diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
index a07b6cdb20..f8f375f4d7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
@@ -194,7 +194,8 @@ int qemuSetupHostUsbDeviceCgroup(usbDevice *dev ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 }
 
 int qemuSetupCgroup(struct qemud_driver *driver,
-                    virDomainObjPtr vm)
+                    virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                    char *nodemask)
 {
     virCgroupPtr cgroup = NULL;
     int rc;
@@ -391,10 +392,18 @@ int qemuSetupCgroup(struct qemud_driver *driver,
         }
     }
 
-    if (vm->def->numatune.memory.nodemask &&
+    if ((vm->def->numatune.memory.nodemask ||
+         (vm->def->numatune.memory.placement_mode ==
+          VIR_DOMAIN_NUMATUNE_MEM_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO)) &&
         vm->def->numatune.memory.mode == VIR_DOMAIN_NUMATUNE_MEM_STRICT &&
         qemuCgroupControllerActive(driver, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPUSET)) {
-        char *mask = virDomainCpuSetFormat(vm->def->numatune.memory.nodemask, VIR_DOMAIN_CPUMASK_LEN);
+        char *mask = NULL;
+        if (vm->def->numatune.memory.placement_mode ==
+            VIR_DOMAIN_NUMATUNE_MEM_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO)
+            mask = virDomainCpuSetFormat(nodemask, VIR_DOMAIN_CPUMASK_LEN);
+        else
+            mask = virDomainCpuSetFormat(vm->def->numatune.memory.nodemask,
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_CPUMASK_LEN);
         if (!mask) {
             qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                             _("failed to convert memory nodemask"));
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h
index 17164d94ee..c1023b398d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ int qemuSetupHostUsbDeviceCgroup(usbDevice *dev,
                                  const char *path,
                                  void *opaque);
 int qemuSetupCgroup(struct qemud_driver *driver,
-                    virDomainObjPtr vm);
+                    virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                    char *nodemask);
 int qemuSetupCgroupVcpuBW(virCgroupPtr cgroup,
                           unsigned long long period,
                           long long quota);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index eebee66f8a..58ba5bf897 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -2537,6 +2537,7 @@ struct qemuProcessHookData {
     virConnectPtr conn;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     struct qemud_driver *driver;
+    char *nodemask;
 };
 
 static int qemuProcessHook(void *data)
@@ -2544,8 +2545,6 @@ static int qemuProcessHook(void *data)
     struct qemuProcessHookData *h = data;
     int ret = -1;
     int fd;
-    char *nodeset = NULL;
-    char *nodemask = NULL;
 
     /* Some later calls want pid present */
     h->vm->pid = getpid();
@@ -2575,37 +2574,16 @@ static int qemuProcessHook(void *data)
     /* This must take place before exec(), so that all QEMU
      * memory allocation is on the correct NUMA node
      */
-    VIR_DEBUG("Moving procss to cgroup");
+    VIR_DEBUG("Moving process to cgroup");
     if (qemuAddToCgroup(h->driver, h->vm->def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if ((h->vm->def->placement_mode ==
-         VIR_DOMAIN_CPU_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO) ||
-        (h->vm->def->numatune.memory.placement_mode ==
-         VIR_DOMAIN_NUMATUNE_MEM_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO)) {
-        nodeset = qemuGetNumadAdvice(h->vm->def);
-        if (!nodeset)
-            goto cleanup;
-
-        VIR_DEBUG("Nodeset returned from numad: %s", nodeset);
-
-        if (VIR_ALLOC_N(nodemask, VIR_DOMAIN_CPUMASK_LEN) < 0) {
-            virReportOOMError();
-            goto cleanup;
-        }
-
-        if (virDomainCpuSetParse(nodeset, 0, nodemask,
-                                 VIR_DOMAIN_CPUMASK_LEN) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    }
-
     /* This must be done after cgroup placement to avoid resetting CPU
      * affinity */
-    VIR_DEBUG("Setup CPU affinity");
-    if (qemuProcessInitCpuAffinity(h->driver, h->vm, nodemask) < 0)
+    if (qemuProcessInitCpuAffinity(h->driver, h->vm, h->nodemask) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (qemuProcessInitNumaMemoryPolicy(h->vm, nodemask) < 0)
+    if (qemuProcessInitNumaMemoryPolicy(h->vm, h->nodemask) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Setting up security labelling");
@@ -2616,8 +2594,6 @@ static int qemuProcessHook(void *data)
 
 cleanup:
     VIR_DEBUG("Hook complete ret=%d", ret);
-    VIR_FREE(nodeset);
-    VIR_FREE(nodemask);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -3293,6 +3269,8 @@ int qemuProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
     struct qemuProcessHookData hookData;
     unsigned long cur_balloon;
     int i;
+    char *nodeset = NULL;
+    char *nodemask = NULL;
 
     /* Okay, these are just internal flags,
      * but doesn't hurt to check */
@@ -3448,8 +3426,32 @@ int qemuProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
                                     flags & VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_COLD) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    /* Get the advisory nodeset from numad if 'placement' of
+     * either <vcpu> or <numatune> is 'auto'.
+     */
+    if ((vm->def->placement_mode ==
+         VIR_DOMAIN_CPU_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO) ||
+        (vm->def->numatune.memory.placement_mode ==
+         VIR_DOMAIN_NUMATUNE_MEM_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO)) {
+        nodeset = qemuGetNumadAdvice(vm->def);
+        if (!nodeset)
+            goto cleanup;
+
+        VIR_DEBUG("Nodeset returned from numad: %s", nodeset);
+
+        if (VIR_ALLOC_N(nodemask, VIR_DOMAIN_CPUMASK_LEN) < 0) {
+            virReportOOMError();
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+
+        if (virDomainCpuSetParse(nodeset, 0, nodemask,
+                                 VIR_DOMAIN_CPUMASK_LEN) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+    hookData.nodemask = nodemask;
+
     VIR_DEBUG("Setting up domain cgroup (if required)");
-    if (qemuSetupCgroup(driver, vm) < 0)
+    if (qemuSetupCgroup(driver, vm, nodemask) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (VIR_ALLOC(priv->monConfig) < 0) {
@@ -3754,6 +3756,8 @@ cleanup:
     /* We jump here if we failed to start the VM for any reason, or
      * if we failed to initialize the now running VM. kill it off and
      * pretend we never started it */
+    VIR_FREE(nodeset);
+    VIR_FREE(nodemask);
     virCommandFree(cmd);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(logfile);
     qemuProcessStop(driver, vm, 0, VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTOFF_FAILED);