diff --git a/src/xenconfig/xen_xl.c b/src/xenconfig/xen_xl.c
index 1af162a5e4..12050f3bf7 100644
--- a/src/xenconfig/xen_xl.c
+++ b/src/xenconfig/xen_xl.c
@@ -59,16 +59,22 @@ extern int xlu_disk_parse(XLU_Config *cfg,
 #endif
 
 static int
-xenParseXLOS(virConfPtr conf, virDomainDefPtr def)
+xenParseXLOS(virConfPtr conf, virDomainDefPtr def, virCapsPtr caps)
 {
     size_t i;
 
     if (STREQ(def->os.type, "hvm")) {
         const char *boot;
 
-        if (VIR_ALLOC(def->os.loader) < 0 ||
-            xenConfigCopyString(conf, "kernel", &def->os.loader->path) < 0)
-            return -1;
+        for (i = 0; i < caps->nguests; i++) {
+            if (STREQ(caps->guests[i]->ostype, "hvm") &&
+                caps->guests[i]->arch.id == def->os.arch) {
+                if (VIR_ALLOC(def->os.loader) < 0 ||
+                    VIR_STRDUP(def->os.loader->path,
+                               caps->guests[i]->arch.defaultInfo.loader) < 0)
+                    return -1;
+            }
+        }
 
         if (xenConfigGetString(conf, "boot", &boot, "c") < 0)
             return -1;
@@ -423,7 +429,7 @@ xenParseXL(virConfPtr conf, virCapsPtr caps, int xendConfigVersion)
     if (xenParseConfigCommon(conf, def, caps, xendConfigVersion) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (xenParseXLOS(conf, def) < 0)
+    if (xenParseXLOS(conf, def, caps) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (xenParseXLDisk(conf, def) < 0)
@@ -453,10 +459,6 @@ xenFormatXLOS(virConfPtr conf, virDomainDefPtr def)
         if (xenConfigSetString(conf, "builder", "hvm") < 0)
             return -1;
 
-        if (def->os.loader && def->os.loader->path &&
-            xenConfigSetString(conf, "kernel", def->os.loader->path) < 0)
-            return -1;
-
         for (i = 0; i < def->os.nBootDevs; i++) {
             switch (def->os.bootDevs[i]) {
             case VIR_DOMAIN_BOOT_FLOPPY:
diff --git a/tests/testutilsxen.c b/tests/testutilsxen.c
index df1d1243b2..c60e32419a 100644
--- a/tests/testutilsxen.c
+++ b/tests/testutilsxen.c
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ testXLInitCaps(void)
     if ((machines = virCapabilitiesAllocMachines(x86_machines, nmachines)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
     if ((guest = virCapabilitiesAddGuest(caps, "hvm", VIR_ARCH_X86_64,
-                                         "/usr/lib/xen/bin/qemu-dm", NULL,
+                                         "/usr/lib/xen/bin/qemu-system-i386",
+                                         "/usr/lib/xen/boot/hvmloader",
                                          nmachines, machines)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
     machines = NULL;
@@ -104,8 +105,9 @@ testXLInitCaps(void)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if ((guest = virCapabilitiesAddGuest(caps, "xen", VIR_ARCH_X86_64,
-                                        "/usr/lib/xen/bin/qemu-dm", NULL,
-                                        nmachines, machines)) == NULL)
+                                         "/usr/lib/xen/bin/qemu-system-i386",
+                                         NULL,
+                                         nmachines, machines)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
     machines = NULL;
 
diff --git a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-fullvirt-multiusb.cfg b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-fullvirt-multiusb.cfg
index b9e1b0a8c4..68a2614eb3 100755
--- a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-fullvirt-multiusb.cfg
+++ b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-fullvirt-multiusb.cfg
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ vif = [ "mac=00:16:3e:66:92:9c,bridge=xenbr1,script=vif-bridge,model=e1000,type=
 parallel = "none"
 serial = "none"
 builder = "hvm"
-kernel = "/usr/lib/xen/boot/hvmloader"
 boot = "d"
 disk = [ "/dev/HostVG/XenGuest2,raw,hda,w,backendtype=phy", "/root/boot.iso,raw,hdc,r,backendtype=qdisk,devtype=cdrom" ]
 usb = 1
diff --git a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-new-disk.cfg b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-new-disk.cfg
index 180ce924b0..9e9f1066e7 100644
--- a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-new-disk.cfg
+++ b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-new-disk.cfg
@@ -21,6 +21,5 @@ vif = [ "mac=00:16:3e:66:92:9c,bridge=xenbr1,script=vif-bridge,model=e1000,type=
 parallel = "none"
 serial = "none"
 builder = "hvm"
-kernel = "/usr/lib/xen/boot/hvmloader"
 boot = "d"
 disk = [ "/dev/HostVG/XenGuest2,raw,hda,w,backendtype=phy", "/var/lib/libvirt/images/XenGuest2-home,qcow2,hdb,w,backendtype=qdisk", "/root/boot.iso,raw,hdc,r,backendtype=qdisk,devtype=cdrom" ]
diff --git a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-spice.cfg b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-spice.cfg
index a97cd20a0a..21f0e55afd 100644
--- a/tests/xlconfigdata/test-spice.cfg
+++ b/tests/xlconfigdata/test-spice.cfg
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ vif = [ "mac=00:16:3e:66:92:9c,bridge=xenbr1,script=vif-bridge,model=e1000,type=
 parallel = "none"
 serial = "none"
 builder = "hvm"
-kernel = "/usr/lib/xen/boot/hvmloader"
 boot = "d"
 disk = [ "/dev/HostVG/XenGuest2,raw,hda,w,backendtype=phy", "/root/boot.iso,raw,hdc,r,backendtype=qdisk,devtype=cdrom" ]
 sdl = 0