diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index fbbd0518ed..bce237189d 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -2376,8 +2376,11 @@ static HotpluggableCPUList *spapr_query_hotpluggable_cpus(MachineState *machine)
     int i;
     HotpluggableCPUList *head = NULL;
     sPAPRMachineState *spapr = SPAPR_MACHINE(machine);
+    sPAPRMachineClass *smc = SPAPR_MACHINE_GET_CLASS(machine);
     int spapr_max_cores = max_cpus / smp_threads;
 
+    g_assert(smc->dr_cpu_enabled);
+
     for (i = 0; i < spapr_max_cores; i++) {
         HotpluggableCPUList *list_item = g_new0(typeof(*list_item), 1);
         HotpluggableCPU *cpu_item = g_new0(typeof(*cpu_item), 1);
@@ -2432,7 +2435,9 @@ static void spapr_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     hc->plug = spapr_machine_device_plug;
     hc->unplug = spapr_machine_device_unplug;
     mc->cpu_index_to_socket_id = spapr_cpu_index_to_socket_id;
-    mc->query_hotpluggable_cpus = spapr_query_hotpluggable_cpus;
+    if (smc->dr_cpu_enabled) {
+        mc->query_hotpluggable_cpus = spapr_query_hotpluggable_cpus;
+    }
 
     smc->dr_lmb_enabled = true;
     smc->dr_cpu_enabled = true;
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
index ec81ee6088..170ed154a6 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_cpu_core.c
@@ -166,18 +166,11 @@ void spapr_core_plug(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev, DeviceState *dev,
     int index = cc->core_id / smp_threads;
     int smt = kvmppc_smt_threads();
 
+    g_assert(smc->dr_cpu_enabled);
+
     drc = spapr_dr_connector_by_id(SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_TYPE_CPU, index * smt);
     spapr->cores[index] = OBJECT(dev);
 
-    if (!smc->dr_cpu_enabled) {
-        /*
-         * This is a cold plugged CPU core but the machine doesn't support
-         * DR. So skip the hotplug path ensuring that the core is brought
-         * up online with out an associated DR connector.
-         */
-        return;
-    }
-
     g_assert(drc);
 
     /*
@@ -225,13 +218,13 @@ void spapr_core_pre_plug(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev, DeviceState *dev,
     char *base_core_type = spapr_get_cpu_core_type(machine->cpu_model);
     const char *type = object_get_typename(OBJECT(dev));
 
-    if (strcmp(base_core_type, type)) {
-        error_setg(&local_err, "CPU core type should be %s", base_core_type);
+    if (!smc->dr_cpu_enabled) {
+        error_setg(&local_err, "CPU hotplug not supported for this machine");
         goto out;
     }
 
-    if (!smc->dr_cpu_enabled && dev->hotplugged) {
-        error_setg(&local_err, "CPU hotplug not supported for this machine");
+    if (strcmp(base_core_type, type)) {
+        error_setg(&local_err, "CPU core type should be %s", base_core_type);
         goto out;
     }