diff --git a/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c b/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c
index 0ee43b8e93..47d2efc60f 100644
--- a/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c
+++ b/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c
@@ -751,12 +751,12 @@ vu_add_mem_reg(VuDev *dev, VhostUserMsg *vmsg) {
          * accessing it before we userfault.
          */
         mmap_addr = mmap(0, dev_region->size + dev_region->mmap_offset,
-                         PROT_NONE, MAP_SHARED,
+                         PROT_NONE, MAP_SHARED | MAP_NORESERVE,
                          vmsg->fds[0], 0);
     } else {
         mmap_addr = mmap(0, dev_region->size + dev_region->mmap_offset,
-                         PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, vmsg->fds[0],
-                         0);
+                         PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED | MAP_NORESERVE,
+                         vmsg->fds[0], 0);
     }
 
     if (mmap_addr == MAP_FAILED) {
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ vu_set_mem_table_exec_postcopy(VuDev *dev, VhostUserMsg *vmsg)
          * accessing it before we userfault
          */
         mmap_addr = mmap(0, dev_region->size + dev_region->mmap_offset,
-                         PROT_NONE, MAP_SHARED,
+                         PROT_NONE, MAP_SHARED | MAP_NORESERVE,
                          vmsg->fds[i], 0);
 
         if (mmap_addr == MAP_FAILED) {
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ vu_set_mem_table_exec(VuDev *dev, VhostUserMsg *vmsg)
          * mapped address has to be page aligned, and we use huge
          * pages.  */
         mmap_addr = mmap(0, dev_region->size + dev_region->mmap_offset,
-                         PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED,
+                         PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED | MAP_NORESERVE,
                          vmsg->fds[i], 0);
 
         if (mmap_addr == MAP_FAILED) {