diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index e598430d2d..e793b7e51a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -1981,6 +1981,25 @@ qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def,
 
             if (qemuAssignDevicePCISlots(def, addrs) < 0)
                 goto cleanup;
+
+            for (i = 0; i < def->ncontrollers; i++) {
+                /* check if every PCI bridge controller's ID is greater than
+                 * the bus it is placed onto
+                 */
+                virDomainControllerDefPtr cont = def->controllers[i];
+                int idx = cont->idx;
+                int bus = cont->info.addr.pci.bus;
+                if (cont->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_PCI &&
+                    cont->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_BRIDGE &&
+                    idx <= bus) {
+                    virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                                   _("failed to create PCI bridge "
+                                     "on bus %d: too many devices with fixed "
+                                     "addresses"),
+                                   bus);
+                    goto cleanup;
+                }
+            }
         }
     }