diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index dfc27572c4..6ae678b165 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -3647,6 +3647,7 @@ processGuestPanicEvent(virQEMUDriver *driver,
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_LIFECYCLE_ACTION_PRESERVE:
+        /* the VM is kept around for debugging */
         break;
 
     default:
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index 9d93f373ab..6b685881a8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -1083,10 +1083,9 @@ qemuValidateLifecycleAction(virDomainLifecycleAction onPoweroff,
     /* The qemu driver doesn't yet implement any meaningful handling for
      * VIR_DOMAIN_LIFECYCLE_ACTION_PRESERVE */
     if (onPoweroff == VIR_DOMAIN_LIFECYCLE_ACTION_PRESERVE ||
-        onReboot == VIR_DOMAIN_LIFECYCLE_ACTION_PRESERVE ||
-        onCrash == VIR_DOMAIN_LIFECYCLE_ACTION_PRESERVE) {
+        onReboot == VIR_DOMAIN_LIFECYCLE_ACTION_PRESERVE) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                       _("qemu driver doesn't support the 'preserve' action for 'on_reboot'/'on_poweroff'/'on_crash'"));
+                       _("qemu driver doesn't support the 'preserve' action for 'on_reboot'/'on_poweroff'"));
         return -1;
     }