diff --git a/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-init.c b/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-init.c
index d5e05d979407..ccbeb2f783c4 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-init.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-init.c
@@ -129,13 +129,30 @@ int kvm_vgic_create(struct kvm *kvm, u32 type)
 	}
 	ret = 0;
 
-	if (type == KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V2)
+	switch (type) {
+	case KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V2:
 		kvm->max_vcpus = VGIC_V2_MAX_CPUS;
-	else if (type == KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V3)
+		break;
+	case KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V3:
 		kvm->max_vcpus = VGIC_V3_MAX_CPUS;
-	else if (type == KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V5)
-		kvm->max_vcpus = min(VGIC_V5_MAX_CPUS,
-				     kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus);
+		break;
+	case KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V5:
+		kvm->max_vcpus = kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gicv5_vcpus;
+		break;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * KVM_CREATE_VCPU enforces the model-specific limit if the VGIC has
+	 * already been created. Apply the same limit to any existing vCPUs so
+	 * that the result does not depend on the order in which userspace
+	 * creates them.
+	 */
+	kvm_for_each_vcpu(i, vcpu, kvm) {
+		if (vcpu->vcpu_id >= kvm->max_vcpus) {
+			ret = -E2BIG;
+			goto out_unlock;
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (atomic_read(&kvm->online_vcpus) > kvm->max_vcpus) {
 		ret = -E2BIG;
@@ -399,15 +416,27 @@ int kvm_vgic_vcpu_init(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	/*
-	 * If we are creating a VCPU with a GICv3 we must also register the
-	 * KVM io device for the redistributor that belongs to this VCPU.
-	 */
-	if (dist->vgic_model == KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V3) {
+	switch (dist->vgic_model) {
+	case KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V3:
+		/*
+		 * If we are creating a VCPU with a GICv3 we must also register
+		 * the KVM io device for the redistributor that belongs to this
+		 * VCPU.
+		 */
 		mutex_lock(&vcpu->kvm->slots_lock);
 		ret = vgic_register_redist_iodev(vcpu);
 		mutex_unlock(&vcpu->kvm->slots_lock);
+		break;
+	case KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V5:
+		/*
+		 * Ensure that it is possible to represent the
+		 * userspace-allocated vcpu_id in the hardware-limited (or
+		 * KVM-capped) VPE table used by GICv5.
+		 */
+		if (vcpu->vcpu_id >= kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gicv5_vcpus)
+			return -EINVAL;
 	}
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-v5.c b/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-v5.c
index 3d8f17301567..e1571d1788a6 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-v5.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kvm/vgic/vgic-v5.c
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ int vgic_v5_probe(const struct gic_kvm_info *info)
 	int ret;
 
 	kvm_vgic_global_state.type = VGIC_V5;
-	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus = VGIC_V5_MAX_CPUS;
+	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus = 0;
+	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gicv5_vcpus = 0;
 
 	kvm_vgic_global_state.vcpu_base = 0;
 	kvm_vgic_global_state.vctrl_base = NULL;
@@ -105,8 +106,8 @@ int vgic_v5_probe(const struct gic_kvm_info *info)
 	 * Even if the HW supports more per-VM vCPUs, artificially cap as we
 	 * can't use them all.
 	 */
-	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus = min(vgic_v5_irs_max_vpes(&irs_caps),
-						  VGIC_V5_MAX_CPUS);
+	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gicv5_vcpus = min(vgic_v5_irs_max_vpes(&irs_caps),
+						    VGIC_V5_MAX_CPUS);
 
 	/*
 	 * GICv5 requires a set of tables to be allocated in order to manage
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ int vgic_v5_probe(const struct gic_kvm_info *info)
 	 * we want to run. For now, we match the maximum number offered by the
 	 * hardware, but this might not be a wise choice in the long term.
 	 */
-	ret = vgic_v5_vmt_allocate(kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus);
+	ret = vgic_v5_vmt_allocate(kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gicv5_vcpus);
 	if (ret) {
 		kvm_err("Failed to allocate the GICv5 VM tables; no GICv5 support\n");
 		return -ENODEV;
@@ -150,6 +151,8 @@ int vgic_v5_probe(const struct gic_kvm_info *info)
 	}
 
 	v5_registered = true;
+	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus =
+		kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gicv5_vcpus;
 	kvm_info("GCIE system register CPU interface\n");
 
 skip_v5:
@@ -175,9 +178,8 @@ int vgic_v5_probe(const struct gic_kvm_info *info)
 		return v5_registered ? 0 : ret;
 	}
 
-	/* We potentially limit the max VCPUs further than we need to here */
-	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus = min(VGIC_V3_MAX_CPUS,
-						  kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus);
+	kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus = max(kvm_vgic_global_state.max_gic_vcpus,
+						  VGIC_V3_MAX_CPUS);
 
 	static_branch_enable(&kvm_vgic_global_state.gicv3_cpuif);
 	kvm_info("GCIE legacy system register CPU interface\n");
diff --git a/include/kvm/arm_vgic.h b/include/kvm/arm_vgic.h
index 3ec3f7e1b88b..593145760812 100644
--- a/include/kvm/arm_vgic.h
+++ b/include/kvm/arm_vgic.h
@@ -172,9 +172,16 @@ struct vgic_global {
 	/* Maintenance IRQ number */
 	unsigned int		maint_irq;
 
-	/* maximum number of VCPUs allowed (GICv2 limits us to 8) */
+	/*
+	 * Maximum number of VCPUs exposed before userspace has selected a
+	 * VGIC model. Individual VGIC models can impose a lower limit
+	 * (GICv2 limits us to 8).
+	 */
 	int			max_gic_vcpus;
 
+	/* Maximum number of VCPUs allowed for a GICv5 VM. */
+	int			max_gicv5_vcpus;
+
 	/* Only needed for the legacy KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP */
 	bool			can_emulate_gicv2;
 
@@ -622,10 +629,11 @@ void kvm_vgic_process_async_update(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void vgic_v3_dispatch_sgi(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u64 reg, bool allow_group1);
 
 /**
- * kvm_vgic_get_max_vcpus - Get the maximum number of VCPUs allowed by HW
+ * kvm_vgic_get_max_vcpus - Get the pre-VGIC-selection VCPU limit
  *
- * The host's GIC naturally limits the maximum amount of VCPUs a guest
- * can use.
+ * Userspace can query KVM_CAP_MAX_VCPUS before selecting a VGIC model, so
+ * expose the highest model-specific limit and let kvm_vgic_create() enforce
+ * the selected model's actual limit.
  */
 static inline int kvm_vgic_get_max_vcpus(void)
 {