diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index d8d0dea94b..4c1a266d25 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -7403,9 +7403,9 @@ qemuBuildMachineCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
                     goto cleanup;
                 }
 
-                /* The default GIC version should not be specified on the
-                 * QEMU commandline for backwards compatibility reasons */
-                if (def->gic_version != VIR_GIC_VERSION_DEFAULT) {
+                /* The default GIC version (GICv2) should not be specified on
+                 * the QEMU commandline for backwards compatibility reasons */
+                if (def->gic_version != VIR_GIC_VERSION_2) {
                     if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps,
                                         QEMU_CAPS_MACH_VIRT_GIC_VERSION)) {
                         virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 98f5adb909..7c54f69f54 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -2596,12 +2596,11 @@ qemuDomainDefEnableDefaultFeatures(virDomainDefPtr def,
         def->features[VIR_DOMAIN_FEATURE_GIC] = VIR_TRISTATE_SWITCH_ON;
     }
 
-    /* Use the default GIC version if no version was specified */
+    /* Use the default GIC version (GICv2) if no version was specified */
     if (def->features[VIR_DOMAIN_FEATURE_GIC] == VIR_TRISTATE_SWITCH_ON &&
         def->gic_version == VIR_GIC_VERSION_NONE) {
-        VIR_DEBUG("Using GIC version %s (default)",
-                  virGICVersionTypeToString(VIR_GIC_VERSION_DEFAULT));
-        def->gic_version = VIR_GIC_VERSION_DEFAULT;
+        VIR_DEBUG("Using GIC version 2 (default)");
+        def->gic_version = VIR_GIC_VERSION_2;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/virgic.h b/src/util/virgic.h
index 1c9efd60f9..2d77fdd459 100644
--- a/src/util/virgic.h
+++ b/src/util/virgic.h
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@ typedef enum {
 
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virGICVersion);
 
-/* Consider GIC v2 the default */
-# define VIR_GIC_VERSION_DEFAULT VIR_GIC_VERSION_2
-
 typedef enum {
     VIR_GIC_IMPLEMENTATION_NONE = 0,
     VIR_GIC_IMPLEMENTATION_KERNEL = (1 << 1),