diff --git a/src/config/wireplumber.conf.d/alsa-vm.conf b/src/config/wireplumber.conf.d/alsa-vm.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ababe97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/wireplumber.conf.d/alsa-vm.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# ALSA node property overrides for virtual machine hardware
+
+monitor.alsa.rules = [
+  # Generic PCI cards on any VM type
+  {
+    matches = [
+      {
+        node.name = "~alsa_input.pci.*"
+        vm.type = "~.*"
+      }
+      {
+        node.name = "~alsa_output.pci.*"
+        vm.type = "~.*"
+      }
+    ]
+    actions = {
+      update-props = {
+        api.alsa.period-size   = 1024
+        api.alsa.headroom      = 2048
+      }
+    }
+  }
+]
diff --git a/src/config/wireplumber.conf.d/alsa.conf b/src/config/wireplumber.conf.d/alsa.conf
index 7c15c069..bda1657c 100644
--- a/src/config/wireplumber.conf.d/alsa.conf
+++ b/src/config/wireplumber.conf.d/alsa.conf
@@ -22,14 +22,6 @@ monitor.alsa.midi.node-properties = {
   # api.alsa.disable-longname = false
 }
 
-monitor.alsa.vm.node.defaults = {
-  ## These properties override node defaults when running in a virtual machine.
-  ## The rules below still override those.
-
-  api.alsa.period-size = 1024
-  api.alsa.headroom = 8192
-}
-
 monitor.alsa.rules = [
   ## The list of monitor rules
 
diff --git a/src/scripts/monitors/alsa.lua b/src/scripts/monitors/alsa.lua
index 708deb55..edc37d1a 100644
--- a/src/scripts/monitors/alsa.lua
+++ b/src/scripts/monitors/alsa.lua
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ defaults = {}
 defaults.reserve_priority = -20
 defaults.reserve_application_name = "WirePlumber"
 defaults.properties = Json.Object {}
-defaults.vm_node_defaults = Json.Object {}
 
 config = {}
 config.reserve_device = Core.test_feature ("monitor.alsa.reserve-device")
@@ -22,8 +21,6 @@ config.reserve_application_name = Conf.get_value_string ("wireplumber.settings",
     "monitor.alsa.reserve-application-name", defaults.reserve_application_name)
 config.properties = Conf.get_section (
     "monitor.alsa.properties", defaults.properties):parse ()
-config.vm_node_defaults = Conf.get_section (
-    "monitor.alsa.vm.node.defaults", defaults.vm_node_defaults):parse ()
 
 -- unique device/node name tables
 device_names_table = nil
@@ -155,12 +152,10 @@ function createNode(parent, id, obj_type, factory, properties)
     end
   end
 
-  -- apply VM overrides
-  if nonempty(Core.get_vm_type()) and
-      type(config.vm_node_defaults) == "table" then
-    for k, v in pairs(config.vm_node_defaults) do
-      properties[k] = v
-    end
+  -- add vm.type for rule matching purposes
+  local vm_type = Core.get_vm_type()
+  if nonempty(vm_type) then
+    properties["vm.type"] = vm_type
   end
 
   -- apply properties from rules defined in JSON .conf file