diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
index b98baf02bf..6e061dbfe1 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
@@ -5327,6 +5327,21 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         ret = conn._compare_cpu(None, jsonutils.dumps(_fake_cpu_info))
         self.assertIsNone(ret)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'compare_cpu')
+    @mock.patch.object(nova.virt.libvirt, 'config')
+    def test_compare_cpu_handles_not_supported_error_gracefully(self,
+                                                                mock_vconfig,
+                                                                mock_conn):
+        not_supported_exc = fakelibvirt.make_libvirtError(
+                fakelibvirt.libvirtError,
+                'this function is not supported by the connection driver:'
+                ' virCompareCPU',
+                error_code=fakelibvirt.VIR_ERR_NO_SUPPORT)
+        mock_conn.compareCPU.side_effect = not_supported_exc
+        conn = libvirt_driver.LibvirtDriver(fake.FakeVirtAPI(), False)
+        ret = conn._compare_cpu(None, jsonutils.dumps(_fake_cpu_info))
+        self.assertIsNone(ret)
+
     @mock.patch.object(host.Host, 'compare_cpu')
     @mock.patch.object(nova.virt.libvirt.LibvirtDriver,
                        '_vcpu_model_to_cpu_config')
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
index 312f5a3305..e01b7acabb 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
@@ -5148,9 +5148,16 @@ class LibvirtDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
         try:
             ret = self._host.compare_cpu(cpu.to_xml())
         except libvirt.libvirtError as e:
-            LOG.error(m, {'ret': e, 'u': u})
-            raise exception.MigrationPreCheckError(
-                reason=m % {'ret': e, 'u': u})
+            error_code = e.get_error_code()
+            if error_code == libvirt.VIR_ERR_NO_SUPPORT:
+                LOG.debug("URI %(uri)s does not support cpu comparison. "
+                          "It will be proceeded though. Error: %(error)s",
+                          {'uri': self.uri(), 'error': e})
+                return
+            else:
+                LOG.error(m, {'ret': e, 'u': u})
+                raise exception.MigrationPreCheckError(
+                    reason=m % {'ret': e, 'u': u})
 
         if ret <= 0:
             LOG.error(m, {'ret': ret, 'u': u})