diff --git a/target/arm/cpu64.c b/target/arm/cpu64.c
index eb9318c83b..557fd47577 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu64.c
+++ b/target/arm/cpu64.c
@@ -265,14 +265,17 @@ void arm_cpu_sve_finalize(ARMCPU *cpu, Error **errp)
      * any of the above.  Finally, if SVE is not disabled, then at least one
      * vector length must be enabled.
      */
-    DECLARE_BITMAP(kvm_supported, ARM_MAX_VQ);
     DECLARE_BITMAP(tmp, ARM_MAX_VQ);
     uint32_t vq, max_vq = 0;
 
-    /* Collect the set of vector lengths supported by KVM. */
-    bitmap_zero(kvm_supported, ARM_MAX_VQ);
+    /*
+     * CPU models specify a set of supported vector lengths which are
+     * enabled by default.  Attempting to enable any vector length not set
+     * in the supported bitmap results in an error.  When KVM is enabled we
+     * fetch the supported bitmap from the host.
+     */
     if (kvm_enabled() && kvm_arm_sve_supported()) {
-        kvm_arm_sve_get_vls(CPU(cpu), kvm_supported);
+        kvm_arm_sve_get_vls(CPU(cpu), cpu->sve_vq_supported);
     } else if (kvm_enabled()) {
         assert(!cpu_isar_feature(aa64_sve, cpu));
     }
@@ -299,7 +302,7 @@ void arm_cpu_sve_finalize(ARMCPU *cpu, Error **errp)
              * For KVM we have to automatically enable all supported unitialized
              * lengths, even when the smaller lengths are not all powers-of-two.
              */
-            bitmap_andnot(tmp, kvm_supported, cpu->sve_vq_init, max_vq);
+            bitmap_andnot(tmp, cpu->sve_vq_supported, cpu->sve_vq_init, max_vq);
             bitmap_or(cpu->sve_vq_map, cpu->sve_vq_map, tmp, max_vq);
         } else {
             /* Propagate enabled bits down through required powers-of-two. */
@@ -322,12 +325,12 @@ void arm_cpu_sve_finalize(ARMCPU *cpu, Error **errp)
             /* Disabling a supported length disables all larger lengths. */
             for (vq = 1; vq <= ARM_MAX_VQ; ++vq) {
                 if (test_bit(vq - 1, cpu->sve_vq_init) &&
-                    test_bit(vq - 1, kvm_supported)) {
+                    test_bit(vq - 1, cpu->sve_vq_supported)) {
                     break;
                 }
             }
             max_vq = vq <= ARM_MAX_VQ ? vq - 1 : ARM_MAX_VQ;
-            bitmap_andnot(cpu->sve_vq_map, kvm_supported,
+            bitmap_andnot(cpu->sve_vq_map, cpu->sve_vq_supported,
                           cpu->sve_vq_init, max_vq);
             if (max_vq == 0 || bitmap_empty(cpu->sve_vq_map, max_vq)) {
                 error_setg(errp, "cannot disable sve%d", vq * 128);
@@ -392,7 +395,7 @@ void arm_cpu_sve_finalize(ARMCPU *cpu, Error **errp)
 
     if (kvm_enabled()) {
         /* Ensure the set of lengths matches what KVM supports. */
-        bitmap_xor(tmp, cpu->sve_vq_map, kvm_supported, max_vq);
+        bitmap_xor(tmp, cpu->sve_vq_map, cpu->sve_vq_supported, max_vq);
         if (!bitmap_empty(tmp, max_vq)) {
             vq = find_last_bit(tmp, max_vq) + 1;
             if (test_bit(vq - 1, cpu->sve_vq_map)) {