diff --git a/arch/x64/exceptions.cc b/arch/x64/exceptions.cc
index 792691291..8b8418406 100644
--- a/arch/x64/exceptions.cc
+++ b/arch/x64/exceptions.cc
@@ -118,7 +118,12 @@ unsigned interrupt_descriptor_table::register_interrupt_handler(
             }
         }
     }
-    abort();
+    // No free IDT vector.  Vectors 0..31 are CPU exceptions and are never
+    // returned here, so 0 is an unambiguous "exhausted" sentinel.  Returning it
+    // rather than aborting lets MSI-X allocation (msix_vector) fail gracefully
+    // and lets a device fall back to fewer queues instead of crashing the boot
+    // when many multiqueue devices exhaust the 224 usable vectors.
+    return 0;
 }
 
 void interrupt_descriptor_table::unregister_handler(unsigned vector)
diff --git a/drivers/msi.cc b/drivers/msi.cc
index 87366b957..ee9477aef 100644
--- a/drivers/msi.cc
+++ b/drivers/msi.cc
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ msix_vector::msix_vector(pci::function* dev)
 
 msix_vector::~msix_vector()
 {
-    idt.unregister_handler(_vector);
+    // _vector == 0 means IDT vector allocation failed (see the ctor); there is
+    // nothing to unregister in that case.
+    if (_vector) {
+        idt.unregister_handler(_vector);
+    }
 }
 
 pci::function* msix_vector::get_pci_function(void)
@@ -198,7 +202,16 @@ std::vector<msix_vector*> interrupt_manager::request_vectors(unsigned num_vector
     auto num = std::min(num_vectors, num_entries);
 
     for (unsigned i = 0; i < num; ++i) {
-        results.push_back(new msix_vector(_dev));
+        auto* vec = new msix_vector(_dev);
+        // A zero vector means the global IDT vector pool is exhausted.  Stop
+        // here and return however many we did get; easy_register() treats a
+        // short result as failure so the caller can fall back to fewer queues
+        // rather than crash.
+        if (!vec->get_vector()) {
+            delete vec;
+            break;
+        }
+        results.push_back(vec);
     }
 
     return (results);
diff --git a/drivers/virtio-blk.cc b/drivers/virtio-blk.cc
index af3324d9a..0df1b40f8 100644
--- a/drivers/virtio-blk.cc
+++ b/drivers/virtio-blk.cc
@@ -137,6 +137,20 @@ blk::blk(virtio_device& virtio_dev)
     // base class did not set up.
     _num_queues = virtio_driver::_num_queues;
 
+    // Cap the number of queues we arm with an interrupt against the shared
+    // MSI-X vector budget.  Each queue uses one vector, and the x86-64 IDT has
+    // only 224 usable vectors shared by every device; a high-vCPU guest with
+    // several multiqueue virtio devices can otherwise exhaust them at boot.
+    // Extra probed virtqueues beyond this cap are simply left unused - I/O is
+    // directed only to queues 0.._num_queues-1, all of which have a serviced
+    // interrupt.
+    unsigned granted = reserve_msix_vectors(_num_queues);
+    if (granted < (unsigned)_num_queues) {
+        virtio_i("virtio-blk: capping active queues from %d to %d (MSI-X budget)\n",
+                 _num_queues, granted);
+        _num_queues = granted;
+    }
+
     // Resize per-queue lock vector now that _num_queues is known.
     _queue_locks = std::vector<mutex>(_num_queues);
 
diff --git a/drivers/virtio.cc b/drivers/virtio.cc
index c58b39148..3f2d8491d 100644
--- a/drivers/virtio.cc
+++ b/drivers/virtio.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
  */
 
 #include <string.h>
+#include <atomic>
+#include <algorithm>
 
 #include "drivers/virtio.hh"
 #include "virtio-vring.hh"
@@ -19,6 +21,38 @@ namespace virtio {
 
 int virtio_driver::_disk_idx = 0;
 
+// Process-wide MSI-X vector budget shared by all virtio devices.  The x86-64
+// IDT exposes 224 usable vectors (32..255); GSI/legacy IRQs, the APIC timer
+// and a few IPIs also consume some, so we hand out at most a conservative
+// fraction to per-queue MSI-X and leave headroom.  Each multiqueue device caps
+// its interrupt-bearing queue count against what remains here so that a
+// high-vCPU guest with several such devices still boots.  This is a soft cap:
+// it only limits how many queues a device arms with a distinct interrupt, not
+// how many virtqueues exist.
+static std::atomic<int> msix_vector_budget{192};
+
+unsigned virtio_driver::reserve_msix_vectors(unsigned want)
+{
+    if (want == 0) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    int remaining = msix_vector_budget.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    while (true) {
+        if (remaining <= 0) {
+            // Pool empty: still allow a single vector so the device is usable
+            // (it will run single-queue / shared-interrupt).
+            return 1;
+        }
+        unsigned grant = std::min<unsigned>(want, (unsigned)remaining);
+        if (msix_vector_budget.compare_exchange_weak(
+                remaining, remaining - (int)grant,
+                std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
+            return grant;
+        }
+        // remaining reloaded by compare_exchange_weak; retry.
+    }
+}
+
 virtio_driver::virtio_driver(virtio_device& dev)
     : hw_driver()
     , _dev(dev)
diff --git a/drivers/virtio.hh b/drivers/virtio.hh
index 3e52348c7..0e49e44c5 100644
--- a/drivers/virtio.hh
+++ b/drivers/virtio.hh
@@ -104,6 +104,16 @@ public:
 
     size_t get_vring_alignment() { return _dev.get_vring_alignment();}
 
+    // Reserve up to `want` MSI-X vectors from a process-wide budget and return
+    // how many are actually available.  The x86-64 IDT has only 224 usable
+    // vectors (32..255) shared by every device, so a high-vCPU guest with
+    // several multiqueue virtio devices can exhaust them and crash at boot.
+    // Drivers that scale their queue count with the vCPU count (for example
+    // virtio-blk multiqueue) call this to cap the number of queues they arm
+    // with an interrupt, so the total stays within the budget and every device
+    // still gets at least one vector.  Returns 0 only if the pool is empty.
+    static unsigned reserve_msix_vectors(unsigned want);
+
 protected:
     // Actual drivers should implement this on top of the basic ring features
     virtual u64 get_driver_features() { return 1 << VIRTIO_RING_F_INDIRECT_DESC | 1 << VIRTIO_RING_F_EVENT_IDX; }