diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 2c048395b2299468cc70e5c7fa7fdb5c0832c1bc..b8b7916e51b1320e5d94a039655a96916e255dbc 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -4494,10 +4494,56 @@ cleanup:
 }
 
 
-static int qemudDomainSetVcpus(virDomainPtr dom,
-                               ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED unsigned int nvcpus) {
+static int qemudDomainHotplugVcpus(virDomainObjPtr vm, unsigned int nvcpus)
+{
+    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
+    int i, rc;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    /* We need different branches here, because we want to offline
+     * in reverse order to onlining, so any partial fail leaves us in a
+     * reasonably sensible state */
+    if (nvcpus > vm->def->vcpus) {
+        for (i = vm->def->vcpus ; i < nvcpus ; i++) {
+            /* Online new CPU */
+            rc = qemuMonitorSetCPU(priv->mon, i, 1);
+            if (rc == 0)
+                goto unsupported;
+            if (rc < 0)
+                goto cleanup;
+
+            vm->def->vcpus++;
+        }
+    } else {
+        for (i = vm->def->vcpus - 1 ; i >= nvcpus ; i--) {
+            /* Offline old CPU */
+            rc = qemuMonitorSetCPU(priv->mon, i, 0);
+            if (rc == 0)
+                goto unsupported;
+            if (rc < 0)
+                goto cleanup;
+
+            vm->def->vcpus--;
+        }
+    }
+
+    ret = 0;
+
+cleanup:
+    return ret;
+
+unsupported:
+    qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                    _("cannot change vcpu count of this domain"));
+    goto cleanup;
+}
+
+
+static int qemudDomainSetVcpus(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int nvcpus) {
     struct qemud_driver *driver = dom->conn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
+    const char * type;
+    int max;
     int ret = -1;
 
     qemuDriverLock(driver);
@@ -4518,8 +4564,31 @@ static int qemudDomainSetVcpus(virDomainPtr dom,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_SUPPORT,
-                     "%s", _("cpu hotplug not yet supported"));
+    if (!(type = virDomainVirtTypeToString(vm->def->virtType))) {
+        qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                        _("unknown virt type in domain definition '%d'"),
+                        vm->def->virtType);
+        goto endjob;
+    }
+
+    if ((max = qemudGetMaxVCPUs(NULL, type)) < 0) {
+        qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                        _("could not determine max vcpus for the domain"));
+        goto endjob;
+    }
+
+    if (nvcpus > max) {
+        qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
+                        _("requested vcpus is greater than max allowable"
+                          " vcpus for the domain: %d > %d"), nvcpus, max);
+        goto endjob;
+    }
+
+    ret = qemudDomainHotplugVcpus(vm, nvcpus);
+
+endjob:
+    if (qemuDomainObjEndJob(vm) == 0)
+        vm = NULL;
 
 cleanup:
     if (vm)
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
index a4d2b890e28e4ea854f79a6eccd4b41050aa56ee..c252bce5846b48138ca41abe8ea6ea949dae48cd 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
@@ -925,6 +925,20 @@ int qemuMonitorSetBalloon(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
     return ret;
 }
 
+
+int qemuMonitorSetCPU(qemuMonitorPtr mon, int cpu, int online)
+{
+    int ret;
+    DEBUG("mon=%p, fd=%d cpu=%d online=%d", mon, mon->fd, cpu, online);
+
+    if (mon->json)
+        ret = qemuMonitorJSONSetCPU(mon, cpu, online);
+    else
+        ret = qemuMonitorTextSetCPU(mon, cpu, online);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 int qemuMonitorEjectMedia(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                           const char *devname)
 {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
index 3e552360e27b8836a0f44fa4d962e800609406e6..15a2ff03d43ff3786ece9b46d701effa6a4df76e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
@@ -146,6 +146,8 @@ int qemuMonitorSetVNCPassword(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                               const char *password);
 int qemuMonitorSetBalloon(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                           unsigned long newmem);
+int qemuMonitorSetCPU(qemuMonitorPtr mon, int cpu, int online);
+
 
 /* XXX should we pass the virDomainDiskDefPtr instead
  * and hide devname details inside monitor. Reconsider
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
index 9c0245c9b9cee7b3122774efc96bdc5eac7f3c0e..f04fd2eb5a813dd3903b53aec1ecb2a0d470f143 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
@@ -914,6 +914,50 @@ cleanup:
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * Returns: 0 if CPU hotplug not supported, +1 if CPU hotplug worked
+ * or -1 on failure
+ */
+int qemuMonitorJSONSetCPU(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
+                          int cpu, int online)
+{
+    int ret;
+    virJSONValuePtr cmd = qemuMonitorJSONMakeCommand("balloon",
+                                                     "U:cpu", (unsigned long long)cpu,
+                                                     "s:state", online ? "online" : "offline",
+                                                     NULL);
+    virJSONValuePtr reply = NULL;
+    if (!cmd)
+        return -1;
+
+    ret = qemuMonitorJSONCommand(mon, cmd, &reply);
+
+    if (ret == 0) {
+        /* XXX See if CPU soft-failed due to lack of ACPI */
+#if 0
+        if (qemuMonitorJSONHasError(reply, "DeviceNotActive") ||
+            qemuMonitorJSONHasError(reply, "KVMMissingCap"))
+            goto cleanup;
+#endif
+
+        /* See if any other fatal error occurred */
+        ret = qemuMonitorJSONCheckError(cmd, reply);
+
+        /* Real success */
+        if (ret == 0)
+            ret = 1;
+    }
+
+#if 0
+cleanup:
+#endif
+
+    virJSONValueFree(cmd);
+    virJSONValueFree(reply);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 int qemuMonitorJSONEjectMedia(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                               const char *devname)
 {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
index 70a8dae6cb8f95a7b739609dbbb6e29a72781d3c..f18c7991b7d9809f8d915f5e33ccaa20cf033302 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ int qemuMonitorJSONSetVNCPassword(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                                   const char *password);
 int qemuMonitorJSONSetBalloon(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                               unsigned long newmem);
+int qemuMonitorJSONSetCPU(qemuMonitorPtr mon, int cpu, int online);
 
 int qemuMonitorJSONEjectMedia(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                               const char *devname);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.c
index 82f7a9b9cb9422e18a0048b659754b9a945abcbd..7f0e7f65dc611d417c1b3002753ae920d11a6149 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.c
@@ -797,6 +797,44 @@ int qemuMonitorTextSetBalloon(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
     return ret;
 }
 
+
+/*
+ * Returns: 0 if balloon not supported, +1 if balloon adjust worked
+ * or -1 on failure
+ */
+int qemuMonitorTextSetCPU(qemuMonitorPtr mon, int cpu, int online)
+{
+    char *cmd;
+    char *reply = NULL;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    if (virAsprintf(&cmd, "set_cpu %d %s", cpu, online ? "online" : "offline") < 0) {
+        virReportOOMError();
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (qemuMonitorCommand(mon, cmd, &reply) < 0) {
+        qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
+                        "%s", _("could nt change CPU online status"));
+        VIR_FREE(cmd);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    VIR_FREE(cmd);
+
+    /* If the command failed qemu prints: 'unknown command'
+     * No message is printed on success it seems */
+    if (strstr(reply, "\nunknown command:")) {
+        /* Don't set error - it is expected CPU onlining fails on many qemu - caller will handle */
+        ret = 0;
+    } else {
+        ret = 1;
+    }
+
+    VIR_FREE(reply);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 int qemuMonitorTextEjectMedia(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                               const char *devname)
 {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.h
index 9dcb0c2e6c5f849956164d55dd49cecb3fde5909..ddacb42d6dbca5adaf496ad9b1fd5270954ac26a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_text.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ int qemuMonitorTextSetVNCPassword(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                                   const char *password);
 int qemuMonitorTextSetBalloon(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                               unsigned long newmem);
+int qemuMonitorTextSetCPU(qemuMonitorPtr mon, int cpu, int online);
 
 int qemuMonitorTextEjectMedia(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                               const char *devname);