diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index e547474f9a..3a360b72e0 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -7428,19 +7428,10 @@ qemuBuildGraphicsSDLCommandLine(virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg G_GNUC_UNUSED,
     virCommandAddArg(cmd, "-display");
     virBufferAddLit(&opt, "sdl");
 
-    if (graphics->data.sdl.gl != VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_ABSENT) {
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SDL_GL)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("OpenGL for SDL is not supported with this QEMU "
-                             "binary"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-
+    if (graphics->data.sdl.gl != VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_ABSENT)
         virBufferAsprintf(&opt, ",gl=%s",
                           virTristateSwitchTypeToString(graphics->data.sdl.gl));
 
-    }
-
     virCommandAddArgBuffer(cmd, &opt);
 
     return 0;
@@ -7896,9 +7887,6 @@ qemuBuildGraphicsCommandLine(virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg,
             break;
         case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_RDP:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_DESKTOP:
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                           _("unsupported graphics type '%s'"),
-                           virDomainGraphicsTypeToString(graphics->type));
             return -1;
         case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_LAST:
         default:
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 058c75d587..3a636097c7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -7681,6 +7681,35 @@ qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateGraphics(const virDomainGraphicsDef *graphics,
         }
     }
 
+    switch (graphics->type) {
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_SDL:
+        if (graphics->data.sdl.gl != VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_ABSENT) {
+            if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SDL_GL)) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                               _("OpenGL for SDL is not supported with this QEMU "
+                                 "binary"));
+                return -1;
+            }
+        }
+        break;
+
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_VNC:
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_SPICE:
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_EGL_HEADLESS:
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_RDP:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_DESKTOP:
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                       _("unsupported graphics type '%s'"),
+                       virDomainGraphicsTypeToString(graphics->type));
+        return -1;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_GRAPHICS_TYPE_LAST:
+    default:
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
index d1eee0f00f..3a69643456 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
@@ -1174,7 +1174,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_GPU_VIRGL);
     DO_TEST("video-virtio-gpu-sdl-gl",
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VIRTIO_GPU,
-            QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_GPU_VIRGL);
+            QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_GPU_VIRGL,
+            QEMU_CAPS_SDL_GL);
 
     DO_TEST("virtio-input",
             QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_KEYBOARD,