diff --git a/target/arm/cpu.c b/target/arm/cpu.c
index 30e2cb9224..1c02b92698 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu.c
+++ b/target/arm/cpu.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "sysemu/tcg.h"
 #include "sysemu/hw_accel.h"
 #include "kvm_arm.h"
+#include "hvf_arm.h"
 #include "disas/capstone.h"
 #include "fpu/softfloat.h"
 
@@ -1417,8 +1418,8 @@ static void arm_cpu_realizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
      * this is the first point where we can report it.
      */
     if (cpu->host_cpu_probe_failed) {
-        if (!kvm_enabled()) {
-            error_setg(errp, "The 'host' CPU type can only be used with KVM");
+        if (!kvm_enabled() && !hvf_enabled()) {
+            error_setg(errp, "The 'host' CPU type can only be used with KVM or HVF");
         } else {
             error_setg(errp, "Failed to retrieve host CPU features");
         }
@@ -2078,15 +2079,19 @@ static void arm_cpu_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 #endif /* CONFIG_TCG */
 }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
+#if defined(CONFIG_KVM) || defined(CONFIG_HVF)
 static void arm_host_initfn(Object *obj)
 {
     ARMCPU *cpu = ARM_CPU(obj);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
     kvm_arm_set_cpu_features_from_host(cpu);
     if (arm_feature(&cpu->env, ARM_FEATURE_AARCH64)) {
         aarch64_add_sve_properties(obj);
     }
+#else
+    hvf_arm_set_cpu_features_from_host(cpu);
+#endif
     arm_cpu_post_init(obj);
 }
 
@@ -2146,7 +2151,7 @@ static void arm_cpu_register_types(void)
 {
     type_register_static(&arm_cpu_type_info);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_KVM
+#if defined(CONFIG_KVM) || defined(CONFIG_HVF)
     type_register_static(&host_arm_cpu_type_info);
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/target/arm/cpu.h b/target/arm/cpu.h
index 09d9027734..3ed03391a8 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu.h
+++ b/target/arm/cpu.h
@@ -3015,6 +3015,8 @@ bool write_cpustate_to_list(ARMCPU *cpu, bool kvm_sync);
 #define ARM_CPU_TYPE_NAME(name) (name ARM_CPU_TYPE_SUFFIX)
 #define CPU_RESOLVING_TYPE TYPE_ARM_CPU
 
+#define TYPE_ARM_HOST_CPU "host-" TYPE_ARM_CPU
+
 #define cpu_signal_handler cpu_arm_signal_handler
 #define cpu_list arm_cpu_list
 
diff --git a/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c b/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c
index 110a9d547d..51b7250612 100644
--- a/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c
+++ b/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "sysemu/hvf.h"
 #include "sysemu/hvf_int.h"
 #include "sysemu/hw_accel.h"
+#include "hvf_arm.h"
 
 #include <mach/mach_time.h>
 
@@ -54,6 +55,16 @@ typedef struct HVFVTimer {
 
 static HVFVTimer vtimer;
 
+typedef struct ARMHostCPUFeatures {
+    ARMISARegisters isar;
+    uint64_t features;
+    uint64_t midr;
+    uint32_t reset_sctlr;
+    const char *dtb_compatible;
+} ARMHostCPUFeatures;
+
+static ARMHostCPUFeatures arm_host_cpu_features;
+
 struct hvf_reg_match {
     int reg;
     uint64_t offset;
@@ -416,6 +427,90 @@ static uint64_t hvf_get_reg(CPUState *cpu, int rt)
     return val;
 }
 
