diff --git a/qubes/config.py b/qubes/config.py
index 0663f8dd..5ef2e047 100644
--- a/qubes/config.py
+++ b/qubes/config.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ vm_files = {
 defaults = {
     'libvirt_uri': 'xen:///',
     'memory': 400,
-    'hvm_memory': 512,
+    'hvm_memory': 400,
     'kernelopts': "nopat",
     'kernelopts_pcidevs': "nopat iommu=soft swiotlb=8192",
 
diff --git a/qubes/tests/vm/qubesvm.py b/qubes/tests/vm/qubesvm.py
index f7a08160..b3291ef2 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/vm/qubesvm.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/vm/qubesvm.py
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ class TC_90_QubesVM(QubesVMTestsMixin,qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
 
     def test_150_hvm(self):
         vm = self.get_vm()
-        self._test_generic_bool_property(vm, 'hvm')
+        self._test_generic_bool_property(vm, 'hvm', default=True)
 
     def test_160_memory(self):
         vm = self.get_vm()
diff --git a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
index 6c206757..a9c899ec 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ class QubesVM(qubes.vm.mix.net.NetVMMixin, qubes.vm.BaseVM):
 
     hvm = qubes.property('hvm',
         type=bool, setter=qubes.property.bool,
-        default=False,
+        default=True,
         doc='''Use full virtualisation (HVM) for this qube,
             instead of paravirtualisation (PV)''')