diff --git a/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c b/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c
index f3e7e1864f..54f5791905 100644
--- a/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c
+++ b/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c
@@ -488,19 +488,22 @@ xenParseCPUFeatures(virConfPtr conf, virDomainDefPtr def)
     const char *str = NULL;
     int val = 0;
 
-    if (xenConfigGetULong(conf, "vcpus", &count, 1) < 0 ||
-        MAX_VIRT_CPUS < count)
+    if (xenConfigGetULong(conf, "vcpus", &count, 1) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     if (virDomainDefSetVcpusMax(def, count) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (xenConfigGetULong(conf, "vcpu_avail", &count, -1) < 0)
+    if (virDomainDefSetVcpus(def, count) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (virDomainDefSetVcpus(def, MIN(count_one_bits_l(count),
-                                      virDomainDefGetVcpusMax(def))) < 0)
-        return -1;
+    if (virConfGetValue(conf, "maxvcpus")) {
+        if (xenConfigGetULong(conf, "maxvcpus", &count, 0) < 0)
+            return -1;
+
+        if (virDomainDefSetVcpusMax(def, count) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
 
     if (xenConfigGetString(conf, "cpus", &str, NULL) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -1494,14 +1497,10 @@ xenFormatCPUAllocation(virConfPtr conf, virDomainDefPtr def)
     int ret = -1;
     char *cpus = NULL;
 
-    if (xenConfigSetInt(conf, "vcpus", virDomainDefGetVcpusMax(def)) < 0)
+    if (virDomainDefGetVcpus(def) < virDomainDefGetVcpusMax(def) &&
+        xenConfigSetInt(conf, "maxvcpus", virDomainDefGetVcpusMax(def)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
-
-    /* Computing the vcpu_avail bitmask works because MAX_VIRT_CPUS is
-       either 32, or 64 on a platform where long is big enough.  */
-    if (virDomainDefHasVcpusOffline(def) &&
-        xenConfigSetInt(conf, "vcpu_avail",
-                        (1UL << virDomainDefGetVcpus(def)) - 1) < 0)
+    if (xenConfigSetInt(conf, "vcpus", virDomainDefGetVcpus(def)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if ((def->cpumask != NULL) &&
diff --git a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.cfg b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d506b7549a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+name = "XenGuest1"
+uuid = "45b60f51-88a9-47a8-a3b3-5e66d71b2283"
+maxmem = 512
+memory = 512
+maxvcpus = 8
+vcpus = 4
+localtime = 0
+on_poweroff = "preserve"
+on_reboot = "restart"
+on_crash = "preserve"
+vif = [ "mac=5a:36:0e:be:00:09" ]
+bootloader = "/usr/bin/pygrub"
+disk = [ "/var/lib/xen/images/debian/disk.qcow2,qcow2,xvda,w,backendtype=qdisk" ]
diff --git a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.xml b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e1f8f86fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<domain type='xen'>
+  <name>XenGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>45b60f51-88a9-47a8-a3b3-5e66d71b2283</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>524288</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>524288</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static' current='4'>8</vcpu>
+  <bootloader>/usr/bin/pygrub</bootloader>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='x86_64' machine='xenpv'>linux</type>
+  </os>
+  <clock offset='utc' adjustment='reset'/>
+  <on_poweroff>preserve</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>preserve</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='qcow2'/>
+      <source file='/var/lib/xen/images/debian/disk.qcow2'/>
+      <target dev='xvda' bus='xen'/>
+    </disk>
+    <interface type='ethernet'>
+      <mac address='5a:36:0e:be:00:09'/>
+    </interface>
+    <console type='pty'>
+      <target type='xen' port='0'/>
+    </console>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/xlconfigtest.c b/tests/xlconfigtest.c
index de7f8718f5..1db11e74e7 100644
--- a/tests/xlconfigtest.c
+++ b/tests/xlconfigtest.c
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ mymain(void)
             ret = -1;                                                   \
     } while (0)
 
+    DO_TEST("paravirt-maxvcpus");
     DO_TEST("new-disk");
     DO_TEST("spice");
     DO_TEST("spice-features");
diff --git a/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.cfg b/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d1ac4d786
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+name = "XenGuest1"
+uuid = "c7a5fdb0-cdaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809"
+maxmem = 579
+memory = 394
+maxvcpus = 4
+vcpus = 2
+localtime = 0
+on_poweroff = "destroy"
+on_reboot = "restart"
+on_crash = "restart"
+vif = [ "mac=00:16:3e:66:94:9c,bridge=br0,script=vif-bridge" ]
+bootloader = "/usr/bin/pygrub"
+disk = [ "phy:/dev/HostVG/XenGuest1,xvda,w" ]
diff --git a/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.xml b/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b0e0ce14f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-maxvcpus.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<domain type='xen'>
+  <name>XenGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdb0-cdaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>592896</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>403456</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static' current='2'>4</vcpu>
+  <bootloader>/usr/bin/pygrub</bootloader>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='i686' machine='xenpv'>linux</type>
+  </os>
+  <clock offset='utc' adjustment='reset'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>restart</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <disk type='block' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='phy'/>
+      <source dev='/dev/HostVG/XenGuest1'/>
+      <target dev='xvda' bus='xen'/>
+    </disk>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='00:16:3e:66:94:9c'/>
+      <source bridge='br0'/>
+      <script path='vif-bridge'/>
+    </interface>
+    <console type='pty'>
+      <target type='xen' port='0'/>
+    </console>
+    <memballoon model='xen'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-vcpu.cfg b/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-vcpu.cfg
index 1e7765d4e5..8d1ac4d786 100644
--- a/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-vcpu.cfg
+++ b/tests/xmconfigdata/test-paravirt-vcpu.cfg
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ name = "XenGuest1"
 uuid = "c7a5fdb0-cdaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809"
 maxmem = 579
 memory = 394
-vcpus = 4
-vcpu_avail = 3
+maxvcpus = 4
+vcpus = 2
 localtime = 0
 on_poweroff = "destroy"
 on_reboot = "restart"
diff --git a/tests/xmconfigtest.c b/tests/xmconfigtest.c
index c2084c21d3..3d47693434 100644
--- a/tests/xmconfigtest.c
+++ b/tests/xmconfigtest.c
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("paravirt-net-e1000");
     DO_TEST("paravirt-net-vifname");
     DO_TEST("paravirt-vcpu");
+    DO_TEST("paravirt-maxvcpus");
     DO_TEST("fullvirt-new-cdrom");
     DO_TEST("fullvirt-utc");
     DO_TEST("fullvirt-localtime");