diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 980ed1870572375a72da945bc3fa7d6393960575..410f93fbdac31bb02d78dac989118cdb5561c1c4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -1888,68 +1888,6 @@ qemuCheckIOThreads(const virDomainDef *def,
 }
 
 
-/**
- * @qemuCaps: QEMU capabilities
- * @model: SCSI model to check
- *
- * Using the @qemuCaps, let's ensure the provided @model can be supported
- *
- * Returns true if acceptible, false otherwise with error message set.
- */
-static bool
-qemuBuildCheckSCSIControllerModel(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
-                                  int model)
-{
-    switch ((virDomainControllerModelSCSI) model) {
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSILOGIC:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_LSI)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
-                             "the LSI 53C895A SCSI controller"));
-            return false;
-        }
-        break;
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_VIRTIO_SCSI:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_SCSI)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
-                             "virtio scsi controller"));
-            return false;
-        }
-        break;
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_IBMVSCSI:
-        /*TODO: need checking work here if necessary */
-        break;
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSISAS1068:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_MPTSAS1068)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
-                             "the LSI SAS1068 (MPT Fusion) controller"));
-            return false;
-        }
-        break;
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSISAS1078:
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_MEGASAS)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
-                             "the LSI SAS1078 (MegaRAID) controller"));
-            return false;
-        }
-        break;
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AUTO:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_BUSLOGIC:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_VMPVSCSI:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LAST:
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                       _("Unsupported controller model: %s"),
-                       virDomainControllerModelSCSITypeToString(model));
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    return true;
-}
-
-
 char *
 qemuBuildDriveDevStr(const virDomainDef *def,
                      virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
@@ -2720,11 +2658,6 @@ qemuBuildControllerDevStr(const virDomainDef *domainDef,
 
     *devstr = NULL;
 
-    if (def->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SCSI) {
-        if (!qemuBuildCheckSCSIControllerModel(qemuCaps, def->model))
-            return -1;
-    }
-
     switch ((virDomainControllerType) def->type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SCSI:
         switch (def->model) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 3248052821d0fbb8a403de709f1c14c5c8e71476..152718c0d7b1302ea04e65a5f0beae8e98dff3ac 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -3953,6 +3953,68 @@ qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateControllerAttributes(const virDomainControllerDef *co
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * @qemuCaps: QEMU capabilities
+ * @model: SCSI model to check
+ *
+ * Using the @qemuCaps, let's ensure the provided @model can be supported
+ *
+ * Returns true if acceptible, false otherwise with error message set.
+ */
+static bool
+qemuDomainCheckSCSIControllerModel(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
+                                   int model)
+{
+    switch ((virDomainControllerModelSCSI) model) {
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSILOGIC:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_LSI)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
+                             "the LSI 53C895A SCSI controller"));
+            return false;
+        }
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_VIRTIO_SCSI:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_SCSI)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
+                             "virtio scsi controller"));
+            return false;
+        }
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_IBMVSCSI:
+        /*TODO: need checking work here if necessary */
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSISAS1068:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_MPTSAS1068)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
+                             "the LSI SAS1068 (MPT Fusion) controller"));
+            return false;
+        }
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSISAS1078:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_MEGASAS)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
+                             "the LSI SAS1078 (MegaRAID) controller"));
+            return false;
+        }
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AUTO:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_BUSLOGIC:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_VMPVSCSI:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LAST:
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                       _("Unsupported controller model: %s"),
+                       virDomainControllerModelSCSITypeToString(model));
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+
 static int
 qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateControllerIDE(const virDomainControllerDef *controller,
                                          const virDomainDef *def)
@@ -3990,6 +4052,10 @@ qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateController(const virDomainControllerDef *controller,
                                               "controller"))
         return -1;
 
+    if (controller->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SCSI &&
+        !qemuDomainCheckSCSIControllerModel(qemuCaps, controller->model))
+        return -1;
+
     if (qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateControllerAttributes(controller) < 0)
         return -1;