diff --git a/target/arm/cpu.h b/target/arm/cpu.h
index 193a49ec7fa..fe68f464b3a 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu.h
+++ b/target/arm/cpu.h
@@ -942,6 +942,7 @@ struct ARMCPU {
         uint64_t id_aa64mmfr2;
         uint64_t id_aa64dfr0;
         uint64_t id_aa64dfr1;
+        uint64_t reset_pmcr_el0;
     } isar;
     uint64_t midr;
     uint32_t revidr;
diff --git a/target/arm/cpu64.c b/target/arm/cpu64.c
index f0a9e968c9c..5d9d56a33c3 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu64.c
+++ b/target/arm/cpu64.c
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ static void aarch64_a57_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->gic_num_lrs = 4;
     cpu->gic_vpribits = 5;
     cpu->gic_vprebits = 5;
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x41013000;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortex_a72_a57_a53_cp_reginfo);
 }
 
@@ -194,6 +195,7 @@ static void aarch64_a53_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->gic_num_lrs = 4;
     cpu->gic_vpribits = 5;
     cpu->gic_vprebits = 5;
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x41033000;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortex_a72_a57_a53_cp_reginfo);
 }
 
@@ -245,6 +247,7 @@ static void aarch64_a72_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->gic_num_lrs = 4;
     cpu->gic_vpribits = 5;
     cpu->gic_vprebits = 5;
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x41023000;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortex_a72_a57_a53_cp_reginfo);
 }
 
diff --git a/target/arm/cpu_tcg.c b/target/arm/cpu_tcg.c
index 046e476f65f..8252fd29f90 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu_tcg.c
+++ b/target/arm/cpu_tcg.c
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ static void cortex_a8_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->ccsidr[1] = 0x2007e01a; /* 16k L1 icache. */
     cpu->ccsidr[2] = 0xf0000000; /* No L2 icache. */
     cpu->reset_auxcr = 2;
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x41002000;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortexa8_cp_reginfo);
 }
 
@@ -373,6 +374,7 @@ static void cortex_a9_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->clidr = (1 << 27) | (1 << 24) | 3;
     cpu->ccsidr[0] = 0xe00fe019; /* 16k L1 dcache. */
     cpu->ccsidr[1] = 0x200fe019; /* 16k L1 icache. */
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x41093000;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortexa9_cp_reginfo);
 }
 
@@ -443,6 +445,7 @@ static void cortex_a7_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->ccsidr[0] = 0x701fe00a; /* 32K L1 dcache */
     cpu->ccsidr[1] = 0x201fe00a; /* 32K L1 icache */
     cpu->ccsidr[2] = 0x711fe07a; /* 4096K L2 unified cache */
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x41072000;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortexa15_cp_reginfo); /* Same as A15 */
 }
 
@@ -485,6 +488,7 @@ static void cortex_a15_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->ccsidr[0] = 0x701fe00a; /* 32K L1 dcache */
     cpu->ccsidr[1] = 0x201fe00a; /* 32K L1 icache */
     cpu->ccsidr[2] = 0x711fe07a; /* 4096K L2 unified cache */
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x410F3000;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortexa15_cp_reginfo);
 }
 
@@ -717,6 +721,7 @@ static void cortex_r5_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->isar.id_isar6 = 0x0;
     cpu->mp_is_up = true;
     cpu->pmsav7_dregion = 16;
+    cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 = 0x41151800;
     define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, cortexr5_cp_reginfo);
 }
 
diff --git a/target/arm/helper.c b/target/arm/helper.c
index d9220be7c5a..8fb6cc96e4d 100644
--- a/target/arm/helper.c
+++ b/target/arm/helper.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #define ARM_CPU_FREQ 1000000000 /* FIXME: 1 GHz, should be configurable */
-#define PMCR_NUM_COUNTERS 4 /* QEMU IMPDEF choice */
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
 
@@ -1149,7 +1148,9 @@ static const ARMCPRegInfo v6_cp_reginfo[] = {
 
 static inline uint32_t pmu_num_counters(CPUARMState *env)
 {
-  return (env->cp15.c9_pmcr & PMCRN_MASK) >> PMCRN_SHIFT;
+    ARMCPU *cpu = env_archcpu(env);
+
+    return (cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0 & PMCRN_MASK) >> PMCRN_SHIFT;
 }
 
 /* Bits allowed to be set/cleared for PMCNTEN* and PMINTEN* */
@@ -5753,13 +5754,6 @@ static const ARMCPRegInfo el2_cp_reginfo[] = {
       .resetvalue = 0,
       .writefn = gt_hyp_ctl_write, .raw_writefn = raw_write },
 #endif
-    /* The only field of MDCR_EL2 that has a defined architectural reset value
-     * is MDCR_EL2.HPMN which should reset to the value of PMCR_EL0.N.
-     */
-    { .name = "MDCR_EL2", .state = ARM_CP_STATE_BOTH,
-      .opc0 = 3, .opc1 = 4, .crn = 1, .crm = 1, .opc2 = 1,
-      .access = PL2_RW, .resetvalue = PMCR_NUM_COUNTERS,
-      .fieldoffset = offsetof(CPUARMState, cp15.mdcr_el2), },
     { .name = "HPFAR", .state = ARM_CP_STATE_AA32,
       .cp = 15, .opc1 = 4, .crn = 6, .crm = 0, .opc2 = 4,
       .access = PL2_RW, .accessfn = access_el3_aa32ns,
@@ -6689,7 +6683,7 @@ static void define_pmu_regs(ARMCPU *cpu)
      * field as main ID register, and we implement four counters in
      * addition to the cycle count register.
      */
-    unsigned int i, pmcrn = PMCR_NUM_COUNTERS;
+    unsigned int i, pmcrn = pmu_num_counters(&cpu->env);
     ARMCPRegInfo pmcr = {
         .name = "PMCR", .cp = 15, .crn = 9, .crm = 12, .opc1 = 0, .opc2 = 0,
         .access = PL0_RW,
@@ -6704,10 +6698,10 @@ static void define_pmu_regs(ARMCPU *cpu)
         .access = PL0_RW, .accessfn = pmreg_access,
         .type = ARM_CP_IO,
         .fieldoffset = offsetof(CPUARMState, cp15.c9_pmcr),
-        .resetvalue = (cpu->midr & 0xff000000) | (pmcrn << PMCRN_SHIFT) |
-                      PMCRLC,
+        .resetvalue = cpu->isar.reset_pmcr_el0,
         .writefn = pmcr_write, .raw_writefn = raw_write,
     };
+
     define_one_arm_cp_reg(cpu, &pmcr);
     define_one_arm_cp_reg(cpu, &pmcr64);
     for (i = 0; i < pmcrn; i++) {
@@ -7825,6 +7819,17 @@ void register_cp_regs_for_features(ARMCPU *cpu)
               .fieldoffset = offsetof(CPUARMState, cp15.vmpidr_el2) },
             REGINFO_SENTINEL
         };
+        /*
+         * The only field of MDCR_EL2 that has a defined architectural reset
+         * value is MDCR_EL2.HPMN which should reset to the value of PMCR_EL0.N.
+         */
+        ARMCPRegInfo mdcr_el2 = {
+            .name = "MDCR_EL2", .state = ARM_CP_STATE_BOTH,
+            .opc0 = 3, .opc1 = 4, .crn = 1, .crm = 1, .opc2 = 1,
+            .access = PL2_RW, .resetvalue = pmu_num_counters(env),
+            .fieldoffset = offsetof(CPUARMState, cp15.mdcr_el2),
+        };
+        define_one_arm_cp_reg(cpu, &mdcr_el2);
         define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, vpidr_regs);
         define_arm_cp_regs(cpu, el2_cp_reginfo);
         if (arm_feature(env, ARM_FEATURE_V8)) {
diff --git a/target/arm/kvm64.c b/target/arm/kvm64.c
index dff85f6db94..581335e49d3 100644
--- a/target/arm/kvm64.c
+++ b/target/arm/kvm64.c
@@ -566,6 +566,8 @@ bool kvm_arm_get_host_cpu_features(ARMHostCPUFeatures *ahcf)
                               ARM64_SYS_REG(3, 0, 0, 7, 1));
         err |= read_sys_reg64(fdarray[2], &ahcf->isar.id_aa64mmfr2,
                               ARM64_SYS_REG(3, 0, 0, 7, 2));
+        err |= read_sys_reg64(fdarray[2], &ahcf->isar.reset_pmcr_el0,
+                              ARM64_SYS_REG(3, 3, 9, 12, 0));
 
         /*
          * Note that if AArch32 support is not present in the host,
