performance: 0.770 graphic: 0.760 device: 0.732 other: 0.722 semantic: 0.667 PID: 0.505 boot: 0.489 vnc: 0.469 network: 0.462 permissions: 0.456 socket: 0.441 debug: 0.436 files: 0.334 KVM: 0.306 qemu release memory to system Qemu pre-allocates the maximum balloon amount which is inconvinient if all of the memory is used up and some other system needs to be added memory resource eg:- I have 4GB RAM with 4 virtual systems to be run. I want each of them to start with 1GB RAM with maximum 2GB possible. This is not achievable since qemu pre-allocates the maximum balloon amount which is 2GBx4 systems . So to start all 4 systems the system needs 8GB RAM rather than 4GB RAM to start with although I have told initial balloon amount to be 1GB. Looking through old bug tickets... I think you should rather use hotpluggable memory here for the guests instead - or use a big swap partition on the host. Anyway, this is not a bug, so closing this ticket now.