diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 18b3f16764eea72560be3234acea06ec1284ceef..058a8f058d3a699a71655f4231c56224e77068c7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -6322,8 +6322,7 @@ qemudDomainSetVcpusFlags(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int nvcpus,
         goto endjob;
     }
 
-    if ((flags & (VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_MAXIMUM | VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_LIVE)) ==
-        VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_LIVE && vm->def->maxvcpus < max) {
+    if (!(flags & VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_MAXIMUM) && vm->def->maxvcpus < max) {
         max = vm->def->maxvcpus;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 5e737e86757800ae315e653d869bd8dfd12499f7..d32568fc171f87f4fa0a49c9a5e47805d25a9279 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -2134,9 +2134,10 @@ testDomainSetVcpusFlags(virDomainPtr domain, unsigned int nrCpus,
 
     /* We allow more cpus in guest than host, but not more than the
      * domain's starting limit.  */
-    if ((flags & (VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_MAXIMUM | VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_LIVE)) ==
-        VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_LIVE && privdom->def->maxvcpus < maxvcpus)
+    if (!(flags & (VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_MAXIMUM)) &&
+        privdom->def->maxvcpus < maxvcpus)
         maxvcpus = privdom->def->maxvcpus;
+
     if (nrCpus > maxvcpus) {
         testError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
                   "requested cpu amount exceeds maximum (%d > %d)",