diff --git a/tools/helpers/init-xenstore-domain.c b/tools/helpers/init-xenstore-domain.c
index 47717508a2..3236d14416 100644
--- a/tools/helpers/init-xenstore-domain.c
+++ b/tools/helpers/init-xenstore-domain.c
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ static int build(xc_interface *xch)
     struct xen_domctl_createdomain config = {
         .ssidref = SECINITSID_DOMU,
         .flags = XEN_DOMCTL_CDF_xs_domain,
+        .max_vcpus = 1,
         .max_evtchn_port = -1, /* No limit. */
 
         /*
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ static int build(xc_interface *xch)
         fprintf(stderr, "xc_domain_create failed\n");
         goto err;
     }
-    rv = xc_domain_max_vcpus(xch, domid, 1);
+    rv = xc_domain_max_vcpus(xch, domid, config.max_vcpus);
     if ( rv )
     {
         fprintf(stderr, "xc_domain_max_vcpus failed\n");
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
index 8b755e412d..60676304e9 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
@@ -566,6 +566,7 @@ int libxl__domain_make(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_domain_config *d_config,
     if (!libxl_domid_valid_guest(*domid)) {
         struct xen_domctl_createdomain create = {
             .ssidref = info->ssidref,
+            .max_vcpus = b_info->max_vcpus,
             .max_evtchn_port = b_info->event_channels,
             .max_grant_frames = b_info->max_grant_frames,
             .max_maptrack_frames = b_info->max_maptrack_frames,
diff --git a/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.ml b/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.ml
index 42f45c4b67..40fbd3790f 100644
--- a/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.ml
+++ b/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.ml
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ type domctl_create_config =
 	ssidref: int32;
 	handle: string;
 	flags: domain_create_flag list;
+	max_vcpus: int;
 	max_evtchn_port: int;
 	max_grant_frames: int;
 	max_maptrack_frames: int;
diff --git a/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.mli b/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.mli
index 0db58162d0..906ce9486b 100644
--- a/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.mli
+++ b/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl.mli
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type domctl_create_config = {
   ssidref: int32;
   handle: string;
   flags: domain_create_flag list;
+  max_vcpus: int;
   max_evtchn_port: int;
   max_grant_frames: int;
   max_maptrack_frames: int;
diff --git a/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl_stubs.c b/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl_stubs.c
index 1b5abd9f3a..578a014eac 100644
--- a/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl_stubs.c
+++ b/tools/ocaml/libs/xc/xenctrl_stubs.c
@@ -128,15 +128,17 @@ CAMLprim value stub_xc_domain_create(value xch, value config)
 #define VAL_SSIDREF             Field(config, 0)
 #define VAL_HANDLE              Field(config, 1)
 #define VAL_FLAGS               Field(config, 2)
-#define VAL_MAX_EVTCHN_PORT     Field(config, 3)
-#define VAL_MAX_GRANT_FRAMES    Field(config, 4)
-#define VAL_MAX_MAPTRACK_FRAMES Field(config, 5)
-#define VAL_ARCH                Field(config, 6)
+#define VAL_MAX_VCPUS           Field(config, 3)
+#define VAL_MAX_EVTCHN_PORT     Field(config, 4)
+#define VAL_MAX_GRANT_FRAMES    Field(config, 5)
+#define VAL_MAX_MAPTRACK_FRAMES Field(config, 6)
+#define VAL_ARCH                Field(config, 7)
 
 	uint32_t domid = 0;
 	int result;
 	struct xen_domctl_createdomain cfg = {
 		.ssidref = Int32_val(VAL_SSIDREF),
+		.max_vcpus = Int_val(VAL_MAX_VCPUS),
 		.max_evtchn_port = Int_val(VAL_MAX_EVTCHN_PORT),
 		.max_grant_frames = Int_val(VAL_MAX_GRANT_FRAMES),
 		.max_maptrack_frames = Int_val(VAL_MAX_MAPTRACK_FRAMES),
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ CAMLprim value stub_xc_domain_create(value xch, value config)
 #undef VAL_MAX_MAPTRACK_FRAMES
 #undef VAL_MAX_GRANT_FRAMES
 #undef VAL_MAX_EVTCHN_PORT
+#undef VAL_MAX_VCPUS
 #undef VAL_FLAGS
 #undef VAL_HANDLE
 #undef VAL_SSIDREF
diff --git a/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/xc/xc.c b/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/xc/xc.c
index 6bd58ecbcd..b137d5a839 100644
--- a/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/xc/xc.c
+++ b/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/xc/xc.c
@@ -125,16 +125,19 @@ static PyObject *pyxc_domain_create(XcObject *self,
             0xde, 0xad, 0xbe, 0xef, 0xde, 0xad, 0xbe, 0xef,
             0xde, 0xad, 0xbe, 0xef, 0xde, 0xad, 0xbe, 0xef,
         },
+        .max_vcpus = 1,
         .max_evtchn_port = -1, /* No limit. */
         .max_grant_frames = 32,
         .max_maptrack_frames = 1024,
     };
 
-    static char *kwd_list[] = { "domid", "ssidref", "handle", "flags", "target", NULL };
+    static char *kwd_list[] = { "domid", "ssidref", "handle", "flags",
+                                "target", "max_vcpus", NULL };
 
-    if ( !PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "|iiOii", kwd_list,
+    if ( !PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "|iiOiii", kwd_list,
                                       &dom, &config.ssidref, &pyhandle,
-                                      &config.flags, &target))
+                                      &config.flags, &target,
+                                      &config.max_vcpus) )
         return NULL;
     if ( pyhandle != NULL )
     {
diff --git a/xen/include/public/domctl.h b/xen/include/public/domctl.h
index 2b496d4e31..512e21d1b8 100644
--- a/xen/include/public/domctl.h
+++ b/xen/include/public/domctl.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ struct xen_domctl_createdomain {
      * Various domain limits, which impact the quantity of resources (global
      * mapping space, xenheap, etc) a guest may consume.
      */
+    uint32_t max_vcpus;
     uint32_t max_evtchn_port;
     uint32_t max_grant_frames;
     uint32_t max_maptrack_frames;