diff --git a/src/conf/capabilities.c b/src/conf/capabilities.c
index 02298e40a3..88c6b84c7c 100644
--- a/src/conf/capabilities.c
+++ b/src/conf/capabilities.c
@@ -591,7 +591,8 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookupInternal(virCaps *caps,
                                         virArch arch,
                                         virDomainVirtType domaintype,
                                         const char *emulator,
-                                        const char *machinetype)
+                                        const char *machinetype,
+                                        bool reportError)
 {
     virCapsGuest *foundguest = NULL;
     virCapsGuestDomain *founddomain = NULL;
@@ -680,6 +681,10 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookupInternal(virCaps *caps,
     /* XXX check default_emulator, see how it uses this */
     if (!foundguest) {
         g_auto(virBuffer) buf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
+
+        if (!reportError)
+            return NULL;
+
         if (ostype)
             virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "ostype=%s ",
                               virDomainOSTypeToString(ostype));
@@ -699,7 +704,7 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookupInternal(virCaps *caps,
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
                        _("could not find capabilities for %1$s"),
                        virBufferCurrentContent(&buf));
-        return ret;
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     ret = g_new0(virCapsDomainData, 1);
@@ -726,6 +731,7 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookupInternal(virCaps *caps,
  * @domaintype: domain type to search for, of enum virDomainVirtType
  * @emulator: Emulator path to search for
  * @machinetype: Machine type to search for
+ * @reportError: whether to report error if no match is found
  *
  * Search capabilities for the passed values, and if found return
  * virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup filled in with the default values
@@ -736,7 +742,8 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup(virCaps *caps,
                                 virArch arch,
                                 int domaintype,
                                 const char *emulator,
-                                const char *machinetype)
+                                const char *machinetype,
+                                bool reportError)
 {
     virCapsDomainData *ret;
 
@@ -745,14 +752,16 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup(virCaps *caps,
         ret = virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookupInternal(caps, ostype,
                                                       caps->host.arch,
                                                       domaintype,
-                                                      emulator, machinetype);
+                                                      emulator, machinetype,
+                                                      reportError);
         if (ret)
             return ret;
     }
 
     return virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookupInternal(caps, ostype,
                                                    arch, domaintype,
-                                                   emulator, machinetype);
+                                                   emulator, machinetype,
+                                                   reportError);
 }
 
 
@@ -767,7 +776,8 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainSupported(virCaps *caps,
     capsdata = virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup(caps, ostype,
                                                arch,
                                                virttype,
-                                               NULL, NULL);
+                                               NULL, NULL,
+                                               true);
 
     return capsdata != NULL;
 }
diff --git a/src/conf/capabilities.h b/src/conf/capabilities.h
index 52e395de14..c67b3ce397 100644
--- a/src/conf/capabilities.h
+++ b/src/conf/capabilities.h
@@ -309,7 +309,8 @@ virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup(virCaps *caps,
                                 virArch arch,
                                 int domaintype,
                                 const char *emulator,
-                                const char *machinetype);
+                                const char *machinetype,
+                                bool reportError);
 
 bool
 virCapabilitiesDomainSupported(virCaps *caps,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 3597959e33..2a64a4a1ad 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -15811,8 +15811,11 @@ virDomainDefGetDefaultEmulator(virDomainDef *def,
     g_autofree virCapsDomainData *capsdata = NULL;
 
     if (!(capsdata = virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup(caps, def->os.type,
-            def->os.arch, def->virtType, NULL, NULL)))
+                                                     def->os.arch,
+                                                     def->virtType, NULL, NULL,
+                                                     true))) {
         return NULL;
+    }
 
     retemu = g_strdup(capsdata->emulator);
 
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_common.c b/src/libxl/xen_common.c
index d5a0399613..79eb593432 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_common.c
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_common.c
@@ -1387,8 +1387,11 @@ xenParseGeneralMeta(virConf *conf, virDomainDef *def, virCaps *caps)
     }
 
     if (!(capsdata = virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup(caps, def->os.type,
-            VIR_ARCH_NONE, def->virtType, NULL, NULL)))
+                                                     VIR_ARCH_NONE,
+                                                     def->virtType, NULL,
+                                                     NULL, true))) {
         goto out;
+    }
 
     def->os.arch = capsdata->arch;
     def->os.machine = g_strdup(capsdata->machinetype);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index 60d9a57387..208b53fb5a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -1784,11 +1784,11 @@ int virQEMUCapsGetDefaultVersion(virCaps *caps,
 
     hostarch = virArchFromHost();
     if (!(capsdata = virCapabilitiesDomainDataLookup(caps,
-            VIR_DOMAIN_OSTYPE_HVM, hostarch, VIR_DOMAIN_VIRT_NONE,
-            NULL, NULL))) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("Cannot find suitable emulator for %1$s"),
-                       virArchToString(hostarch));
+                                                     VIR_DOMAIN_OSTYPE_HVM,
+                                                     hostarch,
+                                                     VIR_DOMAIN_VIRT_NONE,
+                                                     NULL, NULL,
+                                                     true))) {
         return -1;
     }