diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index 86a38d3b3b96a8aef4eb3f5f2af4db8b970eb6bd..6ab62f4eee0945aacbcadfe6d06bf618874bf4b8 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -1692,9 +1692,10 @@ static int find_max_supported_pagesize(Object *obj, void *opaque)
     long *hpsize_min = opaque;
 
     if (object_dynamic_cast(obj, TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND)) {
-        long hpsize = host_memory_backend_pagesize(MEMORY_BACKEND(obj));
+        HostMemoryBackend *backend = MEMORY_BACKEND(obj);
+        long hpsize = host_memory_backend_pagesize(backend);
 
-        if (hpsize < *hpsize_min) {
+        if (host_memory_backend_is_mapped(backend) && (hpsize < *hpsize_min)) {
             *hpsize_min = hpsize;
         }
     }