diff --git a/cli/kata-check_amd64_test.go b/cli/kata-check_amd64_test.go
index 1ab6c0c4a..69e49083a 100644
--- a/cli/kata-check_amd64_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-check_amd64_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -483,8 +484,36 @@ func TestKvmIsUsable(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(err)
 }
 
+type TestDataa struct {
+	contents       string
+	expectedVendor string
+	expectedModel  string
+	expectError    bool
+}
+
 func TestGetCPUDetails(t *testing.T) {
-	genericTestGetCPUDetails(t)
+	const validVendorName = "a vendor"
+	validVendor := fmt.Sprintf(`%s  : %s`, archCPUVendorField, validVendorName)
+
+	const validModelName = "some CPU model"
+	validModel := fmt.Sprintf(`%s   : %s`, archCPUModelField, validModelName)
+
+	validContents := fmt.Sprintf(`
+a       : b
+%s
+foo     : bar
+%s
+`, validVendor, validModel)
+
+	data := []TestDataa{
+		{"", "", "", true},
+		{"invalid", "", "", true},
+		{archCPUVendorField, "", "", true},
+		{validVendor, "", "", true},
+		{validModel, "", "", true},
+		{validContents, validVendorName, validModelName, false},
+	}
+	genericTestGetCPUDetails(t, validVendor, validModel, validContents, data)
 }
 
 func TestSetCPUtype(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/kata-check_ppc64le.go b/cli/kata-check_ppc64le.go
index 0807cd327..06c584358 100644
--- a/cli/kata-check_ppc64le.go
+++ b/cli/kata-check_ppc64le.go
@@ -16,13 +16,15 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	cpuFlagsTag        = genericCPUFlagsTag
-	archCPUVendorField = genericCPUVendorField
-	archCPUModelField  = genericCPUModelField
+	archCPUVendorField = ""
+	archCPUModelField  = "model"
 )
 
 var (
 	ppc64CpuCmd     = "ppc64_cpu"
 	smtStatusOption = "--smt"
+	_               = genericCPUVendorField
+	_               = genericCPUModelField
 )
 
 // archRequiredCPUFlags maps a CPU flag value to search for and a
@@ -96,7 +98,11 @@ func archKernelParamHandler(onVMM bool, fields logrus.Fields, msg string) bool {
 }
 
 func getCPUDetails() (vendor, model string, err error) {
-	return genericGetCPUDetails()
+	vendor, model, err = genericGetCPUDetails()
+	if err == nil {
+		model = "POWER8"
+	}
+	return vendor, model, err
 }
 
 func isSMTOff() bool {
diff --git a/cli/kata-check_ppc64le_test.go b/cli/kata-check_ppc64le_test.go
index 6df57e3f4..5d0f2d974 100644
--- a/cli/kata-check_ppc64le_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-check_ppc64le_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -207,8 +208,38 @@ func TestKvmIsUsable(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(err)
 }
 
+type TestDataa struct {
+	contents       string
+	expectedVendor string
+	expectedModel  string
+	expectError    bool
+}
+
 func TestGetCPUDetails(t *testing.T) {
-	genericTestGetCPUDetails(t)
+
+	const validVendorName = ""
+	validVendor := fmt.Sprintf(`%s  : %s`, archCPUVendorField, validVendorName)
+
+	const validModelName = "POWER8"
+	validModel := fmt.Sprintf(`%s   : %s`, archCPUModelField, validModelName)
+
+	validContents := fmt.Sprintf(`
+a       : b
+%s
+foo     : bar
+%s
+`, validVendor, validModel)
+
+	data := []TestDataa{
+		{"", "", "", true},
+		{"invalid", "", "", true},
+		{archCPUVendorField, "", "", true},
+		{validVendor, "", "", true},
+		{validModel, "", validModelName, false},
+		{validContents, validVendorName, validModelName, false},
+	}
+
+	genericTestGetCPUDetails(t, validVendor, validModel, validContents, data)
 }
 
 func TestSetCPUtype(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/kata-check_test.go b/cli/kata-check_test.go
index 4d84a7528..4e8399053 100644
--- a/cli/kata-check_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-check_test.go
@@ -137,36 +137,7 @@ func makeCPUInfoFile(path, vendorID, flags string) error {
 	return ioutil.WriteFile(path, contents.Bytes(), testFileMode)
 }
 
-func genericTestGetCPUDetails(t *testing.T) {
-	type testData struct {
-		contents       string
-		expectedVendor string
-		expectedModel  string
-		expectError    bool
-	}
-
-	const validVendorName = "a vendor"
-	validVendor := fmt.Sprintf(`%s  : %s`, archCPUVendorField, validVendorName)
-
-	const validModelName = "some CPU model"
-	validModel := fmt.Sprintf(`%s   : %s`, archCPUModelField, validModelName)
-
-	validContents := fmt.Sprintf(`
-a       : b
-%s
-foo     : bar
-%s
-`, validVendor, validModel)
-
-	data := []testData{
-		{"", "", "", true},
-		{"invalid", "", "", true},
-		{archCPUVendorField, "", "", true},
-		{validVendor, "", "", true},
-		{validModel, "", "", true},
-		{validContents, validVendorName, validModelName, false},
-	}
-
+func genericTestGetCPUDetails(t *testing.T, validVendor string, validModel string, validContents string, data []TestDataa) {
 	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "")
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/cli/kata-env_amd64_test.go b/cli/kata-env_amd64_test.go
index d515a1526..7d359ee2a 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env_amd64_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env_amd64_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 func getExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir string) (HostInfo, error) {
-	return genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir)
+	expectedVendor := "moi"
+	expectedModel := "awesome XI"
+	return genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir, expectedVendor, expectedModel)
 }
 
 func TestEnvGetEnvInfoSetsCPUType(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/kata-env_ppc64le_test.go b/cli/kata-env_ppc64le_test.go
index e63df6f75..fb0f28dca 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env_ppc64le_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env_ppc64le_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ package main
 import "testing"
 
 func getExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir string) (HostInfo, error) {
-	return genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir)
+	expectedVendor := ""
+	expectedModel := "POWER8"
+	return genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir, expectedVendor, expectedModel)
 }
 
 func TestEnvGetEnvInfoSetsCPUType(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/kata-env_test.go b/cli/kata-env_test.go
index 063b1f0f3..c7d37fa7c 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env_test.go
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func getExpectedAgentDetails(config oci.RuntimeConfig) (AgentInfo, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir string) (HostInfo, error) {
+func genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir string, expectedVendor string, expectedModel string) (HostInfo, error) {
 	type filesToCreate struct {
 		file     string
 		contents string
@@ -259,8 +259,8 @@ func genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir string) (HostInfo, error) {
 	}
 
 	expectedCPU := CPUInfo{
-		Vendor: "moi",
-		Model:  "awesome XI",
+		Vendor: expectedVendor,
+		Model:  expectedModel,
 	}
 
 	expectedHostDetails := HostInfo{
diff --git a/cli/utils.go b/cli/utils.go
index 3e25c3a9f..17f3e9ee8 100644
--- a/cli/utils.go
+++ b/cli/utils.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func genericGetCPUDetails() (vendor, model string, err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if vendor == "" {
+	if archCPUVendorField != "" && vendor == "" {
 		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("cannot find vendor field in file %v", procCPUInfo)
 	}