diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index 7a9df60d00..340d07de6f 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -4578,7 +4578,7 @@ remoteDispatchNodeGetCPUMap(virNetServerPtr server ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                             remote_node_get_cpu_map_ret *ret)
 {
     unsigned char *cpumap = NULL;
-    unsigned int online;
+    unsigned int online = 0;
     unsigned int flags;
     int cpunum;
     int rv = -1;
@@ -4592,13 +4592,13 @@ remoteDispatchNodeGetCPUMap(virNetServerPtr server ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 
     flags = args->flags;
 
-    cpunum = virNodeGetCPUMap(priv->conn, args->need_results ? &cpumap : NULL,
-                              &online, flags);
+    cpunum = virNodeGetCPUMap(priv->conn, args->need_map ? &cpumap : NULL,
+                              args->need_online ? &online : NULL, flags);
     if (cpunum < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     /* 'serialize' return cpumap */
-    if (args->need_results) {
+    if (args->need_map) {
         ret->cpumap.cpumap_len = VIR_CPU_MAPLEN(cpunum);
         ret->cpumap.cpumap_val = (char *) cpumap;
         cpumap = NULL;
diff --git a/src/nodeinfo.c b/src/nodeinfo.c
index 35c5f96d37..3348ae7091 100644
--- a/src/nodeinfo.c
+++ b/src/nodeinfo.c
@@ -1277,6 +1277,9 @@ nodeGetCPUMap(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 
     virCheckFlags(0, -1);
 
+    if (!cpumap && !online)
+        return nodeGetCPUCount();
+
     if (!(cpus = nodeGetCPUBitmap(&maxpresent)))
         goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index 71218f0c9b..5eca0fab19 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -5793,7 +5793,8 @@ remoteNodeGetCPUMap(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     remoteDriverLock(priv);
 
-    args.need_results = !!cpumap;
+    args.need_map = !!cpumap;
+    args.need_online = !!online;
     args.flags = flags;
 
     memset (&ret, 0, sizeof(ret));
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_protocol.x b/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
index 765ffcddfc..d6ac3c10ac 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
+++ b/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
@@ -2671,7 +2671,8 @@ struct remote_node_get_memory_parameters_ret {
 };
 
 struct remote_node_get_cpu_map_args {
-    int need_results;
+    int need_map;
+    int need_online;
     unsigned int flags;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/remote_protocol-structs b/src/remote_protocol-structs
index 567864a182..6fe7213665 100644
--- a/src/remote_protocol-structs
+++ b/src/remote_protocol-structs
@@ -2127,7 +2127,8 @@ struct remote_node_get_memory_parameters_ret {
         int                        nparams;
 };
 struct remote_node_get_cpu_map_args {
-        int                        need_results;
+        int                        need_map;
+        int                        need_online;
         u_int                      flags;
 };
 struct remote_node_get_cpu_map_ret {