diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c
index 52ad3e3714210f751ab2accbd88e6f67e5df4b6d..10340ee436eb3c28d1e195a9a36d3ca69c0c6925 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_command.c
@@ -460,7 +460,6 @@ virBhyveProcessBuildBhyveCmd(virConnectPtr conn,
      *            vm0
      */
     size_t i;
-    bool add_lpc = false;
     int nusbcontrollers = 0;
     unsigned int nvcpus = virDomainDefGetVcpus(def);
 
@@ -553,7 +552,6 @@ virBhyveProcessBuildBhyveCmd(virConnectPtr conn,
         if ((bhyveDriverGetCaps(conn) & BHYVE_CAP_LPC_BOOTROM)) {
             virCommandAddArg(cmd, "-l");
             virCommandAddArgFormat(cmd, "bootrom,%s", def->os.loader->path);
-            add_lpc = true;
         } else {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
                            _("Installed bhyve binary does not support "
@@ -617,7 +615,6 @@ virBhyveProcessBuildBhyveCmd(virConnectPtr conn,
             if (bhyveBuildGraphicsArgStr(def, def->graphics[0], def->videos[0],
                                          conn, cmd, dryRun) < 0)
                 goto error;
-            add_lpc = true;
         } else {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
                            _("Multiple graphics devices are not supported"));
@@ -625,7 +622,7 @@ virBhyveProcessBuildBhyveCmd(virConnectPtr conn,
         }
     }
 
-    if (add_lpc || def->nserials)
+    if (bhyveDomainDefNeedsISAController(def))
         bhyveBuildLPCArgStr(def, cmd);
 
     if (bhyveBuildConsoleArgStr(def, cmd) < 0)
diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c
index 79cf103d28368da1551bef42862e2b92d94547d3..67cd6cc0394d614c66efe5d2f09dfd75bd9e59a5 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c
@@ -61,6 +61,21 @@ virDomainXMLPrivateDataCallbacks virBhyveDriverPrivateDataCallbacks = {
     .free = bhyveDomainObjPrivateFree,
 };
 
+bool
+bhyveDomainDefNeedsISAController(virDomainDefPtr def)
+{
+    if (def->os.bootloader == NULL && def->os.loader)
+        return true;
+
+    if (def->nserials)
+        return true;
+
+    if (def->ngraphics && def->nvideos)
+        return true;
+
+    return false;
+}
+
 static int
 bhyveDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
                         virCapsPtr caps ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.h b/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.h
index 5f94038e89aae497c8c0fc129127fb12a08bd804..03a2b369d9c34f7e29268544767653457b378029 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.h
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.h
@@ -41,4 +41,6 @@ extern virDomainXMLPrivateDataCallbacks virBhyveDriverPrivateDataCallbacks;
 extern virDomainDefParserConfig virBhyveDriverDomainDefParserConfig;
 extern virDomainXMLNamespace virBhyveDriverDomainXMLNamespace;
 
+bool bhyveDomainDefNeedsISAController(virDomainDefPtr def);
+
 #endif /* LIBVIRT_BHYVE_DOMAIN_H */