diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index ffc076ae84..f17bbe3275 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -745,6 +745,7 @@ static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **errp)
     unsigned sockets = config->has_sockets ? config->sockets : 0;
     unsigned cores   = config->has_cores ? config->cores : 0;
     unsigned threads = config->has_threads ? config->threads : 0;
+    unsigned maxcpus = config->has_maxcpus ? config->maxcpus : 0;
 
     if (config->has_dies && config->dies != 0 && config->dies != 1) {
         error_setg(errp, "dies not supported by this machine's CPU topology");
@@ -758,8 +759,8 @@ static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **errp)
             sockets = sockets > 0 ? sockets : 1;
             cpus = cores * threads * sockets;
         } else {
-            ms->smp.max_cpus = config->has_maxcpus ? config->maxcpus : cpus;
-            sockets = ms->smp.max_cpus / (cores * threads);
+            maxcpus = maxcpus > 0 ? maxcpus : cpus;
+            sockets = maxcpus / (cores * threads);
         }
     } else if (cores == 0) {
         threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
@@ -776,19 +777,19 @@ static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    ms->smp.max_cpus = config->has_maxcpus ? config->maxcpus : cpus;
+    maxcpus = maxcpus > 0 ? maxcpus : cpus;
 
-    if (ms->smp.max_cpus < cpus) {
+    if (maxcpus < cpus) {
         error_setg(errp, "maxcpus must be equal to or greater than smp");
         return;
     }
 
-    if (sockets * cores * threads != ms->smp.max_cpus) {
+    if (sockets * cores * threads != maxcpus) {
         error_setg(errp, "Invalid CPU topology: "
                    "sockets (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) "
                    "!= maxcpus (%u)",
                    sockets, cores, threads,
-                   ms->smp.max_cpus);
+                   maxcpus);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -796,6 +797,7 @@ static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **errp)
     ms->smp.cores = cores;
     ms->smp.threads = threads;
     ms->smp.sockets = sockets;
+    ms->smp.max_cpus = maxcpus;
 }
 
 static void machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index 8e1220db72..a9b22fdc01 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -717,6 +717,7 @@ static void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **err
     unsigned dies    = config->has_dies ? config->dies : 1;
     unsigned cores   = config->has_cores ? config->cores : 0;
     unsigned threads = config->has_threads ? config->threads : 0;
+    unsigned maxcpus = config->has_maxcpus ? config->maxcpus : 0;
 
     /* compute missing values, prefer sockets over cores over threads */
     if (cpus == 0 || sockets == 0) {
@@ -726,8 +727,8 @@ static void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **err
             sockets = sockets > 0 ? sockets : 1;
             cpus = cores * threads * dies * sockets;
         } else {
-            ms->smp.max_cpus = config->has_maxcpus ? config->maxcpus : cpus;
-            sockets = ms->smp.max_cpus / (cores * threads * dies);
+            maxcpus = maxcpus > 0 ? maxcpus : cpus;
+            sockets = maxcpus / (dies * cores * threads);
         }
     } else if (cores == 0) {
         threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
@@ -744,19 +745,19 @@ static void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **err
         return;
     }
 
-    ms->smp.max_cpus = config->has_maxcpus ? config->maxcpus : cpus;
+    maxcpus = maxcpus > 0 ? maxcpus : cpus;
 
-    if (ms->smp.max_cpus < cpus) {
+    if (maxcpus < cpus) {
         error_setg(errp, "maxcpus must be equal to or greater than smp");
         return;
     }
 
-    if (sockets * dies * cores * threads != ms->smp.max_cpus) {
+    if (sockets * dies * cores * threads != maxcpus) {
         error_setg(errp, "Invalid CPU topology deprecated: "
                    "sockets (%u) * dies (%u) * cores (%u) * threads (%u) "
                    "!= maxcpus (%u)",
                    sockets, dies, cores, threads,
-                   ms->smp.max_cpus);
+                   maxcpus);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -765,6 +766,7 @@ static void pc_smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **err
     ms->smp.threads = threads;
     ms->smp.sockets = sockets;
     ms->smp.dies = dies;
+    ms->smp.max_cpus = maxcpus;
 }
 
 static
