diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index f11422fc41..32e1cc1d3f 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -2486,7 +2486,7 @@ static void spapr_set_vsmt_mode(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
                                       " requires the use of VSMT mode %d.\n",
                                       smp_threads, kvm_smt, spapr->vsmt);
                 }
-                kvmppc_error_append_smt_possible_hint(&local_err);
+                kvmppc_hint_smt_possible(&local_err);
                 goto out;
             }
         }
diff --git a/target/ppc/kvm.c b/target/ppc/kvm.c
index 7406d18945..c77f9848ec 100644
--- a/target/ppc/kvm.c
+++ b/target/ppc/kvm.c
@@ -2076,7 +2076,7 @@ int kvmppc_set_smt_threads(int smt)
     return ret;
 }
 
-void kvmppc_error_append_smt_possible_hint(Error **errp_in)
+void kvmppc_hint_smt_possible(Error **errp)
 {
     int i;
     GString *g;
@@ -2091,10 +2091,10 @@ void kvmppc_error_append_smt_possible_hint(Error **errp_in)
             }
         }
         s = g_string_free(g, false);
-        error_append_hint(errp_in, "%s.\n", s);
+        error_append_hint(errp, "%s.\n", s);
         g_free(s);
     } else {
-        error_append_hint(errp_in,
+        error_append_hint(errp,
                           "This KVM seems to be too old to support VSMT.\n");
     }
 }
diff --git a/target/ppc/kvm_ppc.h b/target/ppc/kvm_ppc.h
index 47b08a4030..98bd7d5da6 100644
--- a/target/ppc/kvm_ppc.h
+++ b/target/ppc/kvm_ppc.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ void kvmppc_set_papr(PowerPCCPU *cpu);
 int kvmppc_set_compat(PowerPCCPU *cpu, uint32_t compat_pvr);
 void kvmppc_set_mpic_proxy(PowerPCCPU *cpu, int mpic_proxy);
 int kvmppc_smt_threads(void);
-void kvmppc_error_append_smt_possible_hint(Error **errp_in);
+void kvmppc_hint_smt_possible(Error **errp);
 int kvmppc_set_smt_threads(int smt);
 int kvmppc_clear_tsr_bits(PowerPCCPU *cpu, uint32_t tsr_bits);
 int kvmppc_or_tsr_bits(PowerPCCPU *cpu, uint32_t tsr_bits);
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ static inline int kvmppc_smt_threads(void)
     return 1;
 }
 
-static inline void kvmppc_error_append_smt_possible_hint(Error **errp_in)
+static inline void kvmppc_hint_smt_possible(Error **errp)
 {
     return;
 }