diff --git a/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst b/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst
index 1a2b5210cdbf..38e327d4b479 100644
--- a/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst
+++ b/Documentation/virt/kvm/api.rst
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@ is dependent on the CPU capability and the kernel configuration. The limit can
 be retrieved using KVM_CAP_ARM_VM_IPA_SIZE of the KVM_CHECK_EXTENSION
 ioctl() at run-time.
 
+Creation of the VM will fail if the requested IPA size (whether it is
+implicit or explicit) is unsupported on the host.
+
 Please note that configuring the IPA size does not affect the capability
 exposed by the guest CPUs in ID_AA64MMFR0_EL1[PARange]. It only affects
 size of the address translated by the stage2 level (guest physical to
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kvm/reset.c b/arch/arm64/kvm/reset.c
index 47f3f035f3ea..9d3d09a89894 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kvm/reset.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kvm/reset.c
@@ -324,10 +324,9 @@ int kvm_set_ipa_limit(void)
 	}
 
 	kvm_ipa_limit = id_aa64mmfr0_parange_to_phys_shift(parange);
-	WARN(kvm_ipa_limit < KVM_PHYS_SHIFT,
-	     "KVM IPA Size Limit (%d bits) is smaller than default size\n",
-	     kvm_ipa_limit);
-	kvm_info("IPA Size Limit: %d bits\n", kvm_ipa_limit);
+	kvm_info("IPA Size Limit: %d bits%s\n", kvm_ipa_limit,
+		 ((kvm_ipa_limit < KVM_PHYS_SHIFT) ?
+		  " (Reduced IPA size, limited VM/VMM compatibility)" : ""));
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -356,6 +355,11 @@ int kvm_arm_setup_stage2(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long type)
 			return -EINVAL;
 	} else {
 		phys_shift = KVM_PHYS_SHIFT;
+		if (phys_shift > kvm_ipa_limit) {
+			pr_warn_once("%s using unsupported default IPA limit, upgrade your VMM\n",
+				     current->comm);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	mmfr0 = read_sanitised_ftr_reg(SYS_ID_AA64MMFR0_EL1);