diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index a824a7d..7537be4 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -308,84 +308,12 @@
     .merge_lists = true,
     .head = QTAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(qemu_machine_opts.head),
     .desc = {
-        {
-            .name = "type",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "emulated machine"
-        }, {
-            .name = "accel",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "accelerator list",
-        }, {
-            .name = "kernel_irqchip",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
-            .help = "use KVM in-kernel irqchip",
-        }, {
-            .name = "kvm_shadow_mem",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_SIZE,
-            .help = "KVM shadow MMU size",
-        }, {
-            .name = "kernel",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Linux kernel image file",
-        }, {
-            .name = "initrd",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Linux initial ramdisk file",
-        }, {
-            .name = "append",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Linux kernel command line",
-        }, {
-            .name = "dtb",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Linux kernel device tree file",
-        }, {
-            .name = "dumpdtb",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Dump current dtb to a file and quit",
-        }, {
-            .name = "phandle_start",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_NUMBER,
-            .help = "The first phandle ID we may generate dynamically",
-        }, {
-            .name = "dt_compatible",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Overrides the \"compatible\" property of the dt root node",
-        }, {
-            .name = "dump-guest-core",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
-            .help = "Include guest memory in  a core dump",
-        }, {
-            .name = "mem-merge",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
-            .help = "enable/disable memory merge support",
-        },{
-            .name = "usb",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
-            .help = "Set on/off to enable/disable usb",
-        },{
-            .name = "firmware",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "firmware image",
-        },{
-            .name = "kvm-type",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Specifies the KVM virtualization mode (HV, PR)",
-        },{
-            .name = PC_MACHINE_MAX_RAM_BELOW_4G,
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_SIZE,
-            .help = "maximum ram below the 4G boundary (32bit boundary)",
-        }, {
-            .name = PC_MACHINE_VMPORT,
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "Enable vmport (pc & q35)",
-        },{
-            .name = "iommu",
-            .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
-            .help = "Set on/off to enable/disable Intel IOMMU (VT-d)",
-        },
-        { /* End of list */ }
+        /*
+         * no elements => accept any
+         * sanity checking will happen later
+         * when setting machine properties
+         */
+        { }
     },
 };