diff --git a/target-ppc/translate_init.c b/target-ppc/translate_init.c
index dba572f..bb054a7 100644
--- a/target-ppc/translate_init.c
+++ b/target-ppc/translate_init.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <kvm.h>
 #include "kvm_ppc.h"
 #include "arch_init.h"
+#include "cpus.h"
 
 //#define PPC_DUMP_CPU
 //#define PPC_DEBUG_SPR
@@ -10037,6 +10038,10 @@ static int ppc_fixup_cpu(CPUPPCState *env)
 
 int cpu_ppc_register_internal (CPUPPCState *env, const ppc_def_t *def)
 {
+#if !defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
+    int max_smt = kvmppc_smt_threads();
+#endif
+
     env->msr_mask = def->msr_mask;
     env->mmu_model = def->mmu_model;
     env->excp_model = def->excp_model;
@@ -10046,6 +10051,13 @@ int cpu_ppc_register_internal (CPUPPCState *env, const ppc_def_t *def)
     env->flags = def->flags;
     env->bfd_mach = def->bfd_mach;
     env->check_pow = def->check_pow;
+#if !defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
+    if (smp_threads > max_smt) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Cannot support more than %d threads on PPC with %s\n",
+                max_smt, kvm_enabled() ? "KVM" : "TCG");
+        exit(1);
+    }
+#endif
 
 #if defined(TARGET_PPC64)
     if (def->sps)