diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 2e4ebc8011a054f14b654799100fdbd4371c040a..1fd84af58afd8171e06e2d352fd3a1656437f20d 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ gnulib/lib/gai_strerror.c
 gnulib/lib/regcomp.c
 src/access/viraccessdriverpolkit.c
 src/access/viraccessmanager.c
+src/conf/capabilities.c
 src/conf/cpu_conf.c
 src/conf/device_conf.c
 src/conf/domain_conf.c
diff --git a/src/conf/capabilities.c b/src/conf/capabilities.c
index bb5fe4ec60f915cb9668cbef82dde8f4479d8916..1acc9366f7b604f84e4caacc5144842e04956129 100644
--- a/src/conf/capabilities.c
+++ b/src/conf/capabilities.c
@@ -916,3 +916,67 @@ virCapabilitiesFormatXML(virCapsPtr caps)
 
     return virBufferContentAndReset(&xml);
 }
+
+/* get the maximum ID of cpus in the host */
+static unsigned int
+virCapabilitiesGetHostMaxcpu(virCapsPtr caps)
+{
+    unsigned int maxcpu = 0;
+    size_t node;
+    size_t cpu;
+
+    for (node = 0; node < caps->host.nnumaCell; node++) {
+        virCapsHostNUMACellPtr cell = caps->host.numaCell[node];
+
+        for (cpu = 0; cpu < cell->ncpus; cpu++) {
+            if (cell->cpus[cpu].id > maxcpu)
+                maxcpu = cell->cpus[cpu].id;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return maxcpu;
+}
+
+/* set cpus of a numa node in the bitmask */
+static int
+virCapabilitiesGetCpusForNode(virCapsPtr caps,
+                              size_t node,
+                              virBitmapPtr cpumask)
+{
+    virCapsHostNUMACellPtr cell = caps->host.numaCell[node];
+    size_t cpu;
+
+    for (cpu = 0; cpu < cell->ncpus; cpu++) {
+        if (virBitmapSetBit(cpumask, cell->cpus[cpu].id) < 0) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("Cpu '%u' in node '%zu' is out of range "
+                             "of the provided bitmap"),
+                           cell->cpus[cpu].id, node);
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+virBitmapPtr
+virCapabilitiesGetCpusForNodemask(virCapsPtr caps,
+                                  virBitmapPtr nodemask)
+{
+    virBitmapPtr ret = NULL;
+    unsigned int maxcpu = virCapabilitiesGetHostMaxcpu(caps);
+    ssize_t node = -1;
+
+    if (!(ret = virBitmapNew(maxcpu + 1)))
+        return NULL;
+
+
+    while ((node = virBitmapNextSetBit(nodemask, node)) >= 0) {
+        if (virCapabilitiesGetCpusForNode(caps, node, ret) < 0) {
+            virBitmapFree(ret);
+            return NULL;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/conf/capabilities.h b/src/conf/capabilities.h
index 6c7efdefdb54ab529593b881b3180b4a42f96c34..88ec4547f7ff9ebbf2c369cd49d3c79f47ef6e11 100644
--- a/src/conf/capabilities.h
+++ b/src/conf/capabilities.h
@@ -257,5 +257,7 @@ virCapabilitiesDefaultGuestEmulator(virCapsPtr caps,
 extern char *
 virCapabilitiesFormatXML(virCapsPtr caps);
 
+virBitmapPtr virCapabilitiesGetCpusForNodemask(virCapsPtr caps,
+                                               virBitmapPtr nodemask);
 
 #endif /* __VIR_CAPABILITIES_H */
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 7a968fb0ec5f2745c111a61719782577921cf612..ba9db26fd37d4070c43ca4c44f11a19586ae3f50 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ virCapabilitiesDefaultGuestMachine;
 virCapabilitiesFormatXML;
 virCapabilitiesFreeMachines;
 virCapabilitiesFreeNUMAInfo;
+virCapabilitiesGetCpusForNodemask;
 virCapabilitiesNew;
 virCapabilitiesSetHostCPU;