diff --git a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
index edbd62fd1baeaf142d36584eb2a8ac87f5dc1f08..c9caefcf2b0be64efcee57dff45a74343a765162 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ static void xics_kvm_cpu_setup(XICSState *xics, PowerPCCPU *cpu)
     CPUState *cs;
     ICPState *ss;
     KVMXICSState *xicskvm = XICS_SPAPR_KVM(xics);
+    int ret;
 
     cs = CPU(cpu);
     ss = &xics->ss[cs->cpu_index];
@@ -347,19 +348,14 @@ static void xics_kvm_cpu_setup(XICSState *xics, PowerPCCPU *cpu)
         return;
     }
 
-    if (xicskvm->kernel_xics_fd != -1) {
-        int ret;
-
-        ret = kvm_vcpu_enable_cap(cs, KVM_CAP_IRQ_XICS, 0,
-                                  xicskvm->kernel_xics_fd,
-                                  kvm_arch_vcpu_id(cs));
-        if (ret < 0) {
-            error_report("Unable to connect CPU%ld to kernel XICS: %s",
-                    kvm_arch_vcpu_id(cs), strerror(errno));
-            exit(1);
-        }
-        ss->cap_irq_xics_enabled = true;
+    ret = kvm_vcpu_enable_cap(cs, KVM_CAP_IRQ_XICS, 0, xicskvm->kernel_xics_fd,
+                              kvm_arch_vcpu_id(cs));
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        error_report("Unable to connect CPU%ld to kernel XICS: %s",
+                     kvm_arch_vcpu_id(cs), strerror(errno));
+        exit(1);
     }
+    ss->cap_irq_xics_enabled = true;
 }
 
 static void xics_kvm_set_nr_irqs(XICSState *xics, uint32_t nr_irqs,