diff --git a/lib/nova b/lib/nova
index bbb1039199..9aae2c4a9c 100644
--- a/lib/nova
+++ b/lib/nova
@@ -260,7 +260,8 @@ function configure_nova {
                 if [ ! -e /dev/kvm ]; then
                     echo "WARNING: Switching to QEMU"
                     LIBVIRT_TYPE=qemu
-                    LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE=none
+                    LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE=custom
+                    LIBVIRT_CPU_MODEL=Nehalem
                     if which selinuxenabled >/dev/null 2>&1 && selinuxenabled; then
                         # https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=753589
                         sudo setsebool virt_use_execmem on
diff --git a/lib/nova_plugins/hypervisor-libvirt b/lib/nova_plugins/hypervisor-libvirt
index 321775d324..c1cd132548 100644
--- a/lib/nova_plugins/hypervisor-libvirt
+++ b/lib/nova_plugins/hypervisor-libvirt
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ function configure_nova_hypervisor {
     configure_libvirt
     iniset $NOVA_CONF libvirt virt_type "$LIBVIRT_TYPE"
     iniset $NOVA_CONF libvirt cpu_mode "$LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE"
+    if [ "$LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE" == "custom" ] ; then
+        iniset $NOVA_CONF libvirt cpu_model "$LIBVIRT_CPU_MODEL"
+    fi
     # Do not enable USB tablet input devices to avoid QEMU CPU overhead.
     iniset $NOVA_CONF DEFAULT pointer_model "ps2mouse"
     iniset $NOVA_CONF libvirt live_migration_uri "qemu+ssh://$STACK_USER@%s/system"
diff --git a/stackrc b/stackrc
index 3dc800af2d..ebe472c033 100755
--- a/stackrc
+++ b/stackrc
@@ -623,7 +623,8 @@ VIRT_DRIVER=${VIRT_DRIVER:-$DEFAULT_VIRT_DRIVER}
 case "$VIRT_DRIVER" in
     ironic|libvirt)
         LIBVIRT_TYPE=${LIBVIRT_TYPE:-kvm}
-        LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE=${LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE:-none}
+        LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE=${LIBVIRT_CPU_MODE:-custom}
+        LIBVIRT_CPU_MODEL=${LIBVIRT_CPU_MODEL:-Nehalem}
         if [[ "$os_VENDOR" =~ (Debian|Ubuntu) ]]; then
             # The groups change with newer libvirt. Older Ubuntu used
             # 'libvirtd', but now uses libvirt like Debian. Do a quick check