diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 9e25b8a17a..19a2d654f6 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1665,6 +1665,7 @@ virNumaGetDistances;
 virNumaGetMaxNode;
 virNumaGetNodeMemory;
 virNumaIsAvailable;
+virNumaNodeIsAvailable;
 virNumaSetupMemoryPolicy;
 virNumaTuneMemPlacementModeTypeFromString;
 virNumaTuneMemPlacementModeTypeToString;
diff --git a/src/util/virnuma.c b/src/util/virnuma.c
index 1676208b2b..5814cba7b0 100644
--- a/src/util/virnuma.c
+++ b/src/util/virnuma.c
@@ -406,6 +406,23 @@ virNumaGetMaxCPUs(void)
 
 
 #ifdef HAVE_NUMA_BITMASK_ISBITSET
+/**
+ * virNumaNodeIsAvailable:
+ * @node: node to check
+ *
+ * On some hosts the set of NUMA nodes isn't continuous.
+ * Use this function to test if the @node is available.
+ *
+ * Returns: true if @node is available,
+ *          false if @node doesn't exist
+ */
+bool
+virNumaNodeIsAvailable(int node)
+{
+    return numa_bitmask_isbitset(numa_nodes_ptr, node);
+}
+
+
 /**
  * virNumaGetDistances:
  * @node: identifier of the requested NUMA node
@@ -434,7 +451,7 @@ virNumaGetDistances(int node,
     int max_node;
     size_t i;
 
-    if (!numa_bitmask_isbitset(numa_nodes_ptr, node)) {
+    if (!virNumaNodeIsAvailable(node)) {
         VIR_DEBUG("Node %d does not exist", node);
         *distances = NULL;
         *ndistances = 0;
@@ -450,7 +467,7 @@ virNumaGetDistances(int node,
     *ndistances = max_node + 1;
 
     for (i = 0; i<= max_node; i++) {
-        if (!numa_bitmask_isbitset(numa_nodes_ptr, i))
+        if (!virNumaNodeIsAvailable(node))
             continue;
 
         (*distances)[i] = numa_distance(node, i);
@@ -460,7 +477,22 @@ virNumaGetDistances(int node,
  cleanup:
     return ret;
 }
+
+
 #else
+bool
+virNumaNodeIsAvailable(int node)
+{
+    int max_node = virNumaGetMaxNode();
+
+    if (max_node < 0)
+        return false;
+
+    /* Do we have anything better? */
+    return (node >= 0) && (node < max_node);
+}
+
+
 int
 virNumaGetDistances(int node ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                     int **distances,
diff --git a/src/util/virnuma.h b/src/util/virnuma.h
index fe1e9667cc..772296d8bd 100644
--- a/src/util/virnuma.h
+++ b/src/util/virnuma.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ int virNumaSetupMemoryPolicy(virNumaTuneDef numatune,
 
 bool virNumaIsAvailable(void);
 int virNumaGetMaxNode(void);
+bool virNumaNodeIsAvailable(int node);
 int virNumaGetDistances(int node,
                         int **distances,
                         int *ndistances);