diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 9eaea8d613..07e9518a9b 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -5693,16 +5693,12 @@ qemuDomainGetIOThreadsConfig(virDomainDefPtr targetDef,
     virDomainIOThreadInfoPtr *info_ret = NULL;
     virBitmapPtr bitmap = NULL;
     virBitmapPtr cpumask = NULL;
-    int hostcpus;
     size_t i;
     int ret = -1;
 
     if (targetDef->niothreadids == 0)
         return 0;
 
-    if ((hostcpus = virHostCPUGetCount()) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     if (VIR_ALLOC_N(info_ret, targetDef->niothreadids) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -5718,9 +5714,8 @@ qemuDomainGetIOThreadsConfig(virDomainDefPtr targetDef,
             if (targetDef->cpumask) {
                 cpumask = targetDef->cpumask;
             } else {
-                if (!(bitmap = virBitmapNew(hostcpus)))
+                if (!(bitmap = virHostCPUGetAvailableCPUsBitmap()))
                     goto cleanup;
-                virBitmapSetAll(bitmap);
                 cpumask = bitmap;
             }
         }