diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/inner.rs b/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/inner.rs
index 2e6c9b1238..fb2179a6f1 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/inner.rs
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/inner.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use kata_types::{
     config::KATA_PATH,
 };
 use persist::sandbox_persist::Persist;
+use std::cmp::Ordering;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::Stdio;
@@ -244,15 +245,48 @@ impl QemuInner {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub(crate) async fn resize_vcpu(&self, old_vcpus: u32, new_vcpus: u32) -> Result<(u32, u32)> {
+    pub(crate) async fn resize_vcpu(
+        &mut self,
+        old_vcpus: u32,
+        mut new_vcpus: u32,
+    ) -> Result<(u32, u32)> {
         info!(
             sl!(),
             "QemuInner::resize_vcpu(): {} -> {}", old_vcpus, new_vcpus
         );
+
+        // TODO The following sanity checks apparently have to be performed by
+        // any hypervisor - wouldn't it make sense to move them to the caller?
         if new_vcpus == old_vcpus {
             return Ok((old_vcpus, new_vcpus));
         }
-        todo!()
+
+        if new_vcpus == 0 {
+            return Err(anyhow!("resize to 0 vcpus requested"));
+        }
+
+        if new_vcpus > self.config.cpu_info.default_maxvcpus {
+            warn!(
+                sl!(),
+                "Cannot allocate more vcpus than the max allowed number of vcpus. The maximum allowed amount of vcpus will be used instead.");
+            new_vcpus = self.config.cpu_info.default_maxvcpus;
+        }
+
+        if let Some(ref mut qmp) = self.qmp {
+            match new_vcpus.cmp(&old_vcpus) {
+                Ordering::Greater => {
+                    let hotplugged = qmp.hotplug_vcpus(new_vcpus - old_vcpus)?;
+                    new_vcpus = old_vcpus + hotplugged;
+                }
+                Ordering::Less => {
+                    let hotunplugged = qmp.hotunplug_vcpus(old_vcpus - new_vcpus)?;
+                    new_vcpus = old_vcpus - hotunplugged;
+                }
+                Ordering::Equal => {}
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok((old_vcpus, new_vcpus))
     }
 
     pub(crate) async fn get_pids(&self) -> Result<Vec<u32>> {
diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/mod.rs b/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/mod.rs
index 99ba1bd2ce..162bd5608a 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/mod.rs
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/mod.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ impl Hypervisor for Qemu {
     }
 
     async fn resize_vcpu(&self, old_vcpus: u32, new_vcpus: u32) -> Result<(u32, u32)> {
-        let inner = self.inner.read().await;
+        let mut inner = self.inner.write().await;
         inner.resize_vcpu(old_vcpus, new_vcpus).await
     }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/qmp.rs b/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/qmp.rs
index 27a6b2c255..3b96f24ca1 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/qmp.rs
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/crates/hypervisor/src/qemu/qmp.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ use std::io::BufReader;
 use std::os::unix::net::UnixStream;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+use qapi::qmp;
+use qapi_spec::Dictionary;
+
 pub struct Qmp {
     qmp: qapi::Qmp<qapi::Stream<BufReader<UnixStream>, UnixStream>>,
 }
@@ -47,4 +50,86 @@ impl Qmp {
 
         Ok(qmp)
     }
+
+    pub fn hotplug_vcpus(&mut self, vcpu_cnt: u32) -> Result<u32> {
+        let hotpluggable_cpus = self.qmp.execute(&qmp::query_hotpluggable_cpus {})?;
+        //info!(sl!(), "hotpluggable CPUs: {:#?}", hotpluggable_cpus);
+
+        let mut hotplugged = 0;
+        for vcpu in &hotpluggable_cpus {
+            if hotplugged >= vcpu_cnt {
+                break;
+            }
+            let core_id = match vcpu.props.core_id {
+                Some(id) => id,
+                None => continue,
+            };
+            if vcpu.qom_path.is_some() {
+                info!(sl!(), "hotpluggable vcpu {} hotplugged already", core_id);
+                continue;
+            }
+            let socket_id = match vcpu.props.socket_id {
+                Some(id) => id,
+                None => continue,
+            };
+            let thread_id = match vcpu.props.thread_id {
+                Some(id) => id,
+                None => continue,
+            };
+
+            let mut cpu_args = Dictionary::new();
+            cpu_args.insert("socket-id".to_owned(), socket_id.into());
+            cpu_args.insert("core-id".to_owned(), core_id.into());
+            cpu_args.insert("thread-id".to_owned(), thread_id.into());
+            self.qmp.execute(&qmp::device_add {
+                bus: None,
+                id: Some(vcpu_id_from_core_id(core_id)),
+                driver: hotpluggable_cpus[0].type_.clone(),
+                arguments: cpu_args,
+            })?;
+
+            hotplugged += 1;
+        }
+
+        info!(
+            sl!(),
+            "Qmp::hotplug_vcpus(): hotplugged {}/{} vcpus", hotplugged, vcpu_cnt
+        );
+
+        Ok(hotplugged)
+    }
+
+    pub fn hotunplug_vcpus(&mut self, vcpu_cnt: u32) -> Result<u32> {
+        let hotpluggable_cpus = self.qmp.execute(&qmp::query_hotpluggable_cpus {})?;
+
+        let mut hotunplugged = 0;
+        for vcpu in &hotpluggable_cpus {
+            if hotunplugged >= vcpu_cnt {
+                break;
+            }
+            let core_id = match vcpu.props.core_id {
+                Some(id) => id,
+                None => continue,
+            };
+            if vcpu.qom_path.is_none() {
+                info!(sl!(), "hotpluggable vcpu {} not hotplugged yet", core_id);
+                continue;
+            }
+            self.qmp.execute(&qmp::device_del {
+                id: vcpu_id_from_core_id(core_id),
+            })?;
+            hotunplugged += 1;
+        }
+
+        info!(
+            sl!(),
+            "Qmp::hotunplug_vcpus(): hotunplugged {}/{} vcpus", hotunplugged, vcpu_cnt
+        );
+
+        Ok(hotunplugged)
+    }
+}
+
+fn vcpu_id_from_core_id(core_id: i64) -> String {
+    format!("cpu-{}", core_id)
 }