diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index 71951e6c82aeb84ec9d424cd5b21fa27cd6a83f9..10c809e8b799ba2ff57e3d4c0d96637426177537 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -366,6 +366,9 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virQEMUCaps, QEMU_CAPS_LAST,
               "query-named-block-nodes",
               "cpu-cache",
               "qemu-xhci",
+
+              "kernel-irqchip", /* 255 */
+              "kernel-irqchip.split",
     );
 
 
@@ -3130,6 +3133,7 @@ static struct virQEMUCapsCommandLineProps virQEMUCapsCommandLine[] = {
     { "drive", "throttling.bps-total-max-length", QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_IOTUNE_MAX_LENGTH },
     { "drive", "throttling.group", QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_IOTUNE_GROUP },
     { "spice", "rendernode", QEMU_CAPS_SPICE_RENDERNODE },
+    { "machine", "kernel_irqchip", QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP },
 };
 
 static int
@@ -4742,6 +4746,10 @@ virQEMUCapsInitQMPMonitor(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
     if (qemuCaps->version >= 2004050)
         virQEMUCapsSet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_MACH_VIRT_GIC_VERSION);
 
+    /* no way to query if -machine kernel_irqchip supports split */
+    if (qemuCaps->version >= 2006000)
+        virQEMUCapsSet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP_SPLIT);
+
     if (virQEMUCapsProbeQMPCommands(qemuCaps, mon) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
index 06a43ab36b2011e701b1d452b52b97a266849f2f..61d3ae2200f1270f2784453dd758a1fe341653c7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
@@ -404,6 +404,10 @@ typedef enum {
     QEMU_CAPS_CPU_CACHE, /* -cpu supports host-cache-info and l3-cache properties */
     QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_QEMU_XHCI, /* -device qemu-xhci */
 
+    /* 255 */
+    QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP, /* -machine kernel_irqchip */
+    QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP_SPLIT, /* -machine kernel_irqchip=split */
+
     QEMU_CAPS_LAST /* this must always be the last item */
 } virQEMUCapsFlags;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 813a8515c0445b47da322f1b90ab56ba1c155862..2b235c67296c9b55c09b998872fe58b812e95f6e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -7422,6 +7422,31 @@ qemuBuildMachineCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
             }
         }
 
+        if (def->features[VIR_DOMAIN_FEATURE_IOAPIC] == VIR_TRISTATE_SWITCH_ON) {
+            if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP)) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                               _("I/O APIC tuning is not supported by this "
+                                 "QEMU binary"));
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
+            switch (def->ioapic) {
+            case VIR_DOMAIN_IOAPIC_QEMU:
+                if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP_SPLIT)) {
+                    virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                                   _("split I/O APIC is not supported by this "
+                                     "QEMU binary"));
+                    goto cleanup;
+                }
+                virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",kernel_irqchip=split");
+                break;
+            case VIR_DOMAIN_IOAPIC_KVM:
+                virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",kernel_irqchip=on");
+                break;
+            case VIR_DOMAIN_IOAPIC_LAST:
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
         virCommandAddArgBuffer(cmd, &buf);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index cc02c801e10125dc198378aa6d6af0b6f172ce70..7805b76808bd561785b154446c32fd94d67fc5d1 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -2806,6 +2806,22 @@ qemuDomainDefCPUPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def)
 }
 
 
+static int
+qemuDomainDefVerifyFeatures(const virDomainDef *def)
+{
+    if (def->features[VIR_DOMAIN_FEATURE_IOAPIC] == VIR_TRISTATE_SWITCH_ON &&
+        !ARCH_IS_X86(def->os.arch)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                       _("I/O APIC tuning is not supported "
+                         "for '%s' architecture"),
+                       virArchToString(def->os.arch));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static int
 qemuDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
                        virCapsPtr caps,
@@ -2861,6 +2877,9 @@ qemuDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
 
     qemuDomainDefEnableDefaultFeatures(def, qemuCaps);
 
