diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm.go
index 68cb1793a6..dca2a49b7f 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ const (
 
 	// GenericCPUModel specifies the base CPU model for Features and Discovery CPU model types.
 	GenericCPUModel = "qemu64"
+	HTCPUFeature    = "ht"
 
 	MaxMemorySizeForHotplug      = 256 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024 // 256 Gi (safely limit to not overlap somewhat conservative 38 bit physical address space)
 	EnableMemoryHotplugThreshold = 1 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024   // 1 Gi (no hotplug for VMs with less than 1Gi)
@@ -162,12 +163,13 @@ func (b *KVVM) SetCPUModel(class *v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClass) error {
 		cpu.Model = virtv1.CPUModeHostPassthrough
 	case v1alpha2.CPUTypeModel:
 		cpu.Model = class.Spec.CPU.Model
+		cpu.Features = []virtv1.CPUFeature{{Name: HTCPUFeature, Policy: "optional"}}
 	case v1alpha2.CPUTypeDiscovery, v1alpha2.CPUTypeFeatures:
 		cpu.Model = GenericCPUModel
-		l := len(class.Status.CpuFeatures.Enabled)
-		features := make([]virtv1.CPUFeature, l, l+1)
+		features := make([]virtv1.CPUFeature, 0, len(class.Status.CpuFeatures.Enabled)+2)
 		hasSvm := false
-		for i, feature := range class.Status.CpuFeatures.Enabled {
+		hasHT := false
+		for _, feature := range class.Status.CpuFeatures.Enabled {
 			policy := "require"
 			if feature == "invtsc" {
 				policy = "optional"
@@ -175,14 +177,20 @@ func (b *KVVM) SetCPUModel(class *v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClass) error {
 			if feature == "svm" {
 				hasSvm = true
 			}
-			features[i] = virtv1.CPUFeature{
+			if feature == HTCPUFeature {
+				hasHT = true
+			}
+			features = append(features, virtv1.CPUFeature{
 				Name:   feature,
 				Policy: policy,
-			}
+			})
 		}
 		if !hasSvm {
 			features = append(features, virtv1.CPUFeature{Name: "svm", Policy: "optional"})
 		}
+		if !hasHT {
+			features = append(features, virtv1.CPUFeature{Name: HTCPUFeature, Policy: "optional"})
+		}
 		cpu.Features = features
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected cpu type: %q", class.Spec.CPU.Type)
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm_test.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm_test.go
index 8e18bf2031..17ede1cc9d 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm_test.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/kvbuilder/kvvm_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
+	virtv1 "kubevirt.io/api/core/v1"
 
 	"github.com/deckhouse/virtualization/api/core/v1alpha2"
 )
@@ -224,6 +225,89 @@ func TestApplyPVNodeAffinity(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestSetCPUModel(t *testing.T) {
+	name := "test-name"
+	namespace := "test-namespace"
+
+	t.Run("should add required ht feature for model cpu", func(t *testing.T) {
+		builder := NewEmptyKVVM(types.NamespacedName{Name: name, Namespace: namespace}, KVVMOptions{})
+		class := &v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClass{
+			Spec: v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClassSpec{
+				CPU: v1alpha2.CPU{Type: v1alpha2.CPUTypeModel, Model: "Nehalem"},
+			},
+		}
+
+		if err := builder.SetCPUModel(class); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("SetCPUModel() failed: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		features := builder.Resource.Spec.Template.Spec.Domain.CPU.Features
+		if !containsCPUFeature(features, virtv1.CPUFeature{Name: HTCPUFeature, Policy: "optional"}) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected optional ht feature to be added for model cpu, got %#v", features)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("should add required ht feature for discovery cpu", func(t *testing.T) {
+		builder := NewEmptyKVVM(types.NamespacedName{Name: name, Namespace: namespace}, KVVMOptions{})
+		class := &v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClass{
+			Spec: v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClassSpec{
+				CPU: v1alpha2.CPU{Type: v1alpha2.CPUTypeDiscovery},
+			},
+			Status: v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClassStatus{
+				CpuFeatures: v1alpha2.CpuFeatures{Enabled: []string{"aes"}},
+			},
+		}
+
+		if err := builder.SetCPUModel(class); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("SetCPUModel() failed: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		features := builder.Resource.Spec.Template.Spec.Domain.CPU.Features
+		if !containsCPUFeature(features, virtv1.CPUFeature{Name: HTCPUFeature, Policy: "require"}) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected required ht feature to be added, got %#v", features)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("should keep existing ht feature policy when already present", func(t *testing.T) {
+		builder := NewEmptyKVVM(types.NamespacedName{Name: name, Namespace: namespace}, KVVMOptions{})
+		class := &v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClass{
+			Spec: v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClassSpec{
+				CPU: v1alpha2.CPU{Type: v1alpha2.CPUTypeFeatures},
+			},
+			Status: v1alpha2.VirtualMachineClassStatus{
+				CpuFeatures: v1alpha2.CpuFeatures{Enabled: []string{"vmx", HTCPUFeature}},
+			},
+		}
+
+		if err := builder.SetCPUModel(class); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("SetCPUModel() failed: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		features := builder.Resource.Spec.Template.Spec.Domain.CPU.Features
+		htCount := 0
+		for _, feature := range features {
+			if feature.Name == HTCPUFeature {
+				htCount++
+				if feature.Policy != "require" {
+					t.Fatalf("expected existing ht policy to stay require, got %#v", feature)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if htCount != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected exactly one ht feature, got %#v", features)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func containsCPUFeature(features []virtv1.CPUFeature, expected virtv1.CPUFeature) bool {
+	for _, feature := range features {
+		if feature == expected {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func TestSetOsType(t *testing.T) {
 	name := "test-name"
 	namespace := "test-namespace"