diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu.c b/src/cpu/cpu.c
index 33701811fb..a2518d7cc7 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu.c
@@ -560,19 +560,23 @@ virCPUBaseline(virArch arch,
  * @arch: CPU architecture
  * @guest: guest CPU definition to be updated
  * @host: host CPU definition
+ * @removedPolicy: default policy for features removed from the CPU model
  *
  * Updates @guest CPU definition possibly taking @host CPU into account. This
  * is required for maintaining compatibility with older libvirt releases or to
  * support guest CPU definitions specified relatively to host CPU, such as CPUs
  * with VIR_CPU_MODE_CUSTOM and optional features or VIR_CPU_MATCH_MINIMUM, or
- * CPUs with VIR_CPU_MODE_HOST_MODEL.
+ * CPUs with VIR_CPU_MODE_HOST_MODEL. If @guest CPU uses a CPU model which
+ * specifies some features as removed, such features that were not already
+ * present in the @guest CPU definition will be added there with @removedPolicy.
  *
  * Returns 0 on success, -1 on error.
  */
 int
 virCPUUpdate(virArch arch,
              virCPUDef *guest,
-             const virCPUDef *host)
+             const virCPUDef *host,
+             virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy)
 {
     struct cpuArchDriver *driver;
     bool relative;
@@ -622,7 +626,7 @@ virCPUUpdate(virArch arch,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (driver->update(guest, host, relative) < 0)
+    if (driver->update(guest, host, relative, removedPolicy) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     VIR_DEBUG("model=%s", NULLSTR(guest->model));
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu.h b/src/cpu/cpu.h
index a4cdb37f03..d092b4f3f0 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu.h
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu.h
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ typedef virCPUDef *
 typedef int
 (*virCPUArchUpdate)(virCPUDef *guest,
                     const virCPUDef *host,
-                    bool relative);
+                    bool relative,
+                    virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy);
 
 typedef int
 (*virCPUArchUpdateLive)(virCPUDef *cpu,
@@ -229,7 +230,8 @@ virCPUBaseline(virArch arch,
 int
 virCPUUpdate(virArch arch,
              virCPUDef *guest,
-             const virCPUDef *host)
+             const virCPUDef *host,
+             virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
 
 int
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_arm.c b/src/cpu/cpu_arm.c
index 324c701e81..7a9c8163c8 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_arm.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_arm.c
@@ -448,7 +448,8 @@ virCPUarmGetMap(void)
 static int
 virCPUarmUpdate(virCPUDef *guest,
                 const virCPUDef *host,
-                bool relative)
+                bool relative,
+                virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     g_autoptr(virCPUDef) updated = virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(guest);
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_loongarch.c b/src/cpu/cpu_loongarch.c
index 78d9941320..0e2b0b5848 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_loongarch.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_loongarch.c
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ virCPULoongArchCompare(virCPUDef *host G_GNUC_UNUSED,
 static int
 virCPULoongArchUpdate(virCPUDef *guest G_GNUC_UNUSED,
                       const virCPUDef *host G_GNUC_UNUSED,
-                      bool relative G_GNUC_UNUSED)
+                      bool relative G_GNUC_UNUSED,
+                      virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c b/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
index 448a0a7d85..13f5fc9c2c 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_ppc64.c
@@ -654,7 +654,8 @@ virCPUppc64GetHost(virCPUDef *cpu,
 static int
 virCPUppc64Update(virCPUDef *guest,
                   const virCPUDef *host G_GNUC_UNUSED,
-                  bool relative G_GNUC_UNUSED)
+                  bool relative G_GNUC_UNUSED,
+                  virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     /*
      * - host-passthrough doesn't even get here
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_riscv64.c b/src/cpu/cpu_riscv64.c
index 4cb795f849..276c80a401 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_riscv64.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_riscv64.c
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ virCPURiscv64ValidateFeatures(virCPUDef *cpu G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 static int
 virCPURiscv64Update(virCPUDef *guest,
                     const virCPUDef *host,
-                    bool relative)
+                    bool relative,
+                    virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     g_autoptr(virCPUDef) updated = virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(guest);
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_s390.c b/src/cpu/cpu_s390.c
index 13695ee97a..bcfe3fc07a 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_s390.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_s390.c
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ virCPUs390Compare(virCPUDef *host G_GNUC_UNUSED,
 static int
 virCPUs390Update(virCPUDef *guest,
                  const virCPUDef *host,
-                 bool relative)
+                 bool relative,
+                 virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     g_autoptr(virCPUDef) updated = virCPUDefCopyWithoutModel(guest);
     size_t i;
diff --git a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
index 8770f52d15..7a70eed9e7 100644
--- a/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
+++ b/src/cpu/cpu_x86.c
@@ -829,6 +829,22 @@ x86DataAddSignature(virCPUx86Data *data,
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * Adds features removed from the CPU @model to @cpu with a specified @policy
+ * unless the features were already explicitly mentioned in @cpu.
+ */
+static void
+virCPUx86AddRemovedFeatures(virCPUDef *cpu,
+                            virCPUx86Model *model,
+                            virCPUFeaturePolicy policy)
+{
+    char **feat;
+
+    for (feat = model->removedFeatures; feat && *feat; feat++)
+        virCPUDefAddFeatureIfMissing(cpu, *feat, policy);
+}
+
+
 /*
  * Disables features removed from the CPU @model unless they are already
  * mentioned in @cpu to make sure these features will always be explicitly
@@ -838,15 +854,7 @@ static void
 virCPUx86DisableRemovedFeatures(virCPUDef *cpu,
                                 virCPUx86Model *model)
 {
-    char **feat = model->removedFeatures;
-
-    if (!feat)
-        return;
-
-    while (*feat) {
-        virCPUDefAddFeatureIfMissing(cpu, *feat, VIR_CPU_FEATURE_DISABLE);
-        feat++;
-    }
+    virCPUx86AddRemovedFeatures(cpu, model, VIR_CPU_FEATURE_DISABLE);
 }
 
