diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
index 603cf0e471..43a3ab5dcd 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ virCPUDefCopyModelFilter(virCPUDefPtr dst,
         VIR_STRDUP(dst->vendor_id, src->vendor_id) < 0 ||
         VIR_ALLOC_N(dst->features, src->nfeatures) < 0)
         return -1;
+    dst->microcodeVersion = src->microcodeVersion;
     dst->nfeatures_max = src->nfeatures;
     dst->nfeatures = 0;
 
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ virCPUDefStealModel(virCPUDefPtr dst,
 
     VIR_STEAL_PTR(dst->model, src->model);
     VIR_STEAL_PTR(dst->features, src->features);
+    dst->microcodeVersion = src->microcodeVersion;
     dst->nfeatures_max = src->nfeatures_max;
     src->nfeatures_max = 0;
     dst->nfeatures = src->nfeatures;
@@ -382,6 +384,14 @@ virCPUDefParseXML(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
             goto cleanup;
         }
         VIR_FREE(arch);
+
+        if (virXPathBoolean("boolean(./microcode[1]/@version)", ctxt) > 0 &&
+            virXPathUInt("string(./microcode[1]/@version)", ctxt,
+                         &def->microcodeVersion) < 0) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("invalid microcode version"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
     }
 
     if (!(def->model = virXPathString("string(./model[1])", ctxt)) &&
@@ -720,6 +730,10 @@ virCPUDefFormatBuf(virBufferPtr buf,
     if (formatModel && def->vendor)
         virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<vendor>%s</vendor>\n", def->vendor);
 
+    if (def->type == VIR_CPU_TYPE_HOST && def->microcodeVersion)
+        virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<microcode version='%u'/>\n",
+                          def->microcodeVersion);
+
     if (def->sockets && def->cores && def->threads) {
         virBufferAddLit(buf, "<topology");
         virBufferAsprintf(buf, " sockets='%u'", def->sockets);
diff --git a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
index d1983f5d4f..9f2e7ee264 100644
--- a/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/cpu_conf.h
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ struct _virCPUDef {
     char *vendor_id;    /* vendor id returned by CPUID in the guest */
     int fallback;       /* enum virCPUFallback */
     char *vendor;
+    unsigned int microcodeVersion;
     unsigned int sockets;
     unsigned int cores;
     unsigned int threads;
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
index fddde64d8c..26314a5b3a 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "virbuffer.h"
 #include "virendian.h"
 #include "virstring.h"
+#include "virhostcpu.h"
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_CPU
 
@@ -153,6 +154,8 @@ struct _virCPUx86Map {
 };
 
 static virCPUx86MapPtr cpuMap;
+static unsigned int microcodeVersion;
+
 int virCPUx86DriverOnceInit(void);
 VIR_ONCE_GLOBAL_INIT(virCPUx86Driver);
 
@@ -1409,6 +1412,8 @@ virCPUx86DriverOnceInit(void)
     if (!(cpuMap = virCPUx86LoadMap()))
         return -1;
 
+    microcodeVersion = virHostCPUGetMicrocodeVersion();
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2424,6 +2429,9 @@ virCPUx86GetHost(virCPUDefPtr cpu,
     virCPUDataPtr cpuData = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
 
+    if (virCPUx86DriverInitialize() < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     if (!(cpuData = virCPUDataNew(archs[0])))
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -2432,6 +2440,7 @@ virCPUx86GetHost(virCPUDefPtr cpu,
         goto cleanup;
 
     ret = x86DecodeCPUData(cpu, cpuData, models);
+    cpu->microcodeVersion = microcodeVersion;
 
  cleanup:
     virCPUx86DataFree(cpuData);