+static bool hvf_arm_get_host_cpu_features(ARMHostCPUFeatures *ahcf)
+{
+    ARMISARegisters host_isar = {};
+    const struct isar_regs {
+        int reg;
+        uint64_t *val;
+    } regs[] = {
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64PFR0_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64pfr0 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64PFR1_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64pfr1 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64DFR0_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64dfr0 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64DFR1_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64dfr1 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64ISAR0_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64isar0 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64ISAR1_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64isar1 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64MMFR0_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64mmfr0 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64MMFR1_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64mmfr1 },
+        { HV_SYS_REG_ID_AA64MMFR2_EL1, &host_isar.id_aa64mmfr2 },
+    };
+    hv_vcpu_t fd;
+    hv_return_t r = HV_SUCCESS;
+    hv_vcpu_exit_t *exit;
+    int i;
+
+    ahcf->dtb_compatible = "arm,arm-v8";
+    ahcf->features = (1ULL << ARM_FEATURE_V8) |
+                     (1ULL << ARM_FEATURE_NEON) |
+                     (1ULL << ARM_FEATURE_AARCH64) |
+                     (1ULL << ARM_FEATURE_PMU) |
+                     (1ULL << ARM_FEATURE_GENERIC_TIMER);
+
+    /* We set up a small vcpu to extract host registers */
+
+    if (hv_vcpu_create(&fd, &exit, NULL) != HV_SUCCESS) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(regs); i++) {
+        r |= hv_vcpu_get_sys_reg(fd, regs[i].reg, regs[i].val);
+    }
+    r |= hv_vcpu_get_sys_reg(fd, HV_SYS_REG_MIDR_EL1, &ahcf->midr);
+    r |= hv_vcpu_destroy(fd);
+
+    ahcf->isar = host_isar;
+
+    /*
+     * A scratch vCPU returns SCTLR 0, so let's fill our default with the M1
+     * boot SCTLR from https://github.com/AsahiLinux/m1n1/issues/97
+     */
+    ahcf->reset_sctlr = 0x30100180;
+    /*
+     * SPAN is disabled by default when SCTLR.SPAN=1. To improve compatibility,
+     * let's disable it on boot and then allow guest software to turn it on by
+     * setting it to 0.
+     */
+    ahcf->reset_sctlr |= 0x00800000;
+
+    /* Make sure we don't advertise AArch32 support for EL0/EL1 */
+    if ((host_isar.id_aa64pfr0 & 0xff) != 0x11) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return r == HV_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+void hvf_arm_set_cpu_features_from_host(ARMCPU *cpu)
+{
+    if (!arm_host_cpu_features.dtb_compatible) {
+        if (!hvf_enabled() ||
+            !hvf_arm_get_host_cpu_features(&arm_host_cpu_features)) {
+            /*
+             * We can't report this error yet, so flag that we need to
+             * in arm_cpu_realizefn().
+             */
+            cpu->host_cpu_probe_failed = true;
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
+    cpu->dtb_compatible = arm_host_cpu_features.dtb_compatible;
+    cpu->isar = arm_host_cpu_features.isar;
+    cpu->env.features = arm_host_cpu_features.features;
+    cpu->midr = arm_host_cpu_features.midr;
+    cpu->reset_sctlr = arm_host_cpu_features.reset_sctlr;
+}
+
 void hvf_arch_vcpu_destroy(CPUState *cpu)
 {
 }
diff --git a/target/arm/hvf_arm.h b/target/arm/hvf_arm.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ea238cff83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/target/arm/hvf_arm.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/*
+ * QEMU Hypervisor.framework (HVF) support -- ARM specifics
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2021 Alexander Graf
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or later.
+ * See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef QEMU_HVF_ARM_H
+#define QEMU_HVF_ARM_H
+
+#include "cpu.h"
+
+void hvf_arm_set_cpu_features_from_host(struct ARMCPU *cpu);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/target/arm/kvm_arm.h b/target/arm/kvm_arm.h
index 0613454975..b7f78b5215 100644
--- a/target/arm/kvm_arm.h
+++ b/target/arm/kvm_arm.h
@@ -214,8 +214,6 @@ bool kvm_arm_create_scratch_host_vcpu(const uint32_t *cpus_to_try,
  */
 void kvm_arm_destroy_scratch_host_vcpu(int *fdarray);
 
-#define TYPE_ARM_HOST_CPU "host-" TYPE_ARM_CPU
-
 /**
  * ARMHostCPUFeatures: information about the host CPU (identified
  * by asking the host kernel)