diff --git a/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp b/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp
index f2bc9771f..c9b31d879 100644
--- a/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp
+++ b/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp
@@ -345,6 +345,11 @@ class nova::compute::libvirt (
     }
   }
 
+  $hw_machine_type_real = $hw_machine_type ? {
+    Hash    => join(join_keys_to_values($hw_machine_type, '='), ','),
+    default => join(any2array($hw_machine_type), ','),
+  }
+
   nova_config {
     'DEFAULT/compute_driver':                value => $compute_driver;
     'DEFAULT/preallocate_images':            value => $preallocate_images;
@@ -361,7 +366,7 @@ class nova::compute::libvirt (
     'libvirt/inject_key':                    value => $inject_key;
     'libvirt/inject_partition':              value => $inject_partition;
     'libvirt/hw_disk_discard':               value => $hw_disk_discard;
-    'libvirt/hw_machine_type':               value => $hw_machine_type;
+    'libvirt/hw_machine_type':               value => $hw_machine_type_real;
     'libvirt/sysinfo_serial':                value => $sysinfo_serial;
     'libvirt/enabled_perf_events':           value => join(any2array($enabled_perf_events), ',');
     'libvirt/device_detach_attempts':        value => $device_detach_attempts;
diff --git a/spec/classes/nova_compute_libvirt_spec.rb b/spec/classes/nova_compute_libvirt_spec.rb
index 59acff028..b23246c60 100644
--- a/spec/classes/nova_compute_libvirt_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/nova_compute_libvirt_spec.rb
@@ -219,6 +219,23 @@ describe 'nova::compute::libvirt' do
       it { is_expected.to contain_nova_config('libvirt/cpu_mode').with_value('none')}
     end
 
+    describe 'with hw_machine_type set by array' do
+      let :params do
+        { :hw_machine_type => ['x86_64=machinetype1', 'armv7l=machinetype2'] }
+      end
+      it { is_expected.to contain_nova_config('libvirt/hw_machine_type').with_value('x86_64=machinetype1,armv7l=machinetype2')}
+    end
+
+    describe 'with hw_machine_type set by hash' do
+      let :params do
+        { :hw_machine_type => {
+          'x86_64' => 'machinetype1',
+          'armv7l' => 'machinetype2'
+        } }
+      end
+      it { is_expected.to contain_nova_config('libvirt/hw_machine_type').with_value('x86_64=machinetype1,armv7l=machinetype2')}
+    end
+
     describe 'with migration_support enabled' do
 
       context 'with vncserver_listen set to 0.0.0.0' do