diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index 8d5995057e..8b5b292f54 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -566,8 +566,7 @@ qemuValidateDomainDefPM(const virDomainDef *def,
 
 
 static int
-qemuValidateDomainDefBoot(const virDomainDef *def,
-                          virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps)
+qemuValidateDomainDefBoot(const virDomainDef *def)
 {
     if (def->os.loader &&
         def->os.loader->secure == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES) {
@@ -598,15 +597,6 @@ qemuValidateDomainDefBoot(const virDomainDef *def,
         }
     }
 
-    if (def->os.bm_timeout_set) {
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("splash timeout is not supported "
-                             "by this QEMU binary"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1218,7 +1208,7 @@ qemuValidateDomainDef(const virDomainDef *def,
     if (qemuValidateDomainDefPM(def, qemuCaps) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (qemuValidateDomainDefBoot(def, qemuCaps) < 0)
+    if (qemuValidateDomainDefBoot(def) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     if (qemuValidateDomainVCpuTopology(def, qemuCaps) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index 1a2b4fda8c..d8ff18771f 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -1068,10 +1068,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_ICH9_AHCI);
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-multi");
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-menu-enable");
-    DO_TEST("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout",
-            QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT);
-    DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout-invalid",
-                        QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT);
+    DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout");
+    DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR_NOCAPS("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout-invalid");
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-menu-disable");
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-menu-disable-drive");
     DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("boot-dev+order",
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
index 3e51533f85..f9d20242fc 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_IOH3420,
             QEMU_CAPS_ICH9_AHCI);
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-multi");
-    DO_TEST("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout", QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT);
+    DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout");
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-menu-disable");
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-menu-disable-with-timeout");
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("boot-order");