diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index a5f781e835..4985af3421 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -4719,8 +4719,7 @@ qemuDomainValidateActualNetDef(const virDomainNetDef *net,
 
 int
 qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(virStorageSource *src,
-                                virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
-                                bool maskBlockdev G_GNUC_UNUSED)
+                                virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps)
 {
     virStorageType actualType = virStorageSourceGetActualType(src);
 
@@ -7636,8 +7635,7 @@ qemuDomainDetermineDiskChain(virQEMUDriver *driver,
         if (n->format == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_ISO)
             n->format = VIR_STORAGE_FILE_RAW;
 
-        /* mask-out blockdev for 'sd' disks */
-        if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(n, priv->qemuCaps, isSD) < 0)
+        if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(n, priv->qemuCaps) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         qemuDomainPrepareStorageSourceConfig(n, cfg);
@@ -10685,7 +10683,7 @@ qemuDomainPrepareDiskSourceLegacy(virDomainDiskDef *disk,
                                   qemuDomainObjPrivate *priv,
                                   virQEMUDriverConfig *cfg)
 {
-    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(disk->src, priv->qemuCaps, true) < 0)
+    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(disk->src, priv->qemuCaps) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     qemuDomainPrepareStorageSourceConfig(disk->src, cfg);
@@ -10723,7 +10721,7 @@ qemuDomainPrepareStorageSourceBlockdevNodename(virDomainDiskDef *disk,
     if (src->encryption && src->encryption->engine == VIR_STORAGE_ENCRYPTION_ENGINE_DEFAULT)
         src->encryption->engine = VIR_STORAGE_ENCRYPTION_ENGINE_QEMU;
 
-    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(src, priv->qemuCaps, false) < 0)
+    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(src, priv->qemuCaps) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     qemuDomainPrepareStorageSourceConfig(src, cfg);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
index d34d5f5861..dbd7bfcd30 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
@@ -990,8 +990,7 @@ qemuDomainPrepareDiskSourceData(virDomainDiskDef *disk,
 
 int
 qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(virStorageSource *src,
-                                virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps,
-                                bool maskBlockdev);
+                                virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps);
 
 
 int
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index 5c68a65fdc..fb9fbab100 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ qemuValidateDomainDefNvram(const virDomainDef *def,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(src, qemuCaps, false) < 0)
+    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(src, qemuCaps) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     return 0;
@@ -3349,7 +3349,6 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefDisk(const virDomainDiskDef *disk,
                                 virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps)
 {
     const char *driverName = virDomainDiskGetDriver(disk);
-    bool isSD = qemuDiskBusIsSD(disk->bus);
     virStorageSource *n;
     int idx;
     int partition;
@@ -3392,8 +3391,7 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefDisk(const virDomainDiskDef *disk,
     }
 
     for (n = disk->src; virStorageSourceIsBacking(n); n = n->backingStore) {
-        /* blockdev support is masked out for 'sd' disks */
-        if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(n, qemuCaps, isSD) < 0)
+        if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(n, qemuCaps) < 0)
             return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/qemublocktest.c b/tests/qemublocktest.c
index 57116c930b..1c1013d4d9 100644
--- a/tests/qemublocktest.c
+++ b/tests/qemublocktest.c
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ testQemuDiskXMLToProps(const void *opaque)
         if (testQemuDiskXMLToJSONFakeSecrets(n) < 0)
             return -1;
 
-        if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(n, data->qemuCaps, false) < 0)
+        if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(n, data->qemuCaps) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         qemuDomainPrepareDiskSourceData(disk, n);
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ testQemuImageCreate(const void *opaque)
     src->capacity = UINT_MAX * 2ULL;
     src->physical = UINT_MAX + 1ULL;
 
-    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(src, data->qemuCaps, false) < 0)
+    if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(src, data->qemuCaps) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     if (qemuBlockStorageSourceCreateGetStorageProps(src, &protocolprops) < 0)