diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 22c9144514014fb980f05f9fe03c2ba9adef83de..dc12bebcb3afcd9676c3027f332a1e1a69bd1634 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -6048,8 +6048,7 @@ qemuBuildSmbiosCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
 
 static int
 qemuBuildVMGenIDCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
-                            const virDomainDef *def,
-                            virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps)
+                            const virDomainDef *def)
 {
     g_auto(virBuffer) opts = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
     char guid[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
@@ -6057,12 +6056,6 @@ qemuBuildVMGenIDCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
     if (!def->genidRequested)
         return 0;
 
-    if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMGENID)) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                      _("this QEMU does not support the 'genid' capability"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
     virUUIDFormat(def->genid, guid);
     virBufferAsprintf(&opts, "vmgenid,guid=%s,id=vmgenid0", guid);
 
@@ -10070,7 +10063,7 @@ qemuBuildCommandLine(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (qemuBuildSmbiosCommandLine(cmd, driver, def) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
-    if (qemuBuildVMGenIDCommandLine(cmd, def, qemuCaps) < 0)
+    if (qemuBuildVMGenIDCommandLine(cmd, def) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
     /*
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 40a2e33658a27d9a83c7a8d2fe4ee081497d3ca5..442a0020592e464feda0e5c1864b0db0cf231f7b 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -5458,6 +5458,13 @@ qemuDomainDefValidate(const virDomainDef *def,
         }
     }
 
+    if (def->genidRequested &&
+        !virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMGENID)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("this QEMU does not support the 'genid' capability"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     /* QEMU 2.7 (detected via the availability of query-hotpluggable-cpus)
      * enforces stricter rules than previous versions when it comes to guest
      * CPU topology. Verify known constraints are respected */