diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
index 5df5e4537d..14cf657b77 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
@@ -789,17 +789,6 @@ qemuInitCgroup(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (virCgroupAddTask(priv->cgroup, vm->pid) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr saved = virSaveLastError();
-        virCgroupRemove(priv->cgroup);
-        virCgroupFree(&priv->cgroup);
-        if (saved) {
-            virSetError(saved);
-            virFreeError(saved);
-        }
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
  done:
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
@@ -1170,6 +1159,10 @@ qemuSetupCgroupForEmulator(virDomainObjPtr vm)
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    /* consider the first thread an emulator-thread */
+    if (virCgroupAddTask(cgroup_emulator, vm->pid) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     virCgroupFree(&cgroup_emulator);
     return 0;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 229808e15e..ba8dfebd13 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -4888,12 +4888,6 @@ qemuProcessLaunch(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (qemuSetupCgroup(driver, vm, nnicindexes, nicindexes) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    /* This must be done after cgroup placement to avoid resetting CPU
-     * affinity */
-    if (!vm->def->cputune.emulatorpin &&
-        qemuProcessInitCpuAffinity(vm) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     VIR_DEBUG("Setting domain security labels");
     if (virSecurityManagerSetAllLabel(driver->securityManager,
                                       vm->def,
@@ -4940,6 +4934,12 @@ qemuProcessLaunch(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (qemuSetupCgroupForEmulator(vm) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    /* This must be done after cgroup placement to avoid resetting CPU
+     * affinity */
+    if (!vm->def->cputune.emulatorpin &&
+        qemuProcessInitCpuAffinity(vm) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     VIR_DEBUG("Setting affinity of emulator threads");
     if (qemuProcessSetEmulatorAffinity(vm) < 0)
         goto cleanup;