diff --git a/hw/block/xen-block.c b/hw/block/xen-block.c
index a07cd7e..bfa5396 100644
--- a/hw/block/xen-block.c
+++ b/hw/block/xen-block.c
@@ -115,9 +115,13 @@
         return;
     }
 
-    if (xen_device_frontend_scanf(xendev, "protocol", "%ms",
-                                  &str) != 1) {
-        protocol = BLKIF_PROTOCOL_NATIVE;
+    if (xen_device_frontend_scanf(xendev, "protocol", "%ms", &str) != 1) {
+        /* x86 defaults to the 32-bit protocol even for 64-bit guests. */
+        if (object_dynamic_cast(OBJECT(qdev_get_machine()), "x86-machine")) {
+            protocol = BLKIF_PROTOCOL_X86_32;
+        } else {
+            protocol = BLKIF_PROTOCOL_NATIVE;
+        }
     } else {
         if (strcmp(str, XEN_IO_PROTO_ABI_X86_32) == 0) {
             protocol = BLKIF_PROTOCOL_X86_32;