diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index a4f1cbce11..f9387a65e0 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -3823,12 +3823,6 @@ qemuBuildUSBInputDevStr(const virDomainDef *def,
         virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "usb-tablet,id=%s", dev->info.alias);
         break;
     case VIR_DOMAIN_INPUT_TYPE_KBD:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_KBD)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("usb keyboard is not supported by this "
-                             "QEMU binary"));
-            return NULL;
-        }
         virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "usb-kbd,id=%s", dev->info.alias);
         break;
     }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index 01fc318741..d6538806ec 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -3990,6 +3990,15 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefInput(const virDomainInputDef *input,
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (input->bus == VIR_DOMAIN_INPUT_BUS_USB &&
+        input->type == VIR_DOMAIN_INPUT_TYPE_KBD &&
+        !virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_KBD)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("usb keyboard is not supported by this "
+                         "QEMU binary"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     if (input->bus != VIR_DOMAIN_INPUT_BUS_VIRTIO)
         return 0;
 
diff --git a/tests/qemuhotplugtest.c b/tests/qemuhotplugtest.c
index 2d12cacf28..0948c8792d 100644
--- a/tests/qemuhotplugtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuhotplugtest.c
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ qemuHotplugCreateObjects(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
     virQEMUCapsSet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SPICE_FILE_XFER_DISABLE);
     virQEMUCapsSet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_PR_MANAGER_HELPER);
     virQEMUCapsSet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_BLOCK);
+    virQEMUCapsSet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_KBD);
 
     if (qemuTestCapsCacheInsert(driver.qemuCapsCache, priv->qemuCaps) < 0)
         return -1;