diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 14e89dea170249573c7e9add2da0768f67b7a13f..52aabf7b9034330a8aee32fa38bd5ed304b573c1 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -355,9 +355,7 @@ static bool check_throttle_config(ThrottleConfig *cfg, Error **errp)
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (throttle_max_is_missing_limit(cfg)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "bps_max/iops_max require corresponding"
-                         " bps/iops values");
+    if (throttle_max_is_missing_limit(cfg, errp)) {
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/include/qemu/throttle.h b/include/qemu/throttle.h
index 69cf171b1aae134a1e49254cb7d966d4698fb598..03bdec07ea61f9d2e9510e7add4a2729e071bd0d 100644
--- a/include/qemu/throttle.h
+++ b/include/qemu/throttle.h
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ bool throttle_conflicting(ThrottleConfig *cfg, Error **errp);
 
 bool throttle_is_valid(ThrottleConfig *cfg);
 
-bool throttle_max_is_missing_limit(ThrottleConfig *cfg);
+bool throttle_max_is_missing_limit(ThrottleConfig *cfg, Error **errp);
 
 void throttle_config(ThrottleState *ts,
                      ThrottleTimers *tt,
diff --git a/tests/test-throttle.c b/tests/test-throttle.c
index 579b8af87e7e508158f025c406bfe661f15bd824..49bd3bccafd2e05861a6b22b7c359b8dd6688288 100644
--- a/tests/test-throttle.c
+++ b/tests/test-throttle.c
@@ -338,15 +338,15 @@ static void test_max_is_missing_limit(void)
         memset(&cfg, 0, sizeof(cfg));
         cfg.buckets[i].max = 100;
         cfg.buckets[i].avg = 0;
-        g_assert(throttle_max_is_missing_limit(&cfg));
+        g_assert(throttle_max_is_missing_limit(&cfg, NULL));
 
         cfg.buckets[i].max = 0;
         cfg.buckets[i].avg = 0;
-        g_assert(!throttle_max_is_missing_limit(&cfg));
+        g_assert(!throttle_max_is_missing_limit(&cfg, NULL));
 
         cfg.buckets[i].max = 0;
         cfg.buckets[i].avg = 100;
-        g_assert(!throttle_max_is_missing_limit(&cfg));
+        g_assert(!throttle_max_is_missing_limit(&cfg, NULL));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/util/throttle.c b/util/throