diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 57cd9b1327f2d55136044ab7ea473aa05e9ba677..308a96beef586999196d0738c3cddeb0694d541e 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -18339,7 +18339,8 @@ virDomainDefFindDeviceCallback(virDomainDefPtr def ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 int
 virDomainDefFindDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
                        const char *devAlias,
-                       virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev)
+                       virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
+                       bool reportError)
 {
     virDomainDefFindDeviceCallbackData data = { devAlias, dev };
 
@@ -18348,8 +18349,12 @@ virDomainDefFindDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                        true, &data);
 
     if (dev->type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NONE) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("no device found with alias %s"), devAlias);
+        if (reportError) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("no device found with alias %s"), devAlias);
+        } else {
+            VIR_DEBUG("no device found with alias %s", devAlias);
+        }
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 25dad16bf1a20b60ab7d2503c0b2afe23e1947c6..00d3c3a4ab3a6574408330afececcd13d2e587ca 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2690,6 +2690,7 @@ char *virDomainDefGetDefaultEmulator(virDomainDefPtr def, virCapsPtr caps);
 
 int virDomainDefFindDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
                            const char *devAlias,
-                           virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev);
+                           virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
+                           bool reportError);
 
 #endif /* __DOMAIN_CONF_H */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index ef81536791015a193effd63abca577507e92d4af..33839d18120de42734e1521f98aa5a8ab00a3586 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ qemuProcessHandleDeviceDeleted(qemuMonitorPtr mon ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 
     qemuDomainSignalDeviceRemoval(vm, devAlias);
 
-    if (virDomainDefFindDevice(vm->def, devAlias, &dev) < 0)
+    if (virDomainDefFindDevice(vm->def, devAlias, &dev, true) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     qemuDomainRemoveDevice(driver, vm, &dev);