diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/fakelibvirt.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/fakelibvirt.py
index 1bf071b4c4d9..9533b7200056 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/fakelibvirt.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/fakelibvirt.py
@@ -827,6 +827,10 @@ class Connection(object):
     def registerCloseCallback(self, cb, opaque):
         pass
 
+    def getCPUMap(self):
+        """Return spoofed CPU map, showing 2 online CPUs."""
+        return (2, [True] * 2, 2)
+
     def getCapabilities(self):
         """Return spoofed capabilities."""
         return '''<capabilities>
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
index 5339175c59fa..3d74b997c9b8 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
@@ -1234,7 +1234,9 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.TestCase):
                 mock.patch.object(
                         random, 'choice', side_effect=lambda cells: cells[0]),
                 mock.patch.object(pci_manager, "get_instance_pci_devs",
-                                  return_value=[pci_device])):
+                                  return_value=[pci_device]),
+                mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'get_online_cpus',
+                                  return_value=set(range(8)))):
             cfg = conn._get_guest_config(instance_ref, [], {}, disk_info)
             self.assertIsNone(instance_ref.numa_topology)
             self.assertEqual(set([2, 3]), cfg.cpuset)
@@ -1279,6 +1281,8 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.TestCase):
                     host.Host, "get_capabilities", return_value=caps),
                 mock.patch.object(
                     hardware, 'get_vcpu_pin_set', return_value=set([3])),
+                mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'get_online_cpus',
+                                  return_value=set(range(8))),
                 mock.patch.object(pci_manager, "get_instance_pci_devs",
                                   return_value=[pci_device])):
             cfg = conn._get_guest_config(instance_ref, [], {}, disk_info)
@@ -1402,9 +1406,12 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.TestCase):
                 mock.patch.object(
                     hardware, 'get_vcpu_pin_set', return_value=set([2, 3])),
                 mock.patch.object(
-                    random, 'choice', side_effect=lambda cells: cells[0])
+                    random, 'choice', side_effect=lambda cells: cells[0]),
+                mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'get_online_cpus',
+                                  return_value=set(range(8)))
                 ) as (has_min_version_mock, get_host_cap_mock,
-                        get_vcpu_pin_set_mock, choice_mock):
+                        get_vcpu_pin_set_mock, choice_mock,
+                        get_online_cpus_mock):
             cfg = drvr._get_guest_config(instance_ref, [], {}, disk_info)
             # NOTE(ndipanov): we make sure that pin_set was taken into account
             # when choosing viable cells
@@ -1498,7 +1505,9 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.TestCase):
                                   return_value=caps),
                 mock.patch.object(
                     hardware, 'get_vcpu_pin_set',
-                    return_value=set([2, 3, 4, 5]))
+                    return_value=set([2, 3, 4, 5])),
+                mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'get_online_cpus',
+                                  return_value=set(range(8))),
                 ):
             cfg = drvr._get_guest_config(instance_ref, [], {}, disk_info)
             self.assertIsNone(cfg.cpuset)
@@ -1575,6 +1584,8 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.TestCase):
                                   return_value=True),
                 mock.patch.object(host.Host, "get_capabilities",
                                   return_value=caps),
+                mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'get_online_cpus',
+                                  return_value=set(range(8))),
                 ):
             cfg = drvr._get_guest_config(instance_ref, [], {}, disk_info)
             self.assertIsNone(cfg.cpuset)
@@ -1649,7 +1660,9 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.TestCase):
                 mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'has_min_version',
                                   return_value=True),
                 mock.patch.object(host.Host, "get_capabilities",
-                                  return_value=caps)
+                                  return_value=caps),
+                mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'get_online_cpus',
+                                  return_value=set(range(8))),
                 ):
             cfg = conn._get_guest_config(instance_ref, [], {}, disk_info)
             self.assertIsNone(cfg.cpuset)
@@ -9543,7 +9556,10 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.TestCase):
                 mock.patch.object(host.Host, "get_capabilities",
                                   return_value=caps),
                 mock.patch.object(
-                    hardware, 'get_vcpu_pin_set', return_value=set([0, 1, 3]))
+                    hardware, 'get_vcpu_pin_set',
+                    return_value=set([0, 1, 3, 4, 5])),
+                mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'get_online_cpus',
+                                  return_value=set([0, 1, 2, 3, 6])),
                 ):
             got_topo = drvr._get_host_numa_topology()
             got_topo_dict = got_topo._to_dict()
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
index 6783b49f46b2..b6ac5d1157cd 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
@@ -4736,6 +4736,11 @@ class LibvirtDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
 
         cells = []
         allowed_cpus = hardware.get_vcpu_pin_set()
+        online_cpus = self._host.get_online_cpus()
+        if allowed_cpus:
+            allowed_cpus &= online_cpus
+        else:
+            allowed_cpus = online_cpus
 
         for cell in topology.cells:
             cpuset = set(cpu.id for cpu in cell.cpus)
@@ -4744,9 +4749,8 @@ class LibvirtDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
                                         if cpu.siblings else ()
                                       for cpu in cell.cpus)
                                   ))
-            if allowed_cpus:
-                cpuset &= allowed_cpus
-                siblings = [sib & allowed_cpus for sib in siblings]
+            cpuset &= allowed_cpus
+            siblings = [sib & allowed_cpus for sib in siblings]
             # Filter out singles and empty sibling sets that may be left
             siblings = [sib for sib in siblings if len(sib) > 1]
 
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/host.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/host.py
index 95e266afe993..3045fa64774f 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/host.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/host.py
@@ -585,6 +585,26 @@ class Host(object):
 
         return doms
 
+    def get_online_cpus(self):
+        """Get the set of CPUs that are online on the host
+
+        Method is only used by NUMA code paths which check on
+        libvirt version >= 1.0.4. getCPUMap() was introduced in
+        libvirt 1.0.0.
+
+        :returns: set of online CPUs, raises libvirtError on error
+
+        """
+
+        (cpus, cpu_map, online) = self.get_connection().getCPUMap()
+
+        online_cpus = set()
+        for cpu in range(cpus):
+            if cpu_map[cpu]:
+                online_cpus.add(cpu)
+
+        return online_cpus
+
     def get_capabilities(self):
         """Returns the host capabilities information