diff --git a/src/util/vircgroup.c b/src/util/vircgroup.c
index 2270a520d6..825f62a97b 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroup.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroup.c
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ virCgroupDetect(virCgroupPtr group,
 
     for (i = 0; i < VIR_CGROUP_BACKEND_TYPE_LAST; i++) {
         if (group->backends[i]) {
-            int rc = group->backends[i]->detectControllers(group, controllers);
+            int rc = group->backends[i]->detectControllers(group, controllers, parent);
             if (rc < 0)
                 return -1;
             controllersAvailable |= rc;
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroupbackend.h b/src/util/vircgroupbackend.h
index a91719f89d..77451b0cb6 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroupbackend.h
+++ b/src/util/vircgroupbackend.h
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ typedef char *
 
 typedef int
 (*virCgroupDetectControllersCB)(virCgroupPtr group,
-                                int controllers);
+                                int controllers,
+                                virCgroupPtr parent);
 
 typedef bool
 (*virCgroupHasControllerCB)(virCgroupPtr cgroup,
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroupv1.c b/src/util/vircgroupv1.c
index 7968ab3cf0..4231d8d6fa 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroupv1.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroupv1.c
@@ -420,7 +420,8 @@ virCgroupV1StealPlacement(virCgroupPtr group)
 
 static int
 virCgroupV1DetectControllers(virCgroupPtr group,
-                             int controllers)
+                             int controllers,
+                             virCgroupPtr parent ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     size_t i;
     size_t j;
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroupv2.c b/src/util/vircgroupv2.c
index 9d8a38925a..9c44b3473e 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroupv2.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroupv2.c
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@ virCgroupV2StealPlacement(virCgroupPtr group)
 
 
 static int
-virCgroupV2ParseControllersFile(virCgroupPtr group)
+virCgroupV2ParseControllersFile(virCgroupPtr group,
+                                virCgroupPtr parent)
 {
     int rc;
     VIR_AUTOFREE(char *) contStr = NULL;
@@ -250,10 +251,17 @@ virCgroupV2ParseControllersFile(virCgroupPtr group)
     char **contList = NULL;
     char **tmp;
 
-    if (virAsprintf(&contFile, "%s%s/cgroup.controllers",
-                    group->unified.mountPoint,
-                    NULLSTR_EMPTY(group->unified.placement)) < 0)
-        return -1;
+    if (parent) {
+        if (virAsprintf(&contFile, "%s%s/cgroup.subtree_control",
+                        parent->unified.mountPoint,
+                        NULLSTR_EMPTY(parent->unified.placement)) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    } else {
+        if (virAsprintf(&contFile, "%s%s/cgroup.controllers",
+                        group->unified.mountPoint,
+                        NULLSTR_EMPTY(group->unified.placement)) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
 
     rc = virFileReadAll(contFile, 1024 * 1024, &contStr);
     if (rc < 0) {
@@ -286,11 +294,12 @@ virCgroupV2ParseControllersFile(virCgroupPtr group)
 
 static int
 virCgroupV2DetectControllers(virCgroupPtr group,
-                             int controllers)
+                             int controllers,
+                             virCgroupPtr parent)
 {
     size_t i;
 
-    if (virCgroupV2ParseControllersFile(group) < 0)
+    if (virCgroupV2ParseControllersFile(group, parent) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     /* In cgroup v2 there is no cpuacct controller, the cpu.stat file always