diff --git a/bsd-user/main.c b/bsd-user/main.c
index e5efb7b845..6ab3efd6c0 100644
--- a/bsd-user/main.c
+++ b/bsd-user/main.c
@@ -364,11 +364,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         } else if (!strcmp(r, "L")) {
             interp_prefix = argv[optind++];
         } else if (!strcmp(r, "p")) {
-            qemu_host_page_size = atoi(argv[optind++]);
-            if (qemu_host_page_size == 0 ||
-                (qemu_host_page_size & (qemu_host_page_size - 1)) != 0) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "page size must be a power of two\n");
-                exit(1);
+            unsigned size, want = qemu_real_host_page_size();
+
+            r = argv[optind++];
+            if (qemu_strtoui(r, NULL, 10, &size) || size != want) {
+                warn_report("Deprecated page size option cannot "
+                            "change host page size (%u)", want);
             }
         } else if (!strcmp(r, "g")) {
             gdbstub = g_strdup(argv[optind++]);
diff --git a/docs/about/deprecated.rst b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
index 36bd3e15ef..8565644da6 100644
--- a/docs/about/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ as short-form boolean values, and passed to plugins as ``arg_name=on``.
 However, short-form booleans are deprecated and full explicit ``arg_name=on``
 form is preferred.
 
+User-mode emulator command line arguments
+-----------------------------------------
+
+``-p`` (since 9.0)
+''''''''''''''''''
+
+The ``-p`` option pretends to control the host page size.  However,
+it is not possible to change the host page size, and using the
+option only causes failures.
+
 QEMU Machine Protocol (QMP) commands
 ------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/docs/user/main.rst b/docs/user/main.rst
index 7e7ad07409..d5fbb78d3c 100644
--- a/docs/user/main.rst
+++ b/docs/user/main.rst
@@ -87,9 +87,6 @@ Debug options:
    Activate logging of the specified items (use '-d help' for a list of
    log items)
 
-``-p pagesize``
-   Act as if the host page size was 'pagesize' bytes
-
 ``-g port``
    Wait gdb connection to port
 
diff --git a/linux-user/main.c b/linux-user/main.c
index e540acb84a..bad03f06d3 100644
--- a/linux-user/main.c
+++ b/linux-user/main.c
@@ -332,11 +332,11 @@ static void handle_arg_ld_prefix(const char *arg)
 
 static void handle_arg_pagesize(const char *arg)
 {
-    qemu_host_page_size = atoi(arg);
-    if (qemu_host_page_size == 0 ||
-        (qemu_host_page_size & (qemu_host_page_size - 1)) != 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "page size must be a power of two\n");
-        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    unsigned size, want = qemu_real_host_page_size();
+
+    if (qemu_strtoui(arg, NULL, 10, &size) || size != want) {
+        warn_report("Deprecated page size option cannot "
+                    "change host page size (%u)", want);
     }
 }
 
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ static const struct qemu_argument arg_table[] = {
     {"D",          "QEMU_LOG_FILENAME", true, handle_arg_log_filename,
      "logfile",     "write logs to 'logfile' (default stderr)"},
     {"p",          "QEMU_PAGESIZE",    true,  handle_arg_pagesize,
-     "pagesize",   "set the host page size to 'pagesize'"},
+     "pagesize",   "deprecated change to host page size"},
     {"one-insn-per-tb",
                    "QEMU_ONE_INSN_PER_TB",  false, handle_arg_one_insn_per_tb,
      "",           "run with one guest instruction per emulated TB"},