diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 33f9b96bf8..5aff89188a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -9841,9 +9841,6 @@ qemuBuildCommandLine(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     qemuBuildDomainLoaderCommandLine(cmd, def, qemuCaps);
 
-    if (!migrateURI && !snapshot && qemuDomainAlignMemorySizes(def) < 0)
-        return NULL;
-
     if (qemuBuildMemCommandLine(cmd, def, qemuCaps, priv) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 27a22c950d..9d83825190 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -6493,6 +6493,12 @@ qemuProcessPrepareDomain(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (qemuExtDevicesPrepareDomain(driver, vm) < 0)
         return -1;
 
+    if (flags & VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_NEW) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Aligning guest memory");
+        if (qemuDomainAlignMemorySizes(vm->def) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
     for (i = 0; i < vm->def->nchannels; i++) {
         if (qemuDomainPrepareChannel(vm->def->channels[i],
                                      priv->channelTargetDir) < 0)