diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index eb02f47409..1d6607db2c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -8280,24 +8280,10 @@ qemuBuildSmartcardCommandLine(virLogManagerPtr logManager,
 
     switch (smartcard->type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_HOST:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("this QEMU binary lacks smartcard host "
-                             "mode support"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-
         virBufferAddLit(&opt, "ccid-card-emulated,backend=nss-emulated");
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_HOST_CERTIFICATES:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("this QEMU binary lacks smartcard host "
-                             "mode support"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-
         virBufferAddLit(&opt, "ccid-card-emulated,backend=certificates");
         for (i = 0; i < VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_NUM_CERTIFICATES; i++) {
             virBufferAsprintf(&opt, ",cert%zu=", i + 1);
@@ -8313,13 +8299,6 @@ qemuBuildSmartcardCommandLine(virLogManagerPtr logManager,
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_PASSTHROUGH:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_CCID_PASSTHRU)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("this QEMU binary lacks smartcard "
-                             "passthrough mode support"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-
         if (!(devstr = qemuBuildChrChardevStr(logManager, secManager,
                                               cmd, cfg, def,
                                               smartcard->data.passthru,
@@ -8335,9 +8314,7 @@ qemuBuildSmartcardCommandLine(virLogManagerPtr logManager,
         break;
 
     default:
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("unexpected smartcard type %d"),
-                       smartcard->type);
+        virReportEnumRangeError(virDomainSmartcardType, smartcard->type);
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index fe353e5bc1..f6683d11e0 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -6156,6 +6156,39 @@ static int
 qemuDomainSmartcardDefValidate(const virDomainSmartcardDef *def,
                                virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps)
 {
+    switch (def->type) {
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_HOST:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("this QEMU binary lacks smartcard host "
+                             "mode support"));
+            return -1;
+        }
+        break;
+
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_HOST_CERTIFICATES:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("this QEMU binary lacks smartcard host "
+                             "mode support"));
+            return -1;
+        }
+        break;
+
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_PASSTHROUGH:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_CCID_PASSTHRU)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("this QEMU binary lacks smartcard "
+                             "passthrough mode support"));
+            return -1;
+        }
+        break;
+
+    default:
+        virReportEnumRangeError(virDomainSmartcardType, def->type);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     if (def->type == VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_PASSTHROUGH &&
         qemuDomainChrSourceDefValidate(def->data.passthru, qemuCaps) < 0)
         return -1;
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
index 60ae68c58c..64321bcb80 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
@@ -1332,12 +1332,13 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("cpu-check-default-partial2", NONE);
     DO_TEST("vmcoreinfo", NONE);
 
-    DO_TEST("smartcard-host", NONE);
-    DO_TEST("smartcard-host-certificates", NONE);
-    DO_TEST("smartcard-host-certificates-database", NONE);
-    DO_TEST("smartcard-passthrough-tcp", NONE);
-    DO_TEST("smartcard-passthrough-spicevmc", NONE);
-    DO_TEST("smartcard-controller", NONE);
+    DO_TEST("smartcard-host", QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED);
+    DO_TEST("smartcard-host-certificates", QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED);
+    DO_TEST("smartcard-host-certificates-database",
+            QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED);
+    DO_TEST("smartcard-passthrough-tcp", QEMU_CAPS_CCID_PASSTHRU);
+    DO_TEST("smartcard-passthrough-spicevmc", QEMU_CAPS_CCID_PASSTHRU);
+    DO_TEST("smartcard-controller", QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED);
 
     DO_TEST("pseries-cpu-compat-power9",
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_SPAPR_PCI_HOST_BRIDGE);
@@ -1352,7 +1353,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_OBJECT_MEMORY_FILE,
             QEMU_CAPS_PIIX_DISABLE_S3,
             QEMU_CAPS_PIIX_DISABLE_S4,
-            QEMU_CAPS_VNC);
+            QEMU_CAPS_VNC,
+            QEMU_CAPS_CCID_EMULATED);
     DO_TEST("input-virtio-ccw",
             QEMU_CAPS_CCW,
             QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_KEYBOARD,