diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 1963de9fb8..e2a3d87527 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -5358,12 +5358,18 @@ qemuProcessStartValidateDisks(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 }
 
 
+/* 250 parts per million (ppm) is a half of NTP threshold */
+#define TSC_TOLERANCE 250
+
 static int
 qemuProcessStartValidateTSC(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                             virDomainObjPtr vm)
 {
     size_t i;
     unsigned long long freq = 0;
+    unsigned long long tolerance;
+    unsigned long long minFreq;
+    unsigned long long maxFreq;
     virHostCPUTscInfoPtr tsc;
     g_autoptr(virCPUDef) cpu = NULL;
 
@@ -5389,23 +5395,34 @@ qemuProcessStartValidateTSC(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     }
 
     tsc = cpu->tsc;
-    VIR_DEBUG("Host TSC frequency %llu Hz, scaling %s",
-              tsc->frequency, virTristateBoolTypeToString(tsc->scaling));
+    tolerance = tsc->frequency * TSC_TOLERANCE / 1000000;
+    minFreq = tsc->frequency - tolerance;
+    maxFreq = tsc->frequency + tolerance;
 
-    if (freq == tsc->frequency || tsc->scaling == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES)
+    VIR_DEBUG("Host TSC frequency %llu Hz, scaling %s, tolerance +/- %llu Hz",
+              tsc->frequency, virTristateBoolTypeToString(tsc->scaling),
+              tolerance);
+
+    if (freq > minFreq && freq < maxFreq) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Requested TSC frequency is within tolerance interval");
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (tsc->scaling == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES)
         return 0;
 
     if (tsc->scaling == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_ABSENT) {
-        VIR_DEBUG("TSC frequencies do not match and scaling support is "
-                  "unknown, QEMU will try and possibly fail later");
+        VIR_DEBUG("Requested TSC frequency falls outside tolerance range and "
+                  "scaling support is unknown, QEMU will try and possibly "
+                  "fail later");
         return 0;
     }
 
     virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                   _("Requested TSC frequency %llu Hz does not match "
-                     "host (%llu Hz) and TSC scaling is not supported "
-                     "by the host CPU"),
-                   freq, tsc->frequency);
+                   _("Requested TSC frequency %llu Hz is outside tolerance "
+                     "range ([%llu, %llu] Hz) around host frequency %llu Hz "
+                     "and TSC scaling is not supported by the host CPU"),
+                   freq, minFreq, maxFreq, tsc->frequency);
     return -1;
 }