diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 3b6e07811d..31c8453173 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -4811,10 +4811,14 @@ qemuProcessValidateHotpluggableVcpus(virDomainDefPtr def)
                 goto cleanup;
             }
 
-            ignore_value(virBitmapSetBit(ordermap, vcpu->order));
+            if (virBitmapSetBit(ordermap, vcpu->order)) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                               _("vcpu order '%u' exceeds vcpu count"),
+                               vcpu->order);
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
         }
 
-
         for (j = i + 1; j < (i + vcpupriv->vcpus); j++) {
             subvcpu = virDomainDefGetVcpu(def, j);
             if (subvcpu->hotpluggable != vcpu->hotpluggable ||