diff --git a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
index cfb52e8fd9..ba51e06d86 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ static int virtio_scsi_parse_cdb(SCSIDevice *dev, SCSICommand *cmd,
     VirtIOSCSIReq *req = hba_private;
 
     if (cmd->len == 0) {
-        cmd->len = MIN(VIRTIO_SCSI_CDB_SIZE, SCSI_CMD_BUF_SIZE);
+        cmd->len = MIN(VIRTIO_SCSI_CDB_DEFAULT_SIZE, SCSI_CMD_BUF_SIZE);
         memcpy(cmd->buf, buf, cmd->len);
     }
 
@@ -642,8 +642,8 @@ static void virtio_scsi_reset(VirtIODevice *vdev)
     qbus_reset_all(&s->bus.qbus);
     s->resetting--;
 
-    vs->sense_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_SENSE_SIZE;
-    vs->cdb_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_CDB_SIZE;
+    vs->sense_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_SENSE_DEFAULT_SIZE;
+    vs->cdb_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_CDB_DEFAULT_SIZE;
     s->events_dropped = false;
 }
 
@@ -830,8 +830,8 @@ void virtio_scsi_common_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp,
         return;
     }
     s->cmd_vqs = g_new0(VirtQueue *, s->conf.num_queues);
-    s->sense_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_SENSE_SIZE;
-    s->cdb_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_CDB_SIZE;
+    s->sense_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_SENSE_DEFAULT_SIZE;
+    s->cdb_size = VIRTIO_SCSI_CDB_DEFAULT_SIZE;
 
     s->ctrl_vq = virtio_add_queue(vdev, VIRTIO_SCSI_VQ_SIZE,
                                   ctrl);
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
index e4b531e0d7..9423865dd5 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 #ifndef _QEMU_VIRTIO_SCSI_H
 #define _QEMU_VIRTIO_SCSI_H
 
+/* Override CDB/sense data size: they are dynamic (guest controlled) in QEMU */
+#define VIRTIO_SCSI_CDB_SIZE 0
+#define VIRTIO_SCSI_SENSE_SIZE 0
 #include "standard-headers/linux/virtio_scsi.h"
 #include "hw/virtio/virtio.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pci.h"