diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 0a7b30fa65..6c29c8f09f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -4474,12 +4474,6 @@ qemuDomainDefBootPostParse(virDomainDef *def,
 {
     bool abiUpdate = !!(parseFlags & VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE);
 
-    if (def->os.bootloader || def->os.bootloaderArgs) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                       _("bootloader is not supported by QEMU"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
     /* Firmware selection can fail for a number of reasons, but the
      * most likely one is that the requested configuration contains
      * mistakes or includes constraints that are impossible to
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index 12128acda6..b2624c9131 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -766,6 +766,12 @@ static int
 qemuValidateDomainDefBoot(const virDomainDef *def,
                           virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps)
 {
+    if (def->os.bootloader || def->os.bootloaderArgs) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("bootloader is not supported by QEMU"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     if (def->os.loader) {
         if (def->os.loader->secure == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES) {
             /* These are the QEMU implementation limitations. But we