diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 825babd4a69aae515e81c4cafd43cc62ae68f2a1..d40b5d5467dd9efb58005955b2d1587cd9005bd5 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -1702,40 +1702,40 @@ static int qemuDomainShutdownFlags(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int flags) {
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     int ret = -1;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
-    bool useAgent = false;
+    bool useAgent = false, agentRequested, acpiRequested;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_ACPI_POWER_BTN |
                   VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_GUEST_AGENT, -1);
 
-    /* At most one of these two flags should be set.  */
-    if ((flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_ACPI_POWER_BTN) &&
-        (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_GUEST_AGENT)) {
-        virReportInvalidArg(flags, "%s",
-                            _("flags for acpi power button and guest agent are mutually exclusive"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
     if (!(vm = qemuDomObjFromDomain(dom)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     priv = vm->privateData;
+    agentRequested = flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_GUEST_AGENT;
+    acpiRequested  = flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_ACPI_POWER_BTN;
 
-    if ((flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_GUEST_AGENT) ||
-        (!(flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTDOWN_ACPI_POWER_BTN) &&
-         priv->agent))
+    /* Prefer agent unless we were requested to not to. */
+    if (agentRequested || (!flags && priv->agent))
         useAgent = true;
 
-    if (useAgent) {
-        if (priv->agentError) {
+    if (priv->agentError) {
+        if (agentRequested && !acpiRequested) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_AGENT_UNRESPONSIVE, "%s",
                            _("QEMU guest agent is not "
                              "available due to an error"));
             goto cleanup;
+        } else {
+            useAgent = false;
         }
-        if (!priv->agent) {
+    }
+
+    if (!priv->agent) {
+        if (agentRequested && !acpiRequested) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_ARGUMENT_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
                            _("QEMU guest agent is not configured"));
             goto cleanup;
+        } else {
+            useAgent = false;
         }
     }
 
@@ -1752,7 +1752,13 @@ static int qemuDomainShutdownFlags(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int flags) {
         qemuDomainObjEnterAgent(vm);
         ret = qemuAgentShutdown(priv->agent, QEMU_AGENT_SHUTDOWN_POWERDOWN);
         qemuDomainObjExitAgent(vm);
-    } else {
+    }
+
+    /* If we are not enforced to use just an agent, try ACPI
+     * shutdown as well in case agent did not succeed.
+     */
+    if (!useAgent ||
+        (ret < 0 && (acpiRequested || !flags))) {
         qemuDomainSetFakeReboot(driver, vm, false);
 
         qemuDomainObjEnterMonitor(driver, vm);