diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
index adee9be09796..7fc90988bb87 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
@@ -4050,6 +4050,32 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(conf.cpu.cores, 1)
         self.assertEqual(conf.cpu.threads, 1)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(host.Host, "has_min_version", return_value=True)
+    def test_get_guest_cpu_config_numa_topology(self, mock_has_min_version):
+        drvr = libvirt_driver.LibvirtDriver(fake.FakeVirtAPI(), True)
+        instance_ref = objects.Instance(**self.test_instance)
+        instance_ref.flavor.vcpus = 2
+        instance_ref.numa_topology = objects.InstanceNUMATopology(cells=[
+            objects.InstanceNUMACell(
+                id=0,
+                cpuset=set([0, 1]),
+                memory=1024,
+                cpu_pinning={})])
+        image_meta = {}
+        disk_info = blockinfo.get_disk_info(CONF.libvirt.virt_type,
+                                            instance_ref,
+                                            image_meta)
+
+        self.assertIsNone(instance_ref.numa_topology.cells[0].cpu_topology)
+
+        drvr._get_guest_config(
+            instance_ref, _fake_network_info(self.stubs, 1), {}, disk_info)
+
+        topo = instance_ref.numa_topology.cells[0].cpu_topology
+        self.assertIsNotNone(topo)
+        self.assertEqual(topo.cores * topo.sockets * topo.threads,
+                         instance_ref.flavor.vcpus)
+
     def test_get_guest_cpu_topology(self):
         instance_ref = objects.Instance(**self.test_instance)
         instance_ref.flavor.vcpus = 8
diff --git a/nova/virt/hardware.py b/nova/virt/hardware.py
index 73e1df814149..53f42fc13cea 100644
--- a/nova/virt/hardware.py
+++ b/nova/virt/hardware.py
@@ -698,6 +698,7 @@ def _pack_instance_onto_cores(available_siblings, instance_cell, host_cell_id):
                 pinning = zip(sorted(instance_cell.cpuset),
                               itertools.chain(*sliced_sibs))
 
+            # NOTE(sfinucan) - this may be overriden later on by the drivers
             topology = (instance_cell.cpu_topology or
                         objects.VirtCPUTopology(sockets=1,
                                                 cores=len(sliced_sibs),
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
index 8bdd6eeafccd..c1165a6d8f4e 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
@@ -3083,6 +3083,10 @@ class LibvirtDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
         topology = hardware.get_best_cpu_topology(
                 flavor, image_meta, numa_topology=instance_numa_topology)
 
+        if instance_numa_topology:
+            for cell in instance_numa_topology.cells:
+                cell.cpu_topology = topology
+
         cpu.sockets = topology.sockets
         cpu.cores = topology.cores
         cpu.threads = topology.threads