diff --git a/cpus-common.c b/cpus-common.c
index db459b41ce..793364dc0e 100644
--- a/cpus-common.c
+++ b/cpus-common.c
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ static int cpu_get_free_index(void)
 }
 
 CPUTailQ cpus = QTAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(cpus);
+static unsigned int cpu_list_generation_id;
+
+unsigned int cpu_list_generation_id_get(void)
+{
+    return cpu_list_generation_id;
+}
 
 void cpu_list_add(CPUState *cpu)
 {
@@ -84,6 +90,7 @@ void cpu_list_add(CPUState *cpu)
         assert(!cpu_index_auto_assigned);
     }
     QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL_RCU(&cpus, cpu, node);
+    cpu_list_generation_id++;
 }
 
 void cpu_list_remove(CPUState *cpu)
@@ -96,6 +103,7 @@ void cpu_list_remove(CPUState *cpu)
 
     QTAILQ_REMOVE_RCU(&cpus, cpu, node);
     cpu->cpu_index = UNASSIGNED_CPU_INDEX;
+    cpu_list_generation_id++;
 }
 
 CPUState *qemu_get_cpu(int index)
diff --git a/include/exec/cpu-common.h b/include/exec/cpu-common.h
index 5968551a05..2281be4e10 100644
--- a/include/exec/cpu-common.h
+++ b/include/exec/cpu-common.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ extern intptr_t qemu_host_page_mask;
 void qemu_init_cpu_list(void);
 void cpu_list_lock(void);
 void cpu_list_unlock(void);
+unsigned int cpu_list_generation_id_get(void);
 
 void tcg_flush_softmmu_tlb(CPUState *cs);