diff --git a/gcc/common/config/msp430/msp430-common.c b/gcc/common/config/msp430/msp430-common.c
index 0e261c40015..65be3194683 100644
--- a/gcc/common/config/msp430/msp430-common.c
+++ b/gcc/common/config/msp430/msp430-common.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include "opts.h"
 #include "flags.h"
 
-/* Check for generic -mcpu= and -mmcu= names here.  If found then we
+/* Check for generic -mmcu= names here.  If found then we
    convert to a baseline cpu name.  Otherwise we allow the option to
    be passed on to the backend where it can be checked more fully.  */
 
@@ -39,26 +39,6 @@ msp430_handle_option (struct gcc_options *opts ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 {
   switch (decoded->opt_index)
     {
-    case OPT_mcpu_:
-      if (strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "msp430x") == 0
-	  || strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "msp430xv2") == 0
-	  || strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "430x") == 0
-	  || strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "430xv2") == 0)
-	{
-	  target_cpu = "msp430x";
-	}
-      else if (strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "msp430") == 0
-	       || strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "430") == 0)
-	{
-	  target_cpu = "msp430";
-	}
-      else
-	{
-	  error ("unrecognized argument of %<-mcpu%>: %s", decoded->arg);
-	  return false;
-	}
-      break;
-
     case OPT_mmcu_:
       /* For backwards compatibility we recognise two generic MCU
 	 430X names.  However we want to be able to generate special C
@@ -66,13 +46,13 @@ msp430_handle_option (struct gcc_options *opts ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 	 to NULL.  */
       if (strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "msp430") == 0)
 	{
-	  target_cpu = "msp430";
+	  target_cpu = MSP430_CPU_MSP430;
 	  target_mcu = NULL;
 	}
       else if (strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "msp430x") == 0
 	       || strcasecmp (decoded->arg, "msp430xv2") == 0)
 	{
-	  target_cpu = "msp430x";
+	  target_cpu = MSP430_CPU_MSP430X;
 	  target_mcu = NULL;
 	}
       break;
diff --git a/gcc/config/msp430/msp430-opts.h b/gcc/config/msp430/msp430-opts.h
index 4d208306367..fa64677cb0b 100644
--- a/gcc/config/msp430/msp430-opts.h
+++ b/gcc/config/msp430/msp430-opts.h
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@ enum msp430_hwmult_types
   MSP430_HWMULT_F5SERIES
 };
 
+enum msp430_cpu_types
+{
+  MSP430_CPU_MSP430,
+  MSP430_CPU_430,
+  MSP430_CPU_MSP430X_DEFAULT, /* The default setting, which will be overriden
+				 by any other -mcpu= value.  */
+  MSP430_CPU_MSP430X,
+  MSP430_CPU_430X,
+  MSP430_CPU_MSP430XV2,
+  MSP430_CPU_430XV2
+};
+
 enum msp430_regions
 {
   MSP430_REGION_ANY,
diff --git a/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.c b/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.c
index 129b916715e..d0557fe9058 100644
--- a/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.c
+++ b/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.c
@@ -160,15 +160,7 @@ msp430_option_override (void)
 
   init_machine_status = msp430_init_machine_status;
 
-  if (target_cpu)
-    {
-      /* gcc/common/config/msp430-common.c will have
-	 already canonicalised the string in target_cpu.  */
-      if (strcasecmp (target_cpu, "msp430x") == 0)
-	msp430x = true;
-      else /* target_cpu == "msp430" - already handled by the front end.  */
-	msp430x = false;
-    }
+  msp430x = target_cpu >= MSP430_CPU_MSP430X_DEFAULT;
 
   if (target_mcu)
     {
@@ -180,7 +172,7 @@ msp430_option_override (void)
 
 	  if (msp430_warn_mcu)
 	    {
-	      if (target_cpu && msp430x != xisa)
+	      if (target_cpu != MSP430_CPU_MSP430X_DEFAULT && msp430x != xisa)
 		warning (0, "MCU %qs supports %s ISA but %<-mcpu%> option "
 			 "is set to %s",
 			 target_mcu, xisa ? "430X" : "430",
@@ -212,7 +204,10 @@ msp430_option_override (void)
 			 "but %<-mhwmult%> is set to f5series",
 			 target_mcu, hwmult_name (extracted_mcu_data.hwmpy));
 	    }
-	  msp430x = xisa;
+	  /* Only override the default setting with the extracted ISA value if
+	     the user has not passed -mcpu=.  */
+	  if (target_cpu == MSP430_CPU_MSP430X_DEFAULT)
+	    msp430x = xisa;
 	}
       else
 	{
@@ -220,7 +215,7 @@ msp430_option_override (void)
 	    {
 	      if (msp430_warn_mcu)
 		{
-		  if (target_cpu == NULL)
+		  if (target_cpu == MSP430_CPU_MSP430X_DEFAULT)
 		    warning (0,
 			     "Unrecognized MCU name %qs, assuming that it is "
 			     "just a MSP430X with no hardware multiply.\n"
@@ -237,7 +232,7 @@ msp430_option_override (void)
 
 	      msp430_hwmult_type = MSP430_HWMULT_NONE;
 	    }
-	  else if (target_cpu == NULL)
+	  else if (target_cpu == MSP430_CPU_MSP430X_DEFAULT)
 	    {
 	      if (msp430_warn_mcu)
 		warning (0,
diff --git a/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.opt b/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.opt
index 8134ca7ac95..692e7dccc9e 100644
--- a/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.opt
+++ b/gcc/config/msp430/msp430.opt
@@ -23,9 +23,30 @@ Target Report Var(msp430_warn_devices_csv) Init(1)
 Warn if devices.csv is not found or there are problem parsing it (default: on).
 
 mcpu=
-Target Report Joined RejectNegative Var(target_cpu)
+Target Report Joined RejectNegative Var(target_cpu) ToLower Enum(msp430_cpu_types) Init(MSP430_CPU_MSP430X_DEFAULT)
 Specify the ISA to build for: msp430, msp430x, msp430xv2.
 
+Enum
+Name(msp430_cpu_types) Type(enum msp430_cpu_types)
+
+EnumValue
+Enum(msp430_cpu_types) String(msp430) Value(MSP430_CPU_MSP430) Canonical
+
+EnumValue
+Enum(msp430_cpu_types) String(430) Value(MSP430_CPU_MSP430)
+
+EnumValue
+Enum(msp430_cpu_types) String(msp430x) Value(MSP430_CPU_MSP430X) Canonical
+
+EnumValue
+Enum(msp430_cpu_types) String(430x) Value(MSP430_CPU_MSP430X)
+
+EnumValue
+Enum(msp430_cpu_types) String(msp430xv2) Value(MSP430_CPU_MSP430XV2) Canonical
+
+EnumValue
+Enum(msp430_cpu_types) String(430xv2) Value(MSP430_CPU_MSP430XV2)
+
 mlarge
 Target Report Mask(LARGE) RejectNegative
 Select large model - 20-bit addresses/pointers.
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430.c b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3139d2d52b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430.c
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/* { dg-do compile } */
+/* { dg-skip-if "" { *-*-* } { "-mcpu=*" "-mmcu=*" "-mlarge" } { "" } } */
+/* { dg-options "-mcpu=430" } */
+
+/* Verify that the alternate way of selecting the 430 ISA (i.e. with the
+   value "430" instead of "msp430") successfully selects the correct ISA.  */
+
+#ifdef __MSP430X__
+#error
+#endif
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430x.c b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430x.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..33100dc6bbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430x.c
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/* { dg-do compile } */
+/* { dg-skip-if "" { *-*-* } { "-mcpu=*" "-mmcu=*" } { "" } } */
+/* { dg-options "-mcpu=430x" } */
+
+/* Verify that the alternate way of selecting the 430X ISA (i.e. with the
+   value "430x" instead of "msp430x") successfully selects the correct
+   ISA.  */
+
+#ifndef __MSP430X__
+#error
+#endif
+
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430xv2.c b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430xv2.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7bc3da1d2a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/msp430/mcpu-is-430xv2.c
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/* { dg-do compile } */
+/* { dg-skip-if "" { *-*-* } { "-mcpu=*" "-mmcu=*" } { "" } } */
+/* { dg-options "-mcpu=430XV2" } */
+
+/* Verify that the alternate way of selecting the 430XV2 ISA (i.e. with the
+   value "430XV2" instead of "msp430xv2") successfully selects the correct
+   ISA.  430xv2 doesn't actually have any observable effect on codegen, so we
+   have to just test for 430X.  */
+
+#ifndef __MSP430X__
+#error
+#endif
+