diff --git a/target/s390x/kvm.c b/target/s390x/kvm.c
index af83955e5f..348e8cc546 100644
--- a/target/s390x/kvm.c
+++ b/target/s390x/kvm.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/timer.h"
+#include "qemu/units.h"
+#include "qemu/mmap-alloc.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "sysemu/hw_accel.h"
 #include "hw/hw.h"
@@ -139,6 +141,7 @@ static int cap_mem_op;
 static int cap_s390_irq;
 static int cap_ri;
 static int cap_gs;
+static int cap_hpage_1m;
 
 static int active_cmma;
 
@@ -220,9 +223,9 @@ static void kvm_s390_enable_cmma(void)
         .attr = KVM_S390_VM_MEM_ENABLE_CMMA,
     };
 
-    if (mem_path) {
+    if (cap_hpage_1m) {
         warn_report("CMM will not be enabled because it is not "
-                    "compatible with hugetlbfs.");
+                    "compatible with huge memory backings.");
         return;
     }
     rc = kvm_vm_ioctl(kvm_state, KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR, &attr);
@@ -281,10 +284,38 @@ void kvm_s390_crypto_reset(void)
     }
 }
 
+static int kvm_s390_configure_mempath_backing(KVMState *s)
+{
+    size_t path_psize = qemu_mempath_getpagesize(mem_path);
+
+    if (path_psize == 4 * KiB) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (path_psize != 1 * MiB) {
+        error_report("Memory backing with 2G pages was specified, "
+                     "but KVM does not support this memory backing");
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    if (kvm_vm_enable_cap(s, KVM_CAP_S390_HPAGE_1M, 0)) {
+        error_report("Memory backing with 1M pages was specified, "
+                     "but KVM does not support this memory backing");
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    cap_hpage_1m = 1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int kvm_arch_init(MachineState *ms, KVMState *s)
 {
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(ms);
 
+    if (mem_path && kvm_s390_configure_mempath_backing(s)) {
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
     mc->default_cpu_type = S390_CPU_TYPE_NAME("host");
     cap_sync_regs = kvm_check_extension(s, KVM_CAP_SYNC_REGS);
     cap_async_pf = kvm_check_extension(s, KVM_CAP_ASYNC_PF);