diff --git a/linux-user/arm/target_cpu.h b/linux-user/arm/target_cpu.h
index 8a3764919a..279ea532d5 100644
--- a/linux-user/arm/target_cpu.h
+++ b/linux-user/arm/target_cpu.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 /* We need to be able to map the commpage.
    See validate_guest_space in linux-user/elfload.c.  */
-#define MAX_RESERVED_VA  0xffff0000ul
+#define MAX_RESERVED_VA(CPU)  0xffff0000ul
 
 static inline void cpu_clone_regs(CPUARMState *env, target_ulong newsp)
 {
diff --git a/linux-user/main.c b/linux-user/main.c
index c257b063db..24cb24f0bf 100644
--- a/linux-user/main.c
+++ b/linux-user/main.c
@@ -77,12 +77,12 @@ int have_guest_base;
       (TARGET_LONG_BITS == 32 || defined(TARGET_ABI32))
 /* There are a number of places where we assign reserved_va to a variable
    of type abi_ulong and expect it to fit.  Avoid the last page.  */
-#   define MAX_RESERVED_VA  (0xfffffffful & TARGET_PAGE_MASK)
+#   define MAX_RESERVED_VA(CPU)  (0xfffffffful & TARGET_PAGE_MASK)
 #  else
-#   define MAX_RESERVED_VA  (1ul << TARGET_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_BITS)
+#   define MAX_RESERVED_VA(CPU)  (1ul << TARGET_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_BITS)
 #  endif
 # else
-#  define MAX_RESERVED_VA  0
+#  define MAX_RESERVED_VA(CPU)  0
 # endif
 #endif
 
@@ -356,8 +356,7 @@ static void handle_arg_reserved_va(const char *arg)
         unsigned long unshifted = reserved_va;
         p++;
         reserved_va <<= shift;
-        if (reserved_va >> shift != unshifted
-            || (MAX_RESERVED_VA && reserved_va > MAX_RESERVED_VA)) {
+        if (reserved_va >> shift != unshifted) {
             fprintf(stderr, "Reserved virtual address too big\n");
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
@@ -605,6 +604,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     int i;
     int ret;
     int execfd;
+    unsigned long max_reserved_va;
 
     error_init(argv[0]);
     module_call_init(MODULE_INIT_TRACE);
@@ -670,24 +670,31 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     /* init tcg before creating CPUs and to get qemu_host_page_size */
     tcg_exec_init(0);
 
-    /* Reserving *too* much vm space via mmap can run into problems
-       with rlimits, oom due to page table creation, etc.  We will still try it,
-       if directed by the command-line option, but not by default.  */
-    if (HOST_LONG_BITS == 64 &&
-        TARGET_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_BITS <= 32 &&
-        reserved_va == 0) {
-        /* reserved_va must be aligned with the host page size
-         * as it is used with mmap()
-         */
-        reserved_va = MAX_RESERVED_VA & qemu_host_page_mask;
-    }
-
     cpu = cpu_create(cpu_type);
     env = cpu->env_ptr;
     cpu_reset(cpu);
-
     thread_cpu = cpu;
 
+    /*
+     * Reserving too much vm space via mmap can run into problems
+     * with rlimits, oom due to page table creation, etc.  We will
+     * still try it, if directed by the command-line option, but
+     * not by default.
+     */
+    max_reserved_va = MAX_RESERVED_VA(cpu);
+    if (reserved_va != 0) {
+        if (max_reserved_va && reserved_va > max_reserved_va) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Reserved virtual address too big\n");
+            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+        }
+    } else if (HOST_LONG_BITS == 64 && TARGET_VIRT_ADDR_SPACE_BITS <= 32) {
+        /*
+         * reserved_va must be aligned with the host page size
+         * as it is used with mmap()
+         */
+        reserved_va = max_reserved_va & qemu_host_page_mask;
+    }
+
     if (getenv("QEMU_STRACE")) {
         do_strace = 1;
     }