diff --git a/src/conf/capabilities.h b/src/conf/capabilities.h
index 8abe88a9bf..064da80632 100644
--- a/src/conf/capabilities.h
+++ b/src/conf/capabilities.h
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ struct _virCaps {
     int defaultDiskDriverType; /* enum virStorageFileFormat */
     int (*defaultConsoleTargetType)(const char *ostype, virArch guestarch);
     bool hasWideScsiBus;
-    const char *defaultInitPath;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 03c6c7c4c3..c21c687278 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -2479,6 +2479,21 @@ int virDomainDeviceInfoIterate(virDomainDefPtr def,
 }
 
 
+static int
+virDomainDefPostParseInternal(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                              virCapsPtr caps ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+{
+    /* verify init path for container based domains */
+    if (STREQ(def->os.type, "exe") && !def->os.init) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
+                       _("init binary must be specified"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static int
 virDomainDeviceDefPostParse(virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
                             virDomainDefPtr def,
@@ -2542,6 +2557,10 @@ virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                           &data)) < 0)
         return ret;
 
+
+    if ((ret = virDomainDefPostParseInternal(def, caps)) < 0)
+        return ret;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -10333,18 +10352,6 @@ virDomainDefParseXML(xmlDocPtr xml,
 
     if (STREQ(def->os.type, "exe")) {
         def->os.init = virXPathString("string(./os/init[1])", ctxt);
-        if (!def->os.init) {
-            if (caps->defaultInitPath) {
-                def->os.init = strdup(caps->defaultInitPath);
-                if (!def->os.init) {
-                    goto no_memory;
-                }
-            } else {
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
-                               _("init binary must be specified"));
-                goto error;
-            }
-        }
         def->os.cmdline = virXPathString("string(./os/cmdline[1])", ctxt);
 
         if ((n = virXPathNodeSet("./os/initarg", ctxt, &nodes)) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c b/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c
index 3b0731bb58..439e457cdc 100644
--- a/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c
+++ b/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c
@@ -206,7 +206,6 @@ virCapsPtr openvzCapsInit(void)
                                       NULL) == NULL)
         goto no_memory;
 
-    caps->defaultInitPath = "/sbin/init";
     caps->defaultConsoleTargetType = openvzDefaultConsoleType;
 
     return caps;
diff --git a/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c b/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
index 9b1919a148..583a4157c5 100644
--- a/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
+++ b/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
@@ -97,6 +97,29 @@ static void cmdExecFree(const char *cmdExec[])
     }
 }
 
+
+static int
+openvzDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                         virCapsPtr caps ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                         void *opaque ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+{
+    /* fill the init path */
+    if (STREQ(def->os.type, "exe") && !def->os.init) {
+        if (!(def->os.init = strdup("/sbin/init"))) {
+            virReportOOMError();
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+virDomainDefParserConfig openvzDomainDefParserConfig = {
+        .domainPostParseCallback = openvzDomainDefPostParse,
+};
+
+
 /* generate arguments to create OpenVZ container
    return -1 - error
            0 - OK
@@ -1453,7 +1476,8 @@ static virDrvOpenStatus openvzOpen(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (!(driver->caps = openvzCapsInit()))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(driver->xmlopt = virDomainXMLOptionNew(NULL, NULL, NULL)))
+    if (!(driver->xmlopt = virDomainXMLOptionNew(&openvzDomainDefParserConfig,
+                                                 NULL, NULL)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (openvzLoadDomains(driver) < 0)