diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h
index 5ca5d9af0c26..2184d9ddb418 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ void kvm_mmu_wp_memory_region(struct kvm *kvm, int slot);
 
 struct kvm_vcpu *kvm_mpidr_to_vcpu(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long mpidr);
 
-static inline bool kvm_arch_check_sve_has_vhe(void) { return true; }
+static inline bool kvm_arch_requires_vhe(void) { return false; }
 static inline void kvm_arch_hardware_unsetup(void) {}
 static inline void kvm_arch_sync_events(struct kvm *kvm) {}
 static inline void kvm_arch_vcpu_uninit(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h
index 52fbc823ff8c..d6d9aa76a943 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ static inline void __cpu_init_hyp_mode(phys_addr_t pgd_ptr,
 	}
 }
 
-static inline bool kvm_arch_check_sve_has_vhe(void)
+static inline bool kvm_arch_requires_vhe(void)
 {
 	/*
 	 * The Arm architecture specifies that implementation of SVE
@@ -430,9 +430,9 @@ static inline bool kvm_arch_check_sve_has_vhe(void)
 	 * relies on this when SVE is present:
 	 */
 	if (system_supports_sve())
-		return has_vhe();
-	else
 		return true;
+
+	return false;
 }
 
 static inline void kvm_arch_hardware_unsetup(void) {}
diff --git a/virt/kvm/arm/arm.c b/virt/kvm/arm/arm.c
index 23774970c9df..36165748a315 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/arm/arm.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/arm/arm.c
@@ -1640,8 +1640,10 @@ int kvm_arch_init(void *opaque)
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
-	if (!kvm_arch_check_sve_has_vhe()) {
-		kvm_pr_unimpl("SVE system without VHE unsupported.  Broken cpu?");
+	in_hyp_mode = is_kernel_in_hyp_mode();
+
+	if (!in_hyp_mode && kvm_arch_requires_vhe()) {
+		kvm_pr_unimpl("CPU unsupported in non-VHE mode, not initializing\n");
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
@@ -1657,8 +1659,6 @@ int kvm_arch_init(void *opaque)
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
-	in_hyp_mode = is_kernel_in_hyp_mode();
-
 	if (!in_hyp_mode) {
 		err = init_hyp_mode();
 		if (err)