diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 36d8a701acd78e6ff5f982b8de5ffbfb94f270fe..6c79d4fe319915cfc8cf1de325e299bf7aeb43ee 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -8172,8 +8172,6 @@ static int qemuDomainUpdateDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev = NULL, dev_copy = NULL;
     bool force = (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_MODIFY_FORCE) != 0;
     int ret = -1;
-    virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
-    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = NULL;
     virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
     unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE;
@@ -8192,8 +8190,6 @@ static int qemuDomainUpdateDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (!(vm = qemuDomObjFromDomain(dom)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    priv = vm->privateData;
-
     if (virDomainUpdateDeviceFlagsEnsureACL(dom->conn, vm->def, flags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -8220,12 +8216,6 @@ static int qemuDomainUpdateDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
             goto endjob;
     }
 
-    if (priv->qemuCaps)
-        qemuCaps = virObjectRef(priv->qemuCaps);
-    else if (!(qemuCaps = virQEMUCapsCacheLookup(caps, driver->qemuCapsCache,
-                                                 vm->def->emulator)))
-        goto endjob;
-
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG) {
         /* Make a copy for updated domain. */
         vmdef = virDomainObjCopyPersistentDef(vm, caps, driver->xmlopt);
@@ -8273,7 +8263,6 @@ static int qemuDomainUpdateDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     qemuDomainObjEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    virObjectUnref(qemuCaps);
     virDomainDefFree(vmdef);
     if (dev != dev_copy)
         virDomainDeviceDefFree(dev_copy);