diff --git a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc8xxx/cpu.c b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc8xxx/cpu.c
index 584f3b8d61..afb5b512ba 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc8xxx/cpu.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/cpu/mpc8xxx/cpu.c
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ int is_core_valid(unsigned int core)
 	return !!((1 << core) & cpu_mask());
 }
 
-int probecpu (void)
+int arch_cpu_init(void)
 {
 	uint svr;
 	uint ver;
diff --git a/board/Arcturus/ucp1020/spl.c b/board/Arcturus/ucp1020/spl.c
index 9c19c87b72..3a775be9ae 100644
--- a/board/Arcturus/ucp1020/spl.c
+++ b/board/Arcturus/ucp1020/spl.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L2_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L2_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/b4860qds/spl.c b/board/freescale/b4860qds/spl.c
index fabc78301a..35b812cb18 100644
--- a/board/freescale/b4860qds/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/b4860qds/spl.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/c29xpcie/spl.c b/board/freescale/c29xpcie/spl.c
index d8d73c70b8..6613216950 100644
--- a/board/freescale/c29xpcie/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/c29xpcie/spl.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L2_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L2_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/p1010rdb/spl.c b/board/freescale/p1010rdb/spl.c
index c22e215675..05c76f2e45 100644
--- a/board/freescale/p1010rdb/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/p1010rdb/spl.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L2_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L2_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/p1022ds/spl.c b/board/freescale/p1022ds/spl.c
index 6a5fe74343..ef38551600 100644
--- a/board/freescale/p1022ds/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/p1022ds/spl.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L2_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L2_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/p1_p2_rdb_pc/spl.c b/board/freescale/p1_p2_rdb_pc/spl.c
index 9e8f359d0d..2af5576ff7 100644
--- a/board/freescale/p1_p2_rdb_pc/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/p1_p2_rdb_pc/spl.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L2_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L2_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/t102xqds/spl.c b/board/freescale/t102xqds/spl.c
index c9239b87db..3e96b33c40 100644
--- a/board/freescale/t102xqds/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/t102xqds/spl.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/t102xrdb/spl.c b/board/freescale/t102xrdb/spl.c
index 6d8866e87d..b70c2c5d79 100644
--- a/board/freescale/t102xrdb/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/t102xrdb/spl.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/t104xrdb/spl.c b/board/freescale/t104xrdb/spl.c
index 1c2023b6a3..4402e0f4b0 100644
--- a/board/freescale/t104xrdb/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/t104xrdb/spl.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/t208xqds/spl.c b/board/freescale/t208xqds/spl.c
index b1e1cf17e7..334f5083b8 100644
--- a/board/freescale/t208xqds/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/t208xqds/spl.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/t208xrdb/spl.c b/board/freescale/t208xrdb/spl.c
index bb23865d3b..aa8e9285fe 100644
--- a/board/freescale/t208xrdb/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/t208xrdb/spl.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/t4qds/spl.c b/board/freescale/t4qds/spl.c
index 6ca0f03ffe..5e946dc84f 100644
--- a/board/freescale/t4qds/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/t4qds/spl.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/board/freescale/t4rdb/spl.c b/board/freescale/t4rdb/spl.c
index b148a7fd1f..a32e34ef96 100644
--- a/board/freescale/t4rdb/spl.c
+++ b/board/freescale/t4rdb/spl.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void board_init_r(gd_t *gd, ulong dest_addr)
 	bd->bi_memstart = CONFIG_SYS_INIT_L3_ADDR;
 	bd->bi_memsize = CONFIG_SYS_L3_SIZE;
 
-	probecpu();
+	arch_cpu_init();
 	get_clocks();
 	mem_malloc_init(CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_ADDR,
 			CONFIG_SPL_RELOC_MALLOC_SIZE);
diff --git a/common/board_f.c b/common/board_f.c
index cc8aee74f0..5e2b8d14d4 100644
--- a/common/board_f.c
+++ b/common/board_f.c
@@ -858,10 +858,6 @@ static init_fnc_t init_sequence_f[] = {
 #endif
 	initf_malloc,
 	initf_console_record,
-#if defined(CONFIG_MPC85xx) || defined(CONFIG_MPC86xx)
-	/* TODO: can this go into arch_cpu_init()? */
-	probecpu,
-#endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_X86) && defined(CONFIG_HAVE_FSP)
 	x86_fsp_init,
 #endif
diff --git a/include/common.h b/include/common.h
index 2af555ee00..53cdadf09c 100644
--- a/include/common.h
+++ b/include/common.h
@@ -600,7 +600,17 @@ int	cpu_num_dspcores(void);
 u32	cpu_mask      (void);
 u32	cpu_dsp_mask(void);
 int	is_core_valid (unsigned int);
-int	probecpu      (void);
+
+/**
+ * arch_cpu_init() - basic cpu-dependent setup for an architecture
+ *
+ * This is called after early malloc is available. It should handle any
+ * CPU- or SoC- specific init needed to continue the init sequence. See
+ * board_f.c for where it is called. If this is not provided, a default
+ * version (which does nothing) will be used.
+ */
+int arch_cpu_init(void);
+
 int	checkcpu      (void);
 int	checkicache   (void);
 int	checkdcache   (void);