diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index cf8237da6c..3af6923e6f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -4504,8 +4504,6 @@ virQEMUCapsInitQMPMonitor(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
         return -1;
     if (virQEMUCapsProbeQMPSchemaCapabilities(qemuCaps, mon) < 0)
         return -1;
-    if (virQEMUCapsProbeQMPHostCPU(qemuCaps, mon, false) < 0)
-        return -1;
     if (virQEMUCapsProbeQMPGICCapabilities(qemuCaps, mon) < 0)
         return -1;
     if (virQEMUCapsProbeQMPSEVCapabilities(qemuCaps, mon) < 0)
@@ -4513,6 +4511,12 @@ virQEMUCapsInitQMPMonitor(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
 
     virQEMUCapsInitProcessCaps(qemuCaps);
 
+    /* The following probes rely on other previously probed capabilities.
+     * No capabilities bits should be set below this point. */
+
+    if (virQEMUCapsProbeQMPHostCPU(qemuCaps, mon, false) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.12.0.x86_64.replies b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.12.0.x86_64.replies
index e78ddeb57e..3a2f854531 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.12.0.x86_64.replies
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.12.0.x86_64.replies
@@ -19272,6 +19272,21 @@
   "id": "libvirt-44"
 }
 
+{
+  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
+  "id": "libvirt-45"
+}
+
+{
+  "return": {
+    "reduced-phys-bits": 1,
+    "cbitpos": 47,
+    "cert-chain": "AQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAA",
+    "pdh": "AQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAA"
+  },
+  "id": "libvirt-45"
+}
+
 {
   "execute": "query-cpu-model-expansion",
   "arguments": {
@@ -19280,7 +19295,7 @@
       "name": "host"
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -19470,7 +19485,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -19662,7 +19677,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -19917,7 +19932,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -19931,7 +19946,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20121,7 +20136,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20313,7 +20328,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
+  "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20568,21 +20583,6 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
-}
-
-{
-  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
-  "id": "libvirt-49"
-}
-
-{
-  "return": {
-    "reduced-phys-bits": 1,
-    "cbitpos": 47,
-    "cert-chain": "AQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAA",
-    "pdh": "AQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAAAQAAAAAOAAA"
-  },
   "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.0.0.x86_64.replies b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.0.0.x86_64.replies
index b618f8c741..b2ec8d75d3 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.0.0.x86_64.replies
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.0.0.x86_64.replies
@@ -19900,6 +19900,19 @@
   "id": "libvirt-44"
 }
 
+{
+  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
+  "id": "libvirt-45"
+}
+
+{
+  "id": "libvirt-45",
+  "error": {
+    "class": "GenericError",
+    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
+  }
+}
+
 {
   "execute": "query-cpu-model-expansion",
   "arguments": {
@@ -19908,7 +19921,7 @@
       "name": "host"
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20101,7 +20114,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20296,7 +20309,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20559,7 +20572,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20573,7 +20586,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20766,7 +20779,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20961,7 +20974,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
+  "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21224,22 +21237,9 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
-}
-
-{
-  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
-{
-  "id": "libvirt-49",
-  "error": {
-    "class": "GenericError",
-    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
-  }
-}
-
 {
   "execute": "qmp_capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-1"
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.1.0.x86_64.replies b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.1.0.x86_64.replies
index 2b3827db9a..b8b117ffaf 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.1.0.x86_64.replies
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_3.1.0.x86_64.replies
@@ -20383,6 +20383,19 @@
   "id": "libvirt-44"
 }
 
+{
+  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
+  "id": "libvirt-45"
+}
+
+{
+  "id": "libvirt-45",
+  "error": {
+    "class": "GenericError",
+    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
+  }
+}
+
 {
   "execute": "query-cpu-model-expansion",
   "arguments": {
@@ -20391,7 +20404,7 @@
       "name": "host"
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20593,7 +20606,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -20797,7 +20810,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21072,7 +21085,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21086,7 +21099,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21288,7 +21301,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21492,7 +21505,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
+  "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21767,22 +21780,9 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
-}
-
-{
-  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
-{
-  "id": "libvirt-49",
-  "error": {
-    "class": "GenericError",
-    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
-  }
-}
-
 {
   "execute": "qmp_capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-1"
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.0.0.x86_64.replies b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.0.0.x86_64.replies
index 26d2d65989..b155e2a242 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.0.0.x86_64.replies
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.0.0.x86_64.replies
@@ -20922,6 +20922,19 @@
   "id": "libvirt-44"
 }
 
+{
+  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
+  "id": "libvirt-45"
+}
+
+{
+  "id": "libvirt-45",
+  "error": {
+    "class": "GenericError",
+    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
+  }
+}
+
 {
   "execute": "query-cpu-model-expansion",
   "arguments": {
@@ -20930,7 +20943,7 @@
       "name": "host"
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21134,7 +21147,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21340,7 +21353,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21619,7 +21632,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21633,7 +21646,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21837,7 +21850,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -22043,7 +22056,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
+  "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
 {
@@ -22322,22 +22335,9 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
-}
-
-{
-  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
-{
-  "id": "libvirt-49",
-  "error": {
-    "class": "GenericError",
-    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
-  }
-}
-
 {
   "execute": "qmp_capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-1"
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.1.0.x86_64.replies b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.1.0.x86_64.replies
index f175a4284b..a07082781f 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.1.0.x86_64.replies
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_4.1.0.x86_64.replies
@@ -21091,6 +21091,19 @@
   "id": "libvirt-44"
 }
 
+{
+  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
+  "id": "libvirt-45"
+}
+
+{
+  "id": "libvirt-45",
+  "error": {
+    "class": "GenericError",
+    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
+  }
+}
+
 {
   "execute": "query-cpu-model-expansion",
   "arguments": {
@@ -21099,7 +21112,7 @@
       "name": "host"
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21305,7 +21318,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-45"
+  "id": "libvirt-46"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21513,7 +21526,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21794,7 +21807,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-46"
+  "id": "libvirt-47"
 }
 
 {
@@ -21808,7 +21821,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -22014,7 +22027,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-47"
+  "id": "libvirt-48"
 }
 
 {
@@ -22222,7 +22235,7 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
+  "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
 {
@@ -22503,22 +22516,9 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "id": "libvirt-48"
-}
-
-{
-  "execute": "query-sev-capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-49"
 }
 
-{
-  "id": "libvirt-49",
-  "error": {
-    "class": "GenericError",
-    "desc": "SEV feature is not available"
-  }
-}
-
 {
   "execute": "qmp_capabilities",
   "id": "libvirt-1"