diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index 01165f7f53..7babea40dc 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -2797,6 +2797,7 @@ static void virt_machine_6_1_options(MachineClass *mc)
 {
     virt_machine_6_2_options(mc);
     compat_props_add(mc->compat_props, hw_compat_6_1, hw_compat_6_1_len);
+    mc->smp_prefer_sockets = true;
 }
 DEFINE_VIRT_MACHINE(6, 1)
 
diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index 63439c4a6d..c074425015 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -744,6 +744,22 @@ void machine_set_cpu_numa_node(MachineState *machine,
     }
 }
 
+/*
+ * smp_parse - Generic function used to parse the given SMP configuration
+ *
+ * The topology parameters must be specified equal to or great than one
+ * or just omitted, explicit configuration like "cpus=0" is not allowed.
+ * The omitted parameters will be calculated based on the provided ones.
+ *
+ * maxcpus will default to the value of cpus if omitted and will be used
+ * to compute the missing sockets/cores/threads. cpus will be calculated
+ * from the computed parametrs if omitted.
+ *
+ * In calculation of omitted arch-netural sockets/cores/threads, we prefer
+ * sockets over cores over threads before 6.2, while prefer cores over
+ * sockets over threads since 6.2 on. The arch-specific dies will directly
+ * default to 1 if omitted.
+ */
 static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **errp)
 {
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(ms);
@@ -772,19 +788,36 @@ static void smp_parse(MachineState *ms, SMPConfiguration *config, Error **errp)
 
     maxcpus = maxcpus > 0 ? maxcpus : cpus;
 
-    /* compute missing values, prefer sockets over cores over threads */
-    if (sockets == 0) {
-        cores = cores > 0 ? cores : 1;
-        threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
-        sockets = maxcpus / (dies * cores * threads);
-        sockets = sockets > 0 ? sockets : 1;
-    } else if (cores == 0) {
-        threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
-        cores = maxcpus / (sockets * dies * threads);
-        cores = cores > 0 ? cores : 1;
-    } else if (threads == 0) {
-        threads = maxcpus / (sockets * dies * cores);
-        threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
+    /* prefer sockets over cores over threads before 6.2 */
+    if (mc->smp_prefer_sockets) {
+        if (sockets == 0) {
+            cores = cores > 0 ? cores : 1;
+            threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
+            sockets = maxcpus / (dies * cores * threads);
+            sockets = sockets > 0 ? sockets : 1;
+        } else if (cores == 0) {
+            threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
+            cores = maxcpus / (sockets * dies * threads);
+            cores = cores > 0 ? cores : 1;
+        } else if (threads == 0) {
+            threads = maxcpus / (sockets * dies * cores);
+            threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
+        }
+    /* prefer cores over sockets over threads since 6.2 */
+    } else {
+        if (cores == 0) {
+            sockets = sockets > 0 ? sockets : 1;
+            threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
+            cores = maxcpus / (sockets * dies * threads);
+            cores = cores > 0 ? cores : 1;
+        } else if (sockets == 0) {
+            threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
+            sockets = maxcpus / (dies * cores * threads);
+            sockets = sockets > 0 ? sockets : 1;
+        } else if (threads == 0) {
+            threads = maxcpus / (sockets * dies * cores);
+            threads = threads > 0 ? threads : 1;
+        }
     }
 
     /* use the computed parameters to calculate the omitted cpus */
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
index fd5c2277f2..9b811fc6ca 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
@@ -432,6 +432,7 @@ static void pc_i440fx_6_1_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
     m->is_default = false;
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, hw_compat_6_1, hw_compat_6_1_len);
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, pc_compat_6_1, pc_compat_6_1_len);
+    m->smp_prefer_sockets = true;
 }
 
 DEFINE_I440FX_MACHINE(v6_1, "pc-i440fx-6.1", NULL,
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index b45903b15e..88efb7fde4 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -372,6 +372,7 @@ static void pc_q35_6_1_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
     m->alias = NULL;
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, hw_compat_6_1, hw_compat_6_1_len);
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, pc_compat_6_1, pc_compat_6_1_len);
+    m->smp_prefer_sockets = true;
 }
 
 DEFINE_Q35_MACHINE(v6_1, "pc-q35-6.1", NULL,
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index d39fd4e644..a481fade51 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -4702,6 +4702,7 @@ static void spapr_machine_6_1_class_options(MachineClass *mc)
 {
     spapr_machine_6_2_class_options(mc);
     compat_props_add(mc->compat_props, hw_compat_6_1, hw_compat_6_1_len);
+    mc->smp_prefer_sockets = true;
 }
 
 DEFINE_SPAPR_MACHINE(6_1, "6.1", false);
diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
index 4d25278cf2..b40e647883 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
@@ -809,6 +809,7 @@ static void ccw_machine_6_1_class_options(MachineClass *mc)
 {
     ccw_machine_6_2_class_options(mc);
     compat_props_add(mc->compat_props, hw_compat_6_1, hw_compat_6_1_len);
+    mc->smp_prefer_sockets = true;
 }
 DEFINE_CCW_MACHINE(6_1, "6.1", false);
 
diff --git a/include/hw/boards.h b/include/hw/boards.h
index 2832f0f8aa..8df885c9d2 100644
--- a/include/hw/boards.h
+++ b/include/hw/boards.h
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ struct MachineClass {
     bool nvdimm_supported;
     bool numa_mem_supported;
     bool smp_dies_supported;
+    bool smp_prefer_sockets;
     bool auto_enable_numa;
     const char *default_ram_id;
 
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 0c9ddc0274..6ef57e838c 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -227,7 +227,9 @@ SRST
     from those which are given. Historically preference was given to the
     coarsest topology parameters when computing missing values (ie sockets
     preferred over cores, which were preferred over threads), however, this
-    behaviour is considered liable to change.
+    behaviour is considered liable to change. The historical preference of
+    sockets over cores over threads works before 6.2, and a new preference
+    of cores over sockets over threads starts to work since 6.2 on.
 ERST
 
 DEF("numa", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_numa,