 
@@ -2940,7 +2948,8 @@ x86UpdateHostModel(virCPUDef *guest,
 static int
 virCPUx86Update(virCPUDef *guest,
                 const virCPUDef *host,
-                bool relative)
+                bool relative,
+                virCPUFeaturePolicy removedPolicy)
 {
     g_autoptr(virCPUx86Model) model = NULL;
     virCPUx86Model *guestModel;
@@ -2985,7 +2994,7 @@ virCPUx86Update(virCPUDef *guest,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    virCPUx86DisableRemovedFeatures(guest, guestModel);
+    virCPUx86AddRemovedFeatures(guest, guestModel, removedPolicy);
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index e42b04865b..bda62f2e5c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -6763,7 +6763,8 @@ qemuDomainDefFormatBufInternal(virQEMUDriver *driver,
 
         if (virCPUUpdate(def->os.arch, def->cpu,
                          virQEMUCapsGetHostModel(qCaps, def->virtType,
-                                                 VIR_QEMU_CAPS_HOST_CPU_MIGRATABLE)) < 0)
+                                                 VIR_QEMU_CAPS_HOST_CPU_MIGRATABLE),
+                         VIR_CPU_FEATURE_DISABLE) < 0)
             return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index da2b024f92..d5c5342966 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -6281,7 +6281,8 @@ qemuProcessUpdateGuestCPU(virDomainDef *def,
 
         if (virCPUUpdate(def->os.arch, def->cpu,
                          virQEMUCapsGetHostModel(qemuCaps, def->virtType,
-                                                 VIR_QEMU_CAPS_HOST_CPU_MIGRATABLE)) < 0)
+                                                 VIR_QEMU_CAPS_HOST_CPU_MIGRATABLE),
+                         VIR_CPU_FEATURE_DISABLE) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         cpuModels = virQEMUCapsGetCPUModels(qemuCaps, def->virtType, NULL, NULL);
@@ -8914,7 +8915,8 @@ qemuProcessRefreshCPU(virQEMUDriver *driver,
         virCPUDefCopyModelFilter(cpu, hostmig, false, virQEMUCapsCPUFilterFeatures,
                                  &host->arch);
 
-        if (virCPUUpdate(vm->def->os.arch, vm->def->cpu, cpu) < 0)
+        if (virCPUUpdate(vm->def->os.arch, vm->def->cpu, cpu,
+                         VIR_CPU_FEATURE_DISABLE) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         if (qemuProcessUpdateCPU(vm, VIR_ASYNC_JOB_NONE) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/cputest.c b/tests/cputest.c
index 93cd0e12a7..32bf86997a 100644
--- a/tests/cputest.c
+++ b/tests/cputest.c
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ cpuTestGuestCPU(const void *arg)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (virCPUUpdate(host->arch, cpu, host) < 0 ||
+    if (virCPUUpdate(host->arch, cpu, host, VIR_CPU_FEATURE_DISABLE) < 0 ||
         virCPUTranslate(host->arch, cpu, data->models) < 0) {
         ret = -1;
         goto cleanup;
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ cpuTestUpdate(const void *arg)
     if (!(migHost = virCPUCopyMigratable(data->arch, host)))
         return -1;
 
-    if (virCPUUpdate(host->arch, cpu, migHost) < 0)
+    if (virCPUUpdate(host->arch, cpu, migHost, VIR_CPU_FEATURE_DISABLE) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     result = g_strdup_printf("%s+%s", data->host, data->name);