diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index c78f1b83bd07178d24ed886b31d4e092fd091c2c..6a8da1d58646ad88d5635c6fb787140eaec201ae 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -318,29 +318,31 @@ qemuBuildDeviceAddressStr(virBufferPtr buf,
 
             if (cont->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_PCI &&
                 cont->idx == info->addr.pci.bus) {
+                contAlias = cont->info.alias;
                 contIsPHB = virDomainControllerIsPSeriesPHB(cont);
                 contTargetIndex = cont->opts.pciopts.targetIndex;
 
-                /* When domain has builtin pci-root controller we don't put it
-                 * onto cmd line. Therefore we can't set its alias. In that
-                 * case, use the default one. */
-                if (!qemuDomainIsPSeries(domainDef) &&
-                    cont->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_ROOT) {
-                    if (virQEMUCapsHasPCIMultiBus(qemuCaps, domainDef))
-                        contAlias = "pci.0";
-                    else
-                        contAlias = "pci";
-                } else if (cont->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_ROOT) {
-                    contAlias = "pcie.0";
-                } else {
-                    contAlias = cont->info.alias;
-                    if (!contAlias) {
-                        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                                       _("Device alias was not set for PCI "
-                                         "controller with index %u required "
-                                         "for device at address %s"),
-                                       info->addr.pci.bus, devStr);
-                        goto cleanup;
+                if (!contAlias) {
+                    virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                                   _("Device alias was not set for PCI "
+                                     "controller with index %u required "
+                                     "for device at address %s"),
+                                   info->addr.pci.bus, devStr);
+                    goto cleanup;
+                }
+
+                if (virDomainDeviceAliasIsUserAlias(contAlias)) {
+                    /* When domain has builtin pci-root controller we don't put it
+                     * onto cmd line. Therefore we can't set its alias. In that
+                     * case, use the default one. */
+                    if (!qemuDomainIsPSeries(domainDef) &&
+                        cont->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_ROOT) {
+                        if (virQEMUCapsHasPCIMultiBus(qemuCaps, domainDef))
+                            contAlias = "pci.0";
+                        else
+                            contAlias = "pci";
+                    } else if (cont->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_ROOT) {
+                        contAlias = "pcie.0";
                     }
                 }
                 break;