diff --git a/src/libvirt-domain.c b/src/libvirt-domain.c
index 04e5b25a70..7dcd40e420 100644
--- a/src/libvirt-domain.c
+++ b/src/libvirt-domain.c
@@ -7245,8 +7245,18 @@ virDomainSetVcpusFlags(virDomainPtr domain, unsigned int nvcpus,
     virCheckDomainReturn(domain, -1);
     virCheckReadOnlyGoto(domain->conn->flags, error);
 
+    VIR_REQUIRE_FLAG_GOTO(VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_MAXIMUM,
+                          VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG,
+                          error);
+
+    VIR_EXCLUSIVE_FLAGS_GOTO(VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CURRENT,
+                             VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE,
+                             error);
+    VIR_EXCLUSIVE_FLAGS_GOTO(VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CURRENT,
+                             VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG,
+                             error);
     VIR_EXCLUSIVE_FLAGS_GOTO(VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_GUEST,
-                             VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_MAXIMUM,
+                             VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG,
                              error);
 
     virCheckNonZeroArgGoto(nvcpus, error);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index d39d327cac..f8d493d47f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -4942,13 +4942,6 @@ qemuDomainSetVcpusFlags(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int nvcpus,
             goto endjob;
     }
 
-    /* MAXIMUM cannot be mixed with LIVE.  */
-    if ((flags & VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_MAXIMUM) && (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE)) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s",
-                       _("cannot adjust maximum vcpus on running domain"));
-        goto endjob;
-    }
-
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE)
         maxvcpus = vm->def->maxvcpus;
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG) {
@@ -4964,13 +4957,6 @@ qemuDomainSetVcpusFlags(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int nvcpus,
     }
 
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_VCPU_GUEST) {
-        if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("setting vcpus via guest agent isn't supported "
-                             "on offline domain"));
-            goto endjob;
-        }
-
         if (!qemuDomainAgentAvailable(vm, true))
             goto endjob;