+    if (qemuDomainDefVerifyFeatures(def) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     if (qemuDomainRecheckInternalPaths(def, cfg, parseFlags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.5.3.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.5.3.x86_64.xml
index a68c13bbd5a86c65fe067bbf88b335693a7b7602..14f34b2771f4e36bf8cb5ad50fa677bc830db503 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.5.3.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.5.3.x86_64.xml
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@
   <flag name='display'/>
   <flag name='vhost-scsi'/>
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
   <version>1005003</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.6.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.6.0.x86_64.xml
index 365b3a650511a39fa45acb74ecc788fd3316237d..8fc23d6aad545d1a0aeded1ace5c20431d8d4c86 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.6.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.6.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
   <flag name='display'/>
   <flag name='vhost-scsi'/>
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
   <version>1006000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.7.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.7.0.x86_64.xml
index 689fbf82c0325aba7085ed068c770cd85f5c28f5..47c8956b44cdf2c3b096fe7d7e3ea5237471ca1c 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.7.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_1.7.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
   <flag name='display'/>
   <flag name='vhost-scsi'/>
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
   <version>1007000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.1.1.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.1.1.x86_64.xml
index e092dd254fe72417a3e2a82818007a20b2811c8e..afe7d53ff485c97b111678263540e531226b72d8 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.1.1.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.1.1.x86_64.xml
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@
   <flag name='vhost-scsi'/>
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
   <version>2001001</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.4.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.4.0.x86_64.xml
index ea03f2e66d1211a8f59cb364ada2931b531af0c7..5bdc1a2bddfcd12b566c4282918c97d8e872d811 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.4.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.4.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
   <version>2004000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.5.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.5.0.x86_64.xml
index 164605f20edecc19900bc19dd477626a1556c97e..36bc1342bba02a05ffb3ea09996342230ca67a00 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.5.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.5.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
   <version>2005000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv2.aarch64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv2.aarch64.xml
index af3a8e7cb367458813ed04fbaea08f3eddd7673f..33bc462084885dd7674ef2b0b63201fb2971bc29 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv2.aarch64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv2.aarch64.xml
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2006000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv3.aarch64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv3.aarch64.xml
index 4402ffa6fbb6da60667971e0d116ad65cf54986e..a8ce6b03b146d2e395ca088c759961215378e701 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv3.aarch64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0-gicv3.aarch64.xml
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2006000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.ppc64le.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.ppc64le.xml
index 3f05169c8e7c14bd7114a22787fab513bf0bd6a1..425992f0d5b8d6498f52532fa4a14adf5ee38c2d 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.ppc64le.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.ppc64le.xml
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2006000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.x86_64.xml
index 1d823eac2894d201afae549c7e12e7e51be64b99..97e71ec4f448f2b8b534a2d901e0e4a7c34993f5 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.6.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2006000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.s390x.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.s390x.xml
index 38d36b3e68fdbfd30a47ac3132f83859b8a4858f..70cce6417927aee9b6f91c614d2ba8e70f2033f6 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.s390x.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.s390x.xml
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2007000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.x86_64.xml
index 24d7cb4382be961c046fa88e2463b659de6e939e..6c2ea59c613391a2e5be285f7f5869c762bec4e6 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.7.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -202,6 +202,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2007000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package> (v2.7.0)</package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.s390x.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.s390x.xml
index 42c92c567572de5225d0e11ee6c2dc11e97175ca..51be9bce4d971f54541f9f263d337e04962fe91b 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.s390x.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.s390x.xml
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2007093</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package></package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.x86_64.xml
index 0bc13683eed930a39ed1efac157046f29416c63d..9c8c79ab078a0cdd5749770b526541325dbd6395 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.8.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@
   <flag name='query-cpu-definitions'/>
   <flag name='block-write-threshold'/>
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2008000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package> (v2.8.0)</package>
diff --git a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.9.0.x86_64.xml b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.9.0.x86_64.xml
index 2bb889fef3220e035dde359e2c219a605dfc010d..36126035028427ef9093ceefd25b5ac28b568856 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.9.0.x86_64.xml
+++ b/tests/qemucapabilitiesdata/caps_2.9.0.x86_64.xml
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@
   <flag name='query-named-block-nodes'/>
   <flag name='cpu-cache'/>
   <flag name='qemu-xhci'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip'/>
+  <flag name='kernel-irqchip.split'/>
   <version>2009000</version>
   <kvmVersion>0</kvmVersion>
   <package> (v2.9.0)</package>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-intel-iommu-ioapic.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-intel-iommu-ioapic.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..43d71adfcbacfa3c9e4f9428ce7bed770c7a57ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-intel-iommu-ioapic.args
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+LC_ALL=C \
+PATH=/bin \
+HOME=/home/test \
+USER=test \
+LOGNAME=test \
+QEMU_AUDIO_DRV=none \
+/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 \
+-name QEMUGuest1 \
+-S \
+-machine q35,accel=kvm,kernel_irqchip=split \
+-m 214 \
+-smp 1,sockets=1,cores=1,threads=1 \
+-uuid c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809 \
+-nographic \
+-nodefaults \
+-monitor unix:/tmp/lib/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/monitor.sock,server,nowait \
+-no-acpi \
+-boot c \
+-device intel-iommu
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index ce87938fad2e1277c2575a549d3e89776190d79d..5bc632f5e6bc11f0b749337ebd38b150e37ed2be 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -2509,6 +2509,11 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("intel-iommu-machine",
             QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_OPT,
             QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_IOMMU);
+    DO_TEST("intel-iommu-ioapic",
+            QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_OPT,
+            QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP,
+            QEMU_CAPS_MACHINE_KERNEL_IRQCHIP_SPLIT,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_INTEL_IOMMU);
 
     DO_TEST("cpu-hotplug-startup", QEMU_CAPS_QUERY_HOTPLUGGABLE_CPUS);