core.h"
+#include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "hw/core/sysemu-cpu-ops.h"
 
 bool cpu_paging_enabled(const CPUState *cpu)
@@ -142,3 +145,40 @@ GuestPanicInformation *cpu_get_crash_info(CPUState *cpu)
     }
     return res;
 }
+
+static const Property cpu_system_props[] = {
+    /*
+     * Create a memory property for system CPU object, so users can
+     * wire up its memory.  The default if no link is set up is to use
+     * the system address space.
+     */
+    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("memory", CPUState, memory, TYPE_MEMORY_REGION,
+                     MemoryRegion *),
+};
+
+static bool cpu_get_start_powered_off(Object *obj, Error **errp)
+{
+    CPUState *cpu = CPU(obj);
+    return cpu->start_powered_off;
+}
+
+static void cpu_set_start_powered_off(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
+{
+    CPUState *cpu = CPU(obj);
+    cpu->start_powered_off = value;
+}
+
+void cpu_class_init_props(DeviceClass *dc)
+{
+    ObjectClass *oc = OBJECT_CLASS(dc);
+
+    /*
+     * We can't use DEFINE_PROP_BOOL in the Property array for this
+     * property, because we want this to be settable after realize.
+     */
+    object_class_property_add_bool(oc, "start-powered-off",
+                                   cpu_get_start_powered_off,
+                                   cpu_set_start_powered_off);
+
+    device_class_set_props(dc, cpu_system_props);
+}
diff --git a/hw/core/cpu-user.c b/hw/core/cpu-user.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e5ccf6bf13a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hw/core/cpu-user.c
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/*
+ * QEMU CPU model (user specific)
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) Linaro, Ltd.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "hw/qdev-core.h"
+#include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
+#include "hw/core/cpu.h"
+
+static const Property cpu_user_props[] = {
+    /*
+     * Create a property for the user-only object, so users can
+     * adjust prctl(PR_SET_UNALIGN) from the command-line.
+     * Has no effect if the target does not support the feature.
+     */
+    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("prctl-unalign-sigbus", CPUState,
+                     prctl_unalign_sigbus, false),
+};
+
+void cpu_class_init_props(DeviceClass *dc)
+{
+    device_class_set_props(dc, cpu_user_props);
+}
diff --git a/hw/core/meson.build b/hw/core/meson.build
index 65a1698ed1f..b5a545a0edd 100644
--- a/hw/core/meson.build
+++ b/hw/core/meson.build
@@ -46,4 +46,7 @@ system_ss.add(files(
   'vm-change-state-handler.c',
   'clock-vmstate.c',
 ))
-user_ss.add(files('qdev-user.c'))
+user_ss.add(files(
+  'cpu-user.c',
+  'qdev-user.c',
+))
