diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_device_id.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_device_id.h
index dd7b9463696f..e8e3dbe7f173 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_device_id.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_device_id.h
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@
 #define X86_CENTAUR_FAM6_C7_D		0xd
 #define X86_CENTAUR_FAM6_NANO		0xf
 
+/* x86_cpu_id::flags */
+#define X86_CPU_ID_FLAG_ENTRY_VALID	BIT(0)
+
 #define X86_STEPPINGS(mins, maxs)    GENMASK(maxs, mins)
 /**
  * X86_MATCH_VENDOR_FAM_MODEL_STEPPINGS_FEATURE - Base macro for CPU matching
@@ -79,6 +82,7 @@
 	.model		= _model,					\
 	.steppings	= _steppings,					\
 	.feature	= _feature,					\
+	.flags		= X86_CPU_ID_FLAG_ENTRY_VALID,			\
 	.driver_data	= (unsigned long) _data				\
 }
 
@@ -89,6 +93,7 @@
 	.model		= _model,					\
 	.steppings	= _steppings,					\
 	.feature	= _feature,					\
+	.flags		= X86_CPU_ID_FLAG_ENTRY_VALID,			\
 	.driver_data	= (unsigned long) _data				\
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/match.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/match.c
index ad6776081e60..ae71b8ef909c 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/match.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/match.c
@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ const struct x86_cpu_id *x86_match_cpu(const struct x86_cpu_id *match)
 	const struct x86_cpu_id *m;
 	struct cpuinfo_x86 *c = &boot_cpu_data;
 
-	for (m = match;
-	     m->vendor | m->family | m->model | m->steppings | m->feature;
-	     m++) {
+	for (m = match; m->flags & X86_CPU_ID_FLAG_ENTRY_VALID; m++) {
 		if (m->vendor != X86_VENDOR_ANY && c->x86_vendor != m->vendor)
 			continue;
 		if (m->family != X86_FAMILY_ANY && c->x86 != m->family)
diff --git a/include/linux/mod_devicetable.h b/include/linux/mod_devicetable.h
index ae2e75d15b21..63f804574c4e 100644
--- a/include/linux/mod_devicetable.h
+++ b/include/linux/mod_devicetable.h
@@ -676,6 +676,8 @@ struct x86_cpu_id {
 	__u16 model;
 	__u16 steppings;
 	__u16 feature;	/* bit index */
+	/* Solely for kernel-internal use: DO NOT EXPORT to userspace! */
+	__u16 flags;
 	kernel_ulong_t driver_data;
 };