diff --git a/hw/riscv/spike.c b/hw/riscv/spike.c
index 2c5546560a..81f7e53aed 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/spike.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/spike.c
@@ -354,6 +354,8 @@ static void spike_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->cpu_index_to_instance_props = riscv_numa_cpu_index_to_props;
     mc->get_default_cpu_node_id = riscv_numa_get_default_cpu_node_id;
     mc->numa_mem_supported = true;
+    /* platform instead of architectural choice */
+    mc->cpu_cluster_has_numa_boundary = true;
     mc->default_ram_id = "riscv.spike.ram";
     object_class_property_add_str(oc, "signature", NULL, spike_set_signature);
     object_class_property_set_description(oc, "signature",
diff --git a/hw/riscv/virt.c b/hw/riscv/virt.c
index 95708d890e..ed4c27487e 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/virt.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/virt.c
@@ -1669,6 +1669,8 @@ static void virt_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->cpu_index_to_instance_props = riscv_numa_cpu_index_to_props;
     mc->get_default_cpu_node_id = riscv_numa_get_default_cpu_node_id;
     mc->numa_mem_supported = true;
+    /* platform instead of architectural choice */
+    mc->cpu_cluster_has_numa_boundary = true;
     mc->default_ram_id = "riscv_virt_board.ram";
     assert(!mc->get_hotplug_handler);
     mc->get_hotplug_handler = virt_machine_get_hotplug_handler;