diff --git a/arch/src/lib.rs b/arch/src/lib.rs
index cb3ed95a6..6809f8558 100644
--- a/arch/src/lib.rs
+++ b/arch/src/lib.rs
@@ -37,8 +37,17 @@ pub type Result<T> = result::Result<T, Error>;
 pub enum RegionType {
     /// RAM type
     Ram,
-    /// Reserved type. Designate a region which should not be considered as
-    /// RAM. Useful to specify a PCI hole for instance.
+
+    /// SubRegion memory region.
+    /// A SubRegion is a memory region sub-region, allowing for a region
+    /// to be split into sub regions managed separately.
+    /// For example, the x86 32-bit memory hole is a SubRegion.
+    SubRegion,
+
+    /// Reserved type.
+    /// A Reserved memory region is one that should not be used for memory
+    /// allocation. This type can be used to prevent the VMM from allocating
+    /// memory ranges in a specific address range.
     Reserved,
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/src/x86_64/mod.rs b/arch/src/x86_64/mod.rs
index 149604c33..b25adeb8b 100644
--- a/arch/src/x86_64/mod.rs
+++ b/arch/src/x86_64/mod.rs
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ pub fn arch_memory_regions(size: GuestUsize) -> Vec<(GuestAddress, usize, Region
         ));
     }
 
-    // Add the 32 bits hole as a "reserved" region.
+    // Add the 32 bits hole as a sub region.
     regions.push((
         memory_gap_start,
         MEM_32BIT_GAP_SIZE as usize,
-        RegionType::Reserved,
+        RegionType::SubRegion,
     ));
 
     regions
diff --git a/vmm/src/vm.rs b/vmm/src/vm.rs
index 623f52c17..67fba7954 100755
--- a/vmm/src/vm.rs
+++ b/vmm/src/vm.rs
@@ -1232,7 +1232,12 @@ impl<'a> Vm<'a> {
             .filter(|r| r.2 == RegionType::Ram)
             .map(|r| (r.0, r.1))
             .collect();
-        let reserved_regions: Vec<(GuestAddress, usize)> = arch_mem_regions
+        let sub_regions: Vec<(GuestAddress, usize)> = arch_mem_regions
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|r| r.2 == RegionType::SubRegion)
+            .map(|r| (r.0, r.1))
+            .collect();
+        let _reserved_regions: Vec<(GuestAddress, usize)> = arch_mem_regions
             .iter()
             .filter(|r| r.2 == RegionType::Reserved)
             .map(|r| (r.0, r.1))
@@ -1241,7 +1246,7 @@ impl<'a> Vm<'a> {
         // Check the number of reserved regions, and only take the first one
         // that's acrtually a 32-bit hole.
         let mut mem_hole = (GuestAddress(0), 0);
-        for region in reserved_regions.iter() {
+        for region in sub_regions.iter() {
             if region.0.unchecked_add(region.1 as u64).raw_value() <= 0x1_0000_0000 {
                 mem_hole = (region.0, region.1);
                 break;