diff --git a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h
index b3d72ede72..ff1cffd13e 100644
--- a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h
+++ b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-util.h
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
 #  define ARCHITECTURE_SUPPORTS_SMBIOS 0
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__i386__)
+# define ARCHITECTURE_SUPPORTS_VMGENID 1
+#else
+# define ARCHITECTURE_SUPPORTS_VMGENID 0
+#endif
+
 #if defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__arm__) || defined(__aarch64__)
 #  define ARCHITECTURE_SUPPORTS_TPM 1
 #else
diff --git a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
index 4b1898ac3f..9e062006ab 100644
--- a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
+++ b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
@@ -1656,24 +1656,26 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                 if (strv_extend_many(&cmdline, "-uuid", SD_ID128_TO_UUID_STRING(arg_uuid)) < 0)
                         return log_oom();
 
-        /* Derive a vmgenid automatically from the invocation ID, in a deterministic way. */
-        sd_id128_t vmgenid;
-        r = sd_id128_get_invocation_app_specific(SD_ID128_MAKE(bd,84,6d,e3,e4,7d,4b,6c,a6,85,4a,87,0f,3c,a3,a0), &vmgenid);
-        if (r < 0) {
-                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get invocation ID, making up randomized vmgenid: %m");
+        if (ARCHITECTURE_SUPPORTS_VMGENID) {
+                /* Derive a vmgenid automatically from the invocation ID, in a deterministic way. */
+                sd_id128_t vmgenid;
+                r = sd_id128_get_invocation_app_specific(SD_ID128_MAKE(bd,84,6d,e3,e4,7d,4b,6c,a6,85,4a,87,0f,3c,a3,a0), &vmgenid);
+                if (r < 0) {
+                        log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get invocation ID, making up randomized vmgenid: %m");
 
-                r = sd_id128_randomize(&vmgenid);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to make up randomized vmgenid: %m");
+                        r = sd_id128_randomize(&vmgenid);
+                        if (r < 0)
+                                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to make up randomized vmgenid: %m");
+                }
+
+                _cleanup_free_ char *vmgenid_device = NULL;
+                if (asprintf(&vmgenid_device, "vmgenid,guid=" SD_ID128_UUID_FORMAT_STR, SD_ID128_FORMAT_VAL(vmgenid)) < 0)
+                        return log_oom();
+
+                if (strv_extend_many(&cmdline, "-device", vmgenid_device) < 0)
+                        return log_oom();
         }
 
-        _cleanup_free_ char *vmgenid_device = NULL;
-        if (asprintf(&vmgenid_device, "vmgenid,guid=" SD_ID128_UUID_FORMAT_STR, SD_ID128_FORMAT_VAL(vmgenid)) < 0)
-                return log_oom();
-
-        if (strv_extend_many(&cmdline, "-device", vmgenid_device) < 0)
-                return log_oom();
-
         /* if we are going to be starting any units with state then create our runtime dir */
         _cleanup_free_ char *runtime_dir = NULL;
         _cleanup_(rm_rf_physical_and_freep) char *runtime_dir_destroy = NULL;
@@ -2039,6 +2041,10 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                 r = strv_extend_many(&cmdline, "-device", "scsi-hd,drive=vmspawn,bootindex=1");
                 if (r < 0)
                         return log_oom();
+
+                r = grow_image(arg_image, arg_grow_image);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
         }
 
         if (arg_directory) {
@@ -2334,10 +2340,6 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                         return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse $SYSTEMD_VMSPAWN_QEMU_EXTRA: %m");
         }
 
-        r = grow_image(arg_image, arg_grow_image);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return r;
-
         if (DEBUG_LOGGING) {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *joined = quote_command_line(cmdline, SHELL_ESCAPE_EMPTY);
                 if (!joined)