diff --git a/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c b/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c
index a00b854736..39aec42dae 100644
--- a/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c
+++ b/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c
@@ -420,6 +420,9 @@ static void vhost_user_blk_device_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
+    if (s->num_queues == VHOST_USER_BLK_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES) {
+        s->num_queues = 1;
+    }
     if (!s->num_queues || s->num_queues > VIRTIO_QUEUE_MAX) {
         error_setg(errp, "vhost-user-blk: invalid number of IO queues");
         return;
@@ -531,7 +534,8 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_vhost_user_blk = {
 
 static Property vhost_user_blk_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_CHR("chardev", VHostUserBlk, chardev),
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("num-queues", VHostUserBlk, num_queues, 1),
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("num-queues", VHostUserBlk, num_queues,
+                       VHOST_USER_BLK_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("queue-size", VHostUserBlk, queue_size, 128),
     DEFINE_PROP_BIT("config-wce", VHostUserBlk, config_wce, 0, true),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index 7f65fa8743..ea26d61237 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 GlobalProperty hw_compat_5_1[] = {
     { "vhost-scsi", "num_queues", "1"},
+    { "vhost-user-blk", "num-queues", "1"},
     { "vhost-user-scsi", "num_queues", "1"},
     { "virtio-blk-device", "num-queues", "1"},
     { "virtio-scsi-device", "num_queues", "1"},
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk-pci.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk-pci.c
index 4f5d5cbf44..a62a71e067 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk-pci.c
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ static void vhost_user_blk_pci_realize(VirtIOPCIProxy *vpci_dev, Error **errp)
     VHostUserBlkPCI *dev = VHOST_USER_BLK_PCI(vpci_dev);
     DeviceState *vdev = DEVICE(&dev->vdev);
 
+    if (dev->vdev.num_queues == VHOST_USER_BLK_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES) {
+        dev->vdev.num_queues = virtio_pci_optimal_num_queues(0);
+    }
+
     if (vpci_dev->nvectors == DEV_NVECTORS_UNSPECIFIED) {
         vpci_dev->nvectors = dev->vdev.num_queues + 1;
     }
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk.h
index 34ad6f0c0e..292d17147c 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user-blk.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #define VHOST_USER_BLK(obj) \
         OBJECT_CHECK(VHostUserBlk, (obj), TYPE_VHOST_USER_BLK)
 
+#define VHOST_USER_BLK_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES UINT16_MAX
+
 typedef struct VHostUserBlk {
     VirtIODevice parent_obj;
     CharBackend chardev;