diff --git a/target/i386/cpu.c b/target/i386/cpu.c
index 9d4dccf020..3ece83696e 100644
--- a/target/i386/cpu.c
+++ b/target/i386/cpu.c
@@ -5178,6 +5178,10 @@ static void x86_cpu_realizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
             if (cpu->host_phys_bits) {
                 /* The user asked for us to use the host physical bits */
                 cpu->phys_bits = host_phys_bits;
+                if (cpu->host_phys_bits_limit &&
+                    cpu->phys_bits > cpu->host_phys_bits_limit) {
+                    cpu->phys_bits = cpu->host_phys_bits_limit;
+                }
             }
 
             /* Print a warning if the user set it to a value that's not the
@@ -5765,6 +5769,7 @@ static Property x86_cpu_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("kvm", X86CPU, expose_kvm, true),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("phys-bits", X86CPU, phys_bits, 0),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("host-phys-bits", X86CPU, host_phys_bits, false),
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("host-phys-bits-limit", X86CPU, host_phys_bits_limit, 0),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("fill-mtrr-mask", X86CPU, fill_mtrr_mask, true),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("level", X86CPU, env.cpuid_level, UINT32_MAX),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("xlevel", X86CPU, env.cpuid_xlevel, UINT32_MAX),
diff --git a/target/i386/cpu.h b/target/i386/cpu.h
index 386094a241..59656a70e6 100644
--- a/target/i386/cpu.h
+++ b/target/i386/cpu.h
@@ -1461,6 +1461,9 @@ struct X86CPU {
     /* if true override the phys_bits value with a value read from the host */
     bool host_phys_bits;
 
+    /* if set, limit maximum value for phys_bits when host_phys_bits is true */
+    uint8_t host_phys_bits_limit;
+
     /* Stop SMI delivery for migration compatibility with old machines */
     bool kvm_no_smi_migration;