diff --git a/tests/data/cli/compare/virt-install-many-devices.xml b/tests/data/cli/compare/virt-install-many-devices.xml
index f6606a18c..7a3ac7c39 100644
--- a/tests/data/cli/compare/virt-install-many-devices.xml
+++ b/tests/data/cli/compare/virt-install-many-devices.xml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     <access mode="shared"/>
     <source type="file"/>
     <discard/>
-    <allocation mode="immediate"/>
+    <allocation mode="immediate" threads="8"/>
   </memoryBacking>
   <vcpu placement="static">9</vcpu>
   <vcpus>
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 19399452f..0ad72e6b4 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ memorytune0.vcpus=0-3,memorytune0.node0.id=0,memorytune0.node0.bandwidth=60
 --blkiotune weight=100,device_path=/home/test/1.img,device_weight=200,read_bytes_sec=10000,write_bytes_sec=10000,read_iops_sec=20000,write_iops_sec=20000
 
 
---memorybacking size=1,unit='G',nodeset=0,1,nosharepages=yes,locked=yes,discard=yes,allocation.mode=immediate,access_mode=shared,source_type=file,hugepages.page.size=12,hugepages.page1.size=1234,hugepages.page1.unit=MB,hugepages.page1.nodeset=2
+--memorybacking size=1,unit='G',nodeset=0,1,nosharepages=yes,locked=yes,discard=yes,allocation.mode=immediate,access_mode=shared,source_type=file,hugepages.page.size=12,hugepages.page1.size=1234,hugepages.page1.unit=MB,hugepages.page1.nodeset=2,allocation.threads=8
 
 
 --iothreads iothreads=5,iothreadids.iothread1.id=1,iothreadids.iothread2.id=2
diff --git a/virtinst/cli.py b/virtinst/cli.py
index 09dea4667..2548ac11f 100644
--- a/virtinst/cli.py
+++ b/virtinst/cli.py
@@ -2230,6 +2230,7 @@ class ParserMemoryBacking(VirtCLIParser):
         cls.add_arg("source.type", "source_type")
         cls.add_arg("discard", "discard", is_onoff=True)
         cls.add_arg("allocation.mode", "allocation_mode")
+        cls.add_arg("allocation.threads", "allocation_threads")
 
 
 #################
diff --git a/virtinst/domain/memorybacking.py b/virtinst/domain/memorybacking.py
index c883c57d8..c00e15863 100644
--- a/virtinst/domain/memorybacking.py
+++ b/virtinst/domain/memorybacking.py
@@ -34,5 +34,6 @@ class DomainMemoryBacking(XMLBuilder):
     access_mode = XMLProperty("./access/@mode")
     source_type = XMLProperty("./source/@type")
     allocation_mode = XMLProperty("./allocation/@mode")
+    allocation_threads = XMLProperty("./allocation/@threads", is_int=True)
 
     pages = XMLChildProperty(_HugepagesPage, relative_xpath="./hugepages")