diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 7af90cd..469aa9c 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2938,6 +2938,7 @@
     qemu_add_opts(&qemu_realtime_opts);
     qemu_add_opts(&qemu_msg_opts);
     qemu_add_opts(&qemu_name_opts);
+    qemu_add_opts(&qemu_numa_opts);
 
     runstate_init();
 
@@ -3133,7 +3134,10 @@
                 }
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_numa:
-                numa_add(optarg);
+                opts = qemu_opts_parse(qemu_find_opts("numa"), optarg, 1);
+                if (!opts) {
+                    exit(1);
+                }
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_display:
                 display_type = select_display(optarg);
@@ -4303,6 +4307,11 @@
     default_drive(default_floppy, snapshot, IF_FLOPPY, 0, FD_OPTS);
     default_drive(default_sdcard, snapshot, IF_SD, 0, SD_OPTS);
 
+    if (qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("numa"), numa_init_func,
+                          NULL, 1) != 0) {
+        exit(1);
+    }
+
     set_numa_nodes();
 
     if (qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("mon"), mon_init_func, NULL, 1) != 0) {