diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index ef67efa1da..8e7981bf25 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -2090,33 +2090,25 @@ virDomainDefHasVcpuPin(const virDomainDef *def)
  * @maplen: length of one cpumap passed from caller (@cpumaps)
  * @ncpumaps: count of cpumaps of @maplen length in @cpumaps
  * @cpumaps: array of pinning information bitmaps to be filled
- * @hostcpus: number of cpus in the host
+ * @hostcpus: default CPU pinning bitmap based on host CPUs
  * @autoCpuset: Cpu pinning bitmap used in case of automatic cpu pinning
  *
  * Fills the @cpumaps array as documented by the virDomainGetVcpuPinInfo API.
  * In case when automatic cpu pinning is supported, the bitmap should be passed
- * as @autoCpuset. If @hostcpus is < 0 no error is reported (to pass through
- * error message).
+ * as @autoCpuset.
  *
- * Returns number of filled entries or -1 on error.
+ * Returns number of filled entries.
  */
 int
 virDomainDefGetVcpuPinInfoHelper(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                  int maplen,
                                  int ncpumaps,
                                  unsigned char *cpumaps,
-                                 int hostcpus,
+                                 virBitmapPtr hostcpus,
                                  virBitmapPtr autoCpuset)
 {
     int maxvcpus = virDomainDefGetVcpusMax(def);
     size_t i;
-    g_autoptr(virBitmap) allcpumap = NULL;
-
-    if (hostcpus < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    if (!(allcpumap = virHostCPUGetAvailableCPUsBitmap()))
-        return -1;
 
     for (i = 0; i < maxvcpus && i < ncpumaps; i++) {
         virDomainVcpuDefPtr vcpu = virDomainDefGetVcpu(def, i);
@@ -2130,7 +2122,7 @@ virDomainDefGetVcpuPinInfoHelper(virDomainDefPtr def,
         else if (def->cpumask)
             bitmap = def->cpumask;
         else
-            bitmap = allcpumap;
+            bitmap = hostcpus;
 
         virBitmapToDataBuf(bitmap, VIR_GET_CPUMAP(cpumaps, maplen, i), maplen);
     }
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 011bf66cb4..68be32614c 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3741,9 +3741,9 @@ int virDomainDefGetVcpuPinInfoHelper(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                      int maplen,
                                      int ncpumaps,
                                      unsigned char *cpumaps,
-                                     int hostcpus,
+                                     virBitmapPtr hostcpus,
                                      virBitmapPtr autoCpuset)
-    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(4) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(4) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(5) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
 bool virDomainDefHasMemballoon(const virDomainDef *def) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index 4db3c0782e..dc602ea162 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -2547,6 +2547,7 @@ libxlDomainGetVcpuPinInfo(virDomainPtr dom, int ncpumaps,
     libxlDriverConfigPtr cfg = libxlDriverConfigGet(driver);
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     virDomainDefPtr targetDef = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virBitmap) hostcpus = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE |
@@ -2568,8 +2569,12 @@ libxlDomainGetVcpuPinInfo(virDomainPtr dom, int ncpumaps,
     /* Make sure coverity knows targetDef is valid at this point. */
     sa_assert(targetDef);
 
+    if (!(hostcpus = virBitmapNew(libxl_get_max_cpus(cfg->ctx))))
+        goto cleanup;
+    virBitmapSetAll(hostcpus);
+
     ret = virDomainDefGetVcpuPinInfoHelper(targetDef, maplen, ncpumaps, cpumaps,
-                                           libxl_get_max_cpus(cfg->ctx), NULL);
+                                           hostcpus, NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 0f98243fe4..9eaea8d613 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -5288,6 +5288,7 @@ qemuDomainGetVcpuPinInfo(virDomainPtr dom,
     virDomainDefPtr def;
     bool live;
     int ret = -1;
+    g_autoptr(virBitmap) hostcpus = NULL;
     virBitmapPtr autoCpuset = NULL;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE |
@@ -5302,11 +5303,14 @@ qemuDomainGetVcpuPinInfo(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (!(def = virDomainObjGetOneDefState(vm, flags, &live)))
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (!(hostcpus = virHostCPUGetAvailableCPUsBitmap()))
+        goto cleanup;
+
     if (live)
         autoCpuset = QEMU_DOMAIN_PRIVATE(vm)->autoCpuset;
 
     ret = virDomainDefGetVcpuPinInfoHelper(def, maplen, ncpumaps, cpumaps,
-                                           virHostCPUGetCount(), autoCpuset);
+                                           hostcpus, autoCpuset);
  cleanup:
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
     return ret;
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 01c4675c30..a75c992af1 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -3072,6 +3072,7 @@ testDomainGetVcpuPinInfo(virDomainPtr dom,
     testDriverPtr driver = dom->conn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr privdom;
     virDomainDefPtr def;
+    g_autoptr(virBitmap) hostcpus = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
 
     if (!(privdom = testDomObjFromDomain(dom)))
@@ -3080,9 +3081,12 @@ testDomainGetVcpuPinInfo(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (!(def = virDomainObjGetOneDef(privdom, flags)))
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (!(hostcpus = virBitmapNew(VIR_NODEINFO_MAXCPUS(driver->nodeInfo))))
+        goto cleanup;
+    virBitmapSetAll(hostcpus);
+
     ret = virDomainDefGetVcpuPinInfoHelper(def, maplen, ncpumaps, cpumaps,
-                                           VIR_NODEINFO_MAXCPUS(driver->nodeInfo),
-                                           NULL);
+                                           hostcpus, NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&privdom);