diff --git a/arch/riscv/cpu/cpu.c b/arch/riscv/cpu/cpu.c
index d9f820c44c0..8286a0c959c 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/cpu/cpu.c
+++ b/arch/riscv/cpu/cpu.c
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
  */
 
 #include <common.h>
+#include <cpu.h>
+#include <log.h>
 #include <asm/csr.h>
 
 /*
@@ -53,3 +55,27 @@ int print_cpuinfo(void)
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+static int riscv_cpu_probe(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_CPU
+	int ret;
+
+	/* probe cpus so that RISC-V timer can be bound */
+	ret = cpu_probe_all();
+	if (ret)
+		return log_msg_ret("RISC-V cpus probe failed\n", ret);
+#endif
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int arch_cpu_init_dm(void)
+{
+	return riscv_cpu_probe();
+}
+
+int arch_early_init_r(void)
+{
+	return riscv_cpu_probe();
+}
diff --git a/arch/riscv/cpu/qemu/Kconfig b/arch/riscv/cpu/qemu/Kconfig
index 2e953e172fd..f48751e6de7 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/cpu/qemu/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/riscv/cpu/qemu/Kconfig
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 config QEMU_RISCV
 	bool
+	select ARCH_EARLY_INIT_R
 	imply CPU
 	imply CPU_RISCV
 	imply RISCV_TIMER