diff --git a/cpu-target.c b/cpu-target.c
index 658d179582..79363ae370 100644
--- a/cpu-target.c
+++ b/cpu-target.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ static Property cpu_common_props[] = {
                      prctl_unalign_sigbus, false),
 #else
     /*
-     * Create a memory property for softmmu CPU object, so users can
+     * 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.
      */
diff --git a/hw/core/cpu-common.c b/hw/core/cpu-common.c
index 4d406995ab..bab8942c30 100644
--- a/hw/core/cpu-common.c
+++ b/hw/core/cpu-common.c
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ static void cpu_common_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->cpu_index = UNASSIGNED_CPU_INDEX;
     cpu->cluster_index = UNASSIGNED_CLUSTER_INDEX;
     cpu->gdb_num_regs = cpu->gdb_num_g_regs = cc->gdb_num_core_regs;
-    /* *-user doesn't have configurable SMP topology */
-    /* the default value is changed by qemu_init_vcpu() for softmmu */
+    /* user-mode doesn't have configurable SMP topology */
+    /* the default value is changed by qemu_init_vcpu() for system-mode */
     cpu->nr_cores = 1;
     cpu->nr_threads = 1;
     cpu->cflags_next_tb = -1;