diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index 3e288bfceb..d6e2370c77 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@
 GlobalProperty hw_compat_4_2[] = {
     { "virtio-blk-device", "x-enable-wce-if-config-wce", "off" },
     { "virtio-blk-device", "seg-max-adjust", "off"},
+    { "virtio-scsi-device", "num_queues", "1"},
     { "virtio-scsi-device", "seg_max_adjust", "off"},
     { "vhost-blk-device", "seg_max_adjust", "off"},
+    { "vhost-scsi", "num_queues", "1"},
+    { "vhost-user-scsi", "num_queues", "1"},
     { "usb-host", "suppress-remote-wake", "off" },
     { "usb-redir", "suppress-remote-wake", "off" },
 };
diff --git a/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
index 26f710d3ec..80fe5d999a 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
@@ -272,7 +272,8 @@ static Property vhost_scsi_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_STRING("vhostfd", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.vhostfd),
     DEFINE_PROP_STRING("wwpn", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.wwpn),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("boot_tpgt", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.boot_tpgt, 0),
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("num_queues", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.num_queues, 1),
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("num_queues", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.num_queues,
+                       VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("virtqueue_size", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.virtqueue_size,
                        128),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("seg_max_adjust", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.seg_max_adjust,
diff --git a/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
index eb37733bd0..655d300875 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ static void vhost_user_scsi_unrealize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 static Property vhost_user_scsi_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_CHR("chardev", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.chardev),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("boot_tpgt", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.boot_tpgt, 0),
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("num_queues", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.num_queues, 1),
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("num_queues", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.num_queues,
+                       VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("virtqueue_size", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.virtqueue_size,
                        128),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("max_sectors", VirtIOSCSICommon, conf.max_sectors,
diff --git a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
index 224a290498..c9342004ef 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
@@ -891,6 +891,9 @@ void virtio_scsi_common_realize(DeviceState *dev,
     virtio_init(vdev, "virtio-scsi", VIRTIO_ID_SCSI,
                 sizeof(VirtIOSCSIConfig));
 
+    if (s->conf.num_queues == VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES) {
+        s->conf.num_queues = 1;
+    }
     if (s->conf.num_queues == 0 ||
             s->conf.num_queues > VIRTIO_QUEUE_MAX - VIRTIO_SCSI_VQ_NUM_FIXED) {
         error_setg(errp, "Invalid number of queues (= %" PRIu32 "), "
@@ -964,7 +967,8 @@ static void virtio_scsi_device_unrealize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 }
 
 static Property virtio_scsi_properties[] = {
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("num_queues", VirtIOSCSI, parent_obj.conf.num_queues, 1),
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("num_queues", VirtIOSCSI, parent_obj.conf.num_queues,
+                       VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("virtqueue_size", VirtIOSCSI,
                                          parent_obj.conf.virtqueue_size, 128),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("seg_max_adjust", VirtIOSCSI,
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-scsi-pci.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-scsi-pci.c
index e8dfbfc60f..38a8f0c3ef 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-scsi-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-scsi-pci.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 
 #include "standard-headers/linux/virtio_pci.h"
+#include "hw/boards.h"
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "hw/virtio/vhost-scsi.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
@@ -47,10 +48,15 @@ static void vhost_scsi_pci_realize(VirtIOPCIProxy *vpci_dev, Error **errp)
 {
     VHostSCSIPCI *dev = VHOST_SCSI_PCI(vpci_dev);
     DeviceState *vdev = DEVICE(&dev->vdev);
-    VirtIOSCSICommon *vs = VIRTIO_SCSI_COMMON(vdev);
+    VirtIOSCSIConf *conf = &dev->vdev.parent_obj.parent_obj.conf;
+
+    /* 1:1 vq to vcpu mapping is ideal because it avoids IPIs */
+    if (conf->num_queues == VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES) {
+        conf->num_queues = current_machine->smp.cpus;
+    }
 
     if (vpci_dev->nvectors == DEV_NVECTORS_UNSPECIFIED) {
-        vpci_dev->nvectors = vs->conf.num_queues + 3;
+        vpci_dev->nvectors = conf->num_queues + VIRTIO_SCSI_VQ_NUM_FIXED + 1;
     }
 
     qdev_set_parent_bus(vdev, BUS(&vpci_dev->bus));
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-scsi-pci.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-scsi-pci.c
index ff13af7030..0cad29eb67 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-scsi-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-scsi-pci.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 
 #include "standard-headers/linux/virtio_pci.h"
+#include "hw/boards.h"
 #include "hw/virtio/vhost-user-scsi.h"
 #include "hw/virtio/virtio.h"
 #include "hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h"
@@ -53,10 +54,15 @@ static void vhost_user_scsi_pci_realize(VirtIOPCIProxy *vpci_dev, Error **errp)
 {
     VHostUserSCSIPCI *dev = VHOST_USER_SCSI_PCI(vpci_dev);
     DeviceState *vdev = DEVICE(&dev->vdev);
-    VirtIOSCSICommon *vs = VIRTIO_SCSI_COMMON(vdev);
+    VirtIOSCSIConf *conf = &dev->vdev.parent_obj.parent_obj.conf;
+
+    /* 1:1 vq to vcpu mapping is ideal because it avoids IPIs */
+    if (conf->num_queues == VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES) {
+        conf->num_queues = current_machine->smp.cpus;
+    }
 
     if (vpci_dev->nvectors == DEV_NVECTORS_UNSPECIFIED) {
-        vpci_dev->nvectors = vs->conf.num_queues + 3;
+        vpci_dev->nvectors = conf->num_queues + VIRTIO_SCSI_VQ_NUM_FIXED + 1;
     }
 
     qdev_set_parent_bus(vdev, BUS(&vpci_dev->bus));
diff --git a/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi-pci.c b/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi-pci.c
index 3c55dc19a1..b22c8b79e2 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi-pci.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 
+#include "hw/boards.h"
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
@@ -46,12 +47,17 @@ static void virtio_scsi_pci_realize(VirtIOPCIProxy *vpci_dev, Error **errp)
 {
     VirtIOSCSIPCI *dev = VIRTIO_SCSI_PCI(vpci_dev);
     DeviceState *vdev = DEVICE(&dev->vdev);
-    VirtIOSCSICommon *vs = VIRTIO_SCSI_COMMON(vdev);
     DeviceState *proxy = DEVICE(vpci_dev);
+    VirtIOSCSIConf *conf = &dev->vdev.parent_obj.conf;
     char *bus_name;
 
+    /* 1:1 vq to vcpu mapping is ideal because it avoids IPIs */
+    if (conf->num_queues == VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES) {
+        conf->num_queues = current_machine->smp.cpus;
+    }
+
     if (vpci_dev->nvectors == DEV_NVECTORS_UNSPECIFIED) {
-        vpci_dev->nvectors = vs->conf.num_queues + 3;
+        vpci_dev->nvectors = conf->num_queues + VIRTIO_SCSI_VQ_NUM_FIXED + 1;
     }
 
     /*
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
index 9f293bcb80..c0b8e4dd7e 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 /* Number of virtqueues that are always present */
 #define VIRTIO_SCSI_VQ_NUM_FIXED    2
 
+#define VIRTIO_SCSI_AUTO_NUM_QUEUES UINT32_MAX
+
 typedef struct virtio_scsi_cmd_req VirtIOSCSICmdReq;
 typedef struct virtio_scsi_cmd_resp VirtIOSCSICmdResp;
 typedef struct virtio_scsi_ctrl_tmf_req VirtIOSCSICtrlTMFReq;
