diff --git a/hw/arm/boot.c b/hw/arm/boot.c
index d90af2f17d..a830655e1a 100644
--- a/hw/arm/boot.c
+++ b/hw/arm/boot.c
@@ -423,6 +423,32 @@ static void set_kernel_args_old(const struct arm_boot_info *info,
     }
 }
 
+static int fdt_add_memory_node(void *fdt, uint32_t acells, hwaddr mem_base,
+                               uint32_t scells, hwaddr mem_len,
+                               int numa_node_id)
+{
+    char *nodename;
+    int ret;
+
+    nodename = g_strdup_printf("/memory@%" PRIx64, mem_base);
+    qemu_fdt_add_subnode(fdt, nodename);
+    qemu_fdt_setprop_string(fdt, nodename, "device_type", "memory");
+    ret = qemu_fdt_setprop_sized_cells(fdt, nodename, "reg", acells, mem_base,
+                                       scells, mem_len);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    /* only set the NUMA ID if it is specified */
+    if (numa_node_id >= 0) {
+        ret = qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(fdt, nodename,
+                                    "numa-node-id", numa_node_id);
+    }
+out:
+    g_free(nodename);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 static void fdt_add_psci_node(void *fdt)
 {
     uint32_t cpu_suspend_fn;
@@ -502,7 +528,6 @@ int arm_load_dtb(hwaddr addr, const struct arm_boot_info *binfo,
     void *fdt = NULL;
     int size, rc, n = 0;
     uint32_t acells, scells;
-    char *nodename;
     unsigned int i;
     hwaddr mem_base, mem_len;
     char **node_path;
@@ -576,35 +601,24 @@ int arm_load_dtb(hwaddr addr, const struct arm_boot_info *binfo,
         mem_base = binfo->loader_start;
         for (i = 0; i < nb_numa_nodes; i++) {
             mem_len = numa_info[i].node_mem;
-            nodename = g_strdup_printf("/memory@%" PRIx64, mem_base);
-            qemu_fdt_add_subnode(fdt, nodename);
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_string(fdt, nodename, "device_type", "memory");
-            rc = qemu_fdt_setprop_sized_cells(fdt, nodename, "reg",
-                                              acells, mem_base,
-                                              scells, mem_len);
+            rc = fdt_add_memory_node(fdt, acells, mem_base,
+                                     scells, mem_len, i);
             if (rc < 0) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "couldn't set %s/reg for node %d\n", nodename,
-                        i);
+                fprintf(stderr, "couldn't add /memory@%"PRIx64" node\n",
+                        mem_base);
                 goto fail;
             }
 
-            qemu_fdt_setprop_cell(fdt, nodename, "numa-node-id", i);
             mem_base += mem_len;
-            g_free(nodename);
         }
     } else {
-        nodename = g_strdup_printf("/memory@%" PRIx64, binfo->loader_start);
-        qemu_fdt_add_subnode(fdt, nodename);
-        qemu_fdt_setprop_string(fdt, nodename, "device_type", "memory");
-
-        rc = qemu_fdt_setprop_sized_cells(fdt, nodename, "reg",
-                                          acells, binfo->loader_start,
-                                          scells, binfo->ram_size);
+        rc = fdt_add_memory_node(fdt, acells, binfo->loader_start,
+                                 scells, binfo->ram_size, -1);
         if (rc < 0) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "couldn't set %s reg\n", nodename);
+            fprintf(stderr, "couldn't add /memory@%"PRIx64" node\n",
+                    binfo->loader_start);
             goto fail;
         }
-        g_free(nodename);
     }
 
     rc = fdt_path_offset(fdt, "/chosen");