diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 2e79610010..45ba94ab5e 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -11093,6 +11093,65 @@ virDomainShmemDefParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
     return ret;
 }
 
+static int
+virSysinfoBIOSParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
+                       xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
+                       virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr *bios)
+{
+    int ret = -1;
+    virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr def;
+
+    if (!xmlStrEqual(node->name, BAD_CAST "bios")) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
+                       _("XML does not contain expected 'bios' element"));
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    if (VIR_ALLOC(def) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    def->vendor = virXPathString("string(entry[@name='vendor'])", ctxt);
+    def->version = virXPathString("string(entry[@name='version'])", ctxt);
+    def->date = virXPathString("string(entry[@name='date'])", ctxt);
+    def->release = virXPathString("string(entry[@name='release'])", ctxt);
+    if (def->date != NULL) {
+        char *ptr;
+        int month, day, year;
+
+        /* Validate just the format of the date
+         * Expect mm/dd/yyyy or mm/dd/yy,
+         * where yy must be 00->99 and would be assumed to be 19xx
+         * a yyyy date should be 1900 and beyond
+         */
+        if (virStrToLong_i(def->date, &ptr, 10, &month) < 0 ||
+            *ptr != '/' ||
+            virStrToLong_i(ptr + 1, &ptr, 10, &day) < 0 ||
+            *ptr != '/' ||
+            virStrToLong_i(ptr + 1, &ptr, 10, &year) < 0 ||
+            *ptr != '\0' ||
+            (month < 1 || month > 12) ||
+            (day < 1 || day > 31) ||
+            (year < 0 || (year >= 100 && year < 1900))) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_DETAIL, "%s",
+                           _("Invalid BIOS 'date' format"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!def->vendor && !def->version &&
+        !def->date && !def->release) {
+        virSysinfoBIOSDefFree(def);
+        def = NULL;
+    }
+
+    *bios = def;
+    def = NULL;
+    ret = 0;
+ cleanup:
+    virSysinfoBIOSDefFree(def);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 static virSysinfoDefPtr
 virSysinfoParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
                   xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
@@ -11100,6 +11159,7 @@ virSysinfoParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
                   bool uuid_generated)
 {
     virSysinfoDefPtr def;
+    xmlNodePtr oldnode, tmpnode;
     char *type;
     char *tmpUUID = NULL;
 
@@ -11124,39 +11184,16 @@ virSysinfoParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
         goto error;
     }
 
-
     /* Extract BIOS related metadata */
-    def->bios_vendor =
-        virXPathString("string(bios/entry[@name='vendor'])", ctxt);
-    def->bios_version =
-        virXPathString("string(bios/entry[@name='version'])", ctxt);
-    def->bios_date =
-        virXPathString("string(bios/entry[@name='date'])", ctxt);
-    if (def->bios_date != NULL) {
-        char *ptr;
-        int month, day, year;
-
-        /* Validate just the format of the date
-         * Expect mm/dd/yyyy or mm/dd/yy,
-         * where yy must be 00->99 and would be assumed to be 19xx
-         * a yyyy date should be 1900 and beyond
-         */
-        if (virStrToLong_i(def->bios_date, &ptr, 10, &month) < 0 ||
-            *ptr != '/' ||
-            virStrToLong_i(ptr + 1, &ptr, 10, &day) < 0 ||
-            *ptr != '/' ||
-            virStrToLong_i(ptr + 1, &ptr, 10, &year) < 0 ||
-            *ptr != '\0' ||
-            (month < 1 || month > 12) ||
-            (day < 1 || day > 31) ||
-            (year < 0 || (year >= 100 && year < 1900))) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_DETAIL, "%s",
-                           _("Invalid BIOS 'date' format"));
+    if ((tmpnode = virXPathNode("./bios[1]", ctxt)) != NULL) {
+        oldnode = ctxt->node;
+        ctxt->node = tmpnode;
+        if (virSysinfoBIOSParseXML(tmpnode, ctxt, &def->bios) < 0) {
+            ctxt->node = oldnode;
             goto error;
         }
+        ctxt->node = oldnode;
     }
-    def->bios_release =
-        virXPathString("string(bios/entry[@name='release'])", ctxt);
 
     /* Extract system related metadata */
     def->system_manufacturer =
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index b7975d6e50..a88b874178 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2182,6 +2182,7 @@ virVasprintfInternal;
 
 
 # util/virsysinfo.h
+virSysinfoBIOSDefFree;
 virSysinfoDefFree;
 virSysinfoFormat;
 virSysinfoRead;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 688b18059a..603ba9e14c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -6701,28 +6701,27 @@ static char *qemuBuildTPMDevStr(const virDomainDef *def,
 }
 
 
-static char *qemuBuildSmbiosBiosStr(virSysinfoDefPtr def)
+static char *qemuBuildSmbiosBiosStr(virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr def)
 {
     virBuffer buf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
 
-    if ((def->bios_vendor == NULL) && (def->bios_version == NULL) &&
-        (def->bios_date == NULL) && (def->bios_release == NULL))
+    if (!def)
         return NULL;
 
     virBufferAddLit(&buf, "type=0");
 
     /* 0:Vendor */
-    if (def->bios_vendor)
-        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",vendor=%s", def->bios_vendor);
+    if (def->vendor)
+        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",vendor=%s", def->vendor);
     /* 0:BIOS Version */
-    if (def->bios_version)
-        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",version=%s", def->bios_version);
+    if (def->version)
+        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",version=%s", def->version);
     /* 0:BIOS Release Date */
-    if (def->bios_date)
-        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",date=%s", def->bios_date);
+    if (def->date)
+        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",date=%s", def->date);
     /* 0:System BIOS Major Release and 0:System BIOS Minor Release */
-    if (def->bios_release)
-        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",release=%s", def->bios_release);
+    if (def->release)
+        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",release=%s", def->release);
 
     if (virBufferCheckError(&buf) < 0)
         goto error;
@@ -9047,7 +9046,7 @@ qemuBuildCommandLine(virConnectPtr conn,
         if (source != NULL) {
             char *smbioscmd;
 
-            smbioscmd = qemuBuildSmbiosBiosStr(source);
+            smbioscmd = qemuBuildSmbiosBiosStr(source->bios);
             if (smbioscmd != NULL) {
                 virCommandAddArgList(cmd, "-smbios", smbioscmd, NULL);
                 VIR_FREE(smbioscmd);
diff --git a/src/util/virsysinfo.c b/src/util/virsysinfo.c
index 7b0d80d62f..725894f0f1 100644
--- a/src/util/virsysinfo.c
+++ b/src/util/virsysinfo.c
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ void virSysinfoSetup(const char *dmidecode, const char *sysinfo,
     sysinfoCpuinfo = cpuinfo;
 }
 
+void virSysinfoBIOSDefFree(virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr def)
+{
+    if (def == NULL)
+        return;
+
+    VIR_FREE(def->vendor);
+    VIR_FREE(def->version);
+    VIR_FREE(def->date);
+    VIR_FREE(def->release);
+    VIR_FREE(def);
+}
+
 /**
  * virSysinfoDefFree:
  * @def: a sysinfo structure
@@ -78,10 +90,7 @@ void virSysinfoDefFree(virSysinfoDefPtr def)
     if (def == NULL)
         return;
 
-    VIR_FREE(def->bios_vendor);
-    VIR_FREE(def->bios_version);
-    VIR_FREE(def->bios_date);
-    VIR_FREE(def->bios_release);
+    virSysinfoBIOSDefFree(def->bios);
 
     VIR_FREE(def->system_manufacturer);
     VIR_FREE(def->system_product);
@@ -522,40 +531,56 @@ virSysinfoRead(void)
 #else /* !WIN32 && x86 */
 
 static int
-virSysinfoParseBIOS(const char *base, virSysinfoDefPtr ret)
+virSysinfoParseBIOS(const char *base, virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr *bios)
 {
+    int ret = -1;
     const char *cur, *eol = NULL;
+    virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr def;
 
     if ((cur = strstr(base, "BIOS Information")) == NULL)
         return 0;
 
+    if (VIR_ALLOC(def) < 0)
+        return ret;
+
     base = cur;
     if ((cur = strstr(base, "Vendor: ")) != NULL) {
         cur += 8;
         eol = strchr(cur, '\n');
-        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(ret->bios_vendor, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
-            return -1;
+        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(def->vendor, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
     if ((cur = strstr(base, "Version: ")) != NULL) {
         cur += 9;
         eol = strchr(cur, '\n');
-        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(ret->bios_version, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
-            return -1;
+        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(def->version, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
     if ((cur = strstr(base, "Release Date: ")) != NULL) {
         cur += 14;
         eol = strchr(cur, '\n');
-        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(ret->bios_date, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
-            return -1;
+        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(def->date, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
     if ((cur = strstr(base, "BIOS Revision: ")) != NULL) {
         cur += 15;
         eol = strchr(cur, '\n');
-        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(ret->bios_release, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
-            return -1;
+        if (eol && VIR_STRNDUP(def->release, cur, eol - cur) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    return 0;
+    if (!def->vendor && !def->version &&
+        !def->date && !def->release) {
+        virSysinfoBIOSDefFree(def);
+        def = NULL;
+    }
+
+    *bios = def;
+    def = NULL;
+    ret = 0;
+ cleanup:
+    virSysinfoBIOSDefFree(def);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -846,7 +871,7 @@ virSysinfoRead(void)
 
     ret->type = VIR_SYSINFO_SMBIOS;
 
-    if (virSysinfoParseBIOS(outbuf, ret) < 0)
+    if (virSysinfoParseBIOS(outbuf, &ret->bios) < 0)
         goto error;
 
     if (virSysinfoParseSystem(outbuf, ret) < 0)
@@ -876,22 +901,21 @@ virSysinfoRead(void)
 #endif /* !WIN32 && x86 */
 
 static void
-virSysinfoBIOSFormat(virBufferPtr buf, virSysinfoDefPtr def)
+virSysinfoBIOSFormat(virBufferPtr buf, virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr def)
 {
-    if (!def->bios_vendor && !def->bios_version &&
-        !def->bios_date && !def->bios_release)
+    if (!def)
         return;
 
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "<bios>\n");
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
     virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<entry name='vendor'>%s</entry>\n",
-                          def->bios_vendor);
+                          def->vendor);
     virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<entry name='version'>%s</entry>\n",
-                          def->bios_version);
+                          def->version);
     virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<entry name='date'>%s</entry>\n",
-                          def->bios_date);
+                          def->date);
     virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<entry name='release'>%s</entry>\n",
-                          def->bios_release);
+                          def->release);
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, -2);
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "</bios>\n");
 }
@@ -1055,7 +1079,7 @@ virSysinfoFormat(virBufferPtr buf, virSysinfoDefPtr def)
 
     virBufferAdjustIndent(&childrenBuf, indent + 2);
 
-    virSysinfoBIOSFormat(&childrenBuf, def);
+    virSysinfoBIOSFormat(&childrenBuf, def->bios);
     virSysinfoSystemFormat(&childrenBuf, def);
     virSysinfoProcessorFormat(&childrenBuf, def);
     virSysinfoMemoryFormat(&childrenBuf, def);
@@ -1078,6 +1102,41 @@ virSysinfoFormat(virBufferPtr buf, virSysinfoDefPtr def)
     return ret;
 }
 
+#define CHECK_FIELD(name, desc)                                         \
+    do {                                                                \
+        if (STRNEQ_NULLABLE(src->name, dst->name)) {                    \
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,                  \
+                           _("Target sysinfo %s %s does not match source %s"), \
+                           desc, NULLSTR(dst->name), NULLSTR(src->name)); \
+            goto cleanup;                                               \
+        }                                                               \
+    } while (0)
+
+static bool
+virSysinfoBIOSIsEqual(virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr src,
+                      virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr dst)
+{
+    bool identical = false;
+
+    if (!src && !dst)
+        return true;
+
+    if ((src && !dst) || (!src && dst)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("Target sysinfo does not match source"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    CHECK_FIELD(vendor, "BIOS vendor");
+    CHECK_FIELD(version, "BIOS version");
+    CHECK_FIELD(date, "BIOS date");
+    CHECK_FIELD(release, "BIOS release");
+
+    identical = true;
+ cleanup:
+    return identical;
+}
+
 bool virSysinfoIsEqual(virSysinfoDefPtr src,
                        virSysinfoDefPtr dst)
 {
@@ -1100,19 +1159,8 @@ bool virSysinfoIsEqual(virSysinfoDefPtr src,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-#define CHECK_FIELD(name, desc)                                         \
-    do {                                                                \
-        if (STRNEQ_NULLABLE(src->name, dst->name)) {                    \
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,                  \
-                           _("Target sysinfo %s %s does not match source %s"), \
-                           desc, NULLSTR(src->name), NULLSTR(dst->name)); \
-        }                                                               \
-    } while (0)
-
-    CHECK_FIELD(bios_vendor, "BIOS vendor");
-    CHECK_FIELD(bios_version, "BIOS version");
-    CHECK_FIELD(bios_date, "BIOS date");
-    CHECK_FIELD(bios_release, "BIOS release");
+    if (!virSysinfoBIOSIsEqual(src->bios, dst->bios))
+        goto cleanup;
 
     CHECK_FIELD(system_manufacturer, "system vendor");
     CHECK_FIELD(system_product, "system product");
diff --git a/src/util/virsysinfo.h b/src/util/virsysinfo.h
index 6236ca61a9..ec32f6cfcf 100644
--- a/src/util/virsysinfo.h
+++ b/src/util/virsysinfo.h
@@ -65,15 +65,21 @@ struct _virSysinfoMemoryDef {
     char *memory_part_number;
 };
 
+typedef struct _virSysinfoBIOSDef virSysinfoBIOSDef;
+typedef virSysinfoBIOSDef *virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr;
+struct _virSysinfoBIOSDef {
+    char *vendor;
+    char *version;
+    char *date;
+    char *release;
+};
+
 typedef struct _virSysinfoDef virSysinfoDef;
 typedef virSysinfoDef *virSysinfoDefPtr;
 struct _virSysinfoDef {
     int type;
 
-    char *bios_vendor;
-    char *bios_version;
-    char *bios_date;
-    char *bios_release;
+    virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr bios;
 
     char *system_manufacturer;
     char *system_product;
@@ -92,6 +98,7 @@ struct _virSysinfoDef {
 
 virSysinfoDefPtr virSysinfoRead(void);
 
+void virSysinfoBIOSDefFree(virSysinfoBIOSDefPtr def);
 void virSysinfoDefFree(virSysinfoDefPtr def);
 
 int virSysinfoFormat(virBufferPtr buf, virSysinfoDefPtr def)