diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index 3ac6b152f5..d725daefdf 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #include "standard-headers/linux/input.h"
 #include "hw/arm/smmuv3.h"
 #include "hw/acpi/acpi.h"
+#include "target/arm/internals.h"
 
 #define DEFINE_VIRT_MACHINE_LATEST(major, minor, latest) \
     static void virt_##major##_##minor##_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, \
@@ -1608,6 +1609,22 @@ static void machvirt_init(MachineState *machine)
     fdt_add_timer_nodes(vms);
     fdt_add_cpu_nodes(vms);
 
+   if (!kvm_enabled()) {
+        ARMCPU *cpu = ARM_CPU(first_cpu);
+        bool aarch64 = object_property_get_bool(OBJECT(cpu), "aarch64", NULL);
+
+        if (aarch64 && vms->highmem) {
+            int requested_pa_size, pamax = arm_pamax(cpu);
+
+            requested_pa_size = 64 - clz64(vms->highest_gpa);
+            if (pamax < requested_pa_size) {
+                error_report("VCPU supports less PA bits (%d) than requested "
+                            "by the memory map (%d)", pamax, requested_pa_size);
+                exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     memory_region_allocate_system_memory(ram, NULL, "mach-virt.ram",
                                          machine->ram_size);
     memory_region_add_subregion(sysmem, vms->memmap[VIRT_MEM].base, ram);