diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu.cpp b/src/cpu/cpu.cpp
index 1eb340c..b021955 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu.cpp
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu.cpp
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ class perf_power_bundle: public perf_bundle
 
 static class abstract_cpu * new_package(int package, int cpu, char * vendor, int family, int model)
 {
+	uint64_t msr;
 	class abstract_cpu *ret = NULL;
 	class cpudevice *cpudev;
 	char packagename[128];
@@ -71,15 +72,19 @@ static class abstract_cpu * new_package(int package, int cpu, char * vendor, int
 			case 0x25:	/* Westmere */
 			case 0x27:	/* Medfield Atom*/
 			case 0x2C:	/* Westmere */
-				ret = new class nhm_package;
+				if (read_msr(cpu, MSR_APERF, &msr) >= 0)
+					ret = new class nhm_package;
 				break;
 			case 0x2A:	/* SNB */
 			case 0x2D:	/* SNB Xeon */
 			case 0x3A:      /* IVB */
 			case 0x3C:
 			case 0x3D:      /* IVB Xeon */
-				has_c2c7_res = 1;
-				ret = new class nhm_package;
+				if (read_msr(cpu, MSR_PKG_C7_RESIDENCY, &msr) >= 0)
+				{
+					has_c2c7_res = 1;
+					ret = new class nhm_package;
+				}
 				break;
 			}
 	}
@@ -99,6 +104,7 @@ static class abstract_cpu * new_package(int package, int cpu, char * vendor, int
 
 static class abstract_cpu * new_core(int core, int cpu, char * vendor, int family, int model)
 {
+	uint64_t msr;
 	class abstract_cpu *ret = NULL;
 
 	if (strcmp(vendor, "GenuineIntel") == 0) {
@@ -116,7 +122,8 @@ static class abstract_cpu * new_core(int core, int cpu, char * vendor, int famil
 			case 0x3A:      /* IVB */
 			case 0x3C:
 			case 0x3D:      /* IVB Xeon */
-				ret = new class nhm_core;
+				if (read_msr(cpu, MSR_APERF, &msr) >= 0)
+					ret = new class nhm_core;
 			}
 	}
 
@@ -142,6 +149,7 @@ static class abstract_cpu * new_i965_gpu(void)
 
 static class abstract_cpu * new_cpu(int number, char * vendor, int family, int model)
 {
+	uint64_t msr;
 	class abstract_cpu * ret = NULL;
 
 	if (strcmp(vendor, "GenuineIntel") == 0) {
@@ -159,7 +167,8 @@ static class abstract_cpu * new_cpu(int number, char * vendor, int family, int m
 			case 0x3A:      /* IVB */
 			case 0x3C:
 			case 0x3D:      /* IVB Xeon */
-				ret = new class nhm_cpu;
+				if (read_msr(number, MSR_APERF, &msr) >= 0)
+					ret = new class nhm_cpu;
 			}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/intel_cpus.cpp b/src/cpu/intel_cpus.cpp
index 2b78d31..8d5f51a 100644
--- a/src/cpu/intel_cpus.cpp
+++ b/src/cpu/intel_cpus.cpp
@@ -49,30 +49,15 @@ static uint64_t get_msr(int cpu, uint64_t offset)
 {
 	ssize_t retval;
 	uint64_t msr;
-	int fd;
-	char msr_path[256];
 
-	fd = sprintf(msr_path, "/dev/cpu/%d/msr", cpu);
-
-	if (access(msr_path, R_OK) != 0){
-		fd = sprintf(msr_path, "/dev/msr%d", cpu);
-
-		if (access(msr_path, R_OK) != 0){
-			fprintf(stderr, _("msr reg not found"));
-			exit(-2);
-		}
-	}
-
-	fd = open(msr_path, O_RDONLY);
-
-	retval = pread(fd, &msr, sizeof msr, offset);
-	if (retval != sizeof msr) {
+	retval = read_msr(cpu, offset, &msr);
+	if (retval < 0) {
 		reset_display();
-		fprintf(stderr, _("pread cpu%d 0x%llx : "), cpu, (unsigned long long)offset);
+		fprintf(stderr, _("read_msr cpu%d 0x%llx : "), cpu, (unsigned long long)offset);
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", strerror(errno));
 		exit(-2);
 	}
-	close(fd);
+
 	return msr;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.cpp b/src/lib.cpp
index 723517a..6993088 100644
--- a/src/lib.cpp
+++ b/src/lib.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <limits>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <ncurses.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
 
 static int kallsyms_read = 0;
 
@@ -450,3 +451,36 @@ int get_user_input(char *buf, unsigned sz)
 	/* to distinguish between getnstr error and empty line */
 	return ret || strlen(buf);
 }
+
+int read_msr(int cpu, uint64_t offset, uint64_t *value)
+{
+	ssize_t retval;
+	uint64_t msr;
+	int fd;
+	char msr_path[256];
+
+	sprintf(msr_path, "/dev/cpu/%d/msr", cpu);
+
+	if (access(msr_path, R_OK) != 0){
+		sprintf(msr_path, "/dev/msr%d", cpu);
+
+		if (access(msr_path, R_OK) != 0){
+			fprintf(stderr,
+			 _("Model-specific registers (MSR)\
+			 not found (try enabling CONFIG_X86_MSR).\n"));
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	fd = open(msr_path, O_RDONLY);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return -1;
+	retval = pread(fd, &msr, sizeof msr, offset);
+	close(fd);
+	if (retval != sizeof msr) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+	*value = msr;
+
+	return retval;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.h b/src/lib.h
index de2de5a..1c9ca42 100644
--- a/src/lib.h
+++ b/src/lib.h
@@ -74,5 +74,6 @@ typedef void (*callback)(const char*);
 extern void process_directory(const char *d_name, callback fn);
 extern int utf_ok;
 extern int get_user_input(char *buf, unsigned sz);
+extern int read_msr(int cpu, uint64_t offset, uint64_t *value);
 
 #endif