diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 097801e7325d4058633eb2d5a16d9d17206708d1..d779b421ae79dc7a3f88501d5f91cd77ac0fef34 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -3787,6 +3787,28 @@ qemuProcessVerifyHypervFeatures(virDomainDefPtr def,
 }
 
 
+static int
+qemuProcessVerifyKVMFeatures(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                             virCPUDataPtr cpu)
+{
+    int rc = 0;
+
+    if (def->features[VIR_DOMAIN_FEATURE_PVSPINLOCK] != VIR_TRISTATE_SWITCH_ON)
+        return 0;
+
+    rc = virCPUDataCheckFeature(cpu, VIR_CPU_x86_KVM_PV_UNHALT);
+
+    if (rc <= 0) {
+        if (rc == 0)
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("host doesn't support paravirtual spinlocks"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static bool
 qemuProcessVerifyGuestCPU(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                           virDomainObjPtr vm,
@@ -3816,15 +3838,8 @@ qemuProcessVerifyGuestCPU(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
             goto cleanup;
         }
 
-        if (def->features[VIR_DOMAIN_FEATURE_PVSPINLOCK] == VIR_TRISTATE_SWITCH_ON) {
-            if (!virCPUDataCheckFeature(guestcpu, VIR_CPU_x86_KVM_PV_UNHALT)) {
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                               _("host doesn't support paravirtual spinlocks"));
-                goto cleanup;
-            }
-        }
-
-        if (qemuProcessVerifyHypervFeatures(def, guestcpu) < 0)
+        if (qemuProcessVerifyKVMFeatures(def, guestcpu) < 0 ||
+            qemuProcessVerifyHypervFeatures(def, guestcpu) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
 
         if (def->cpu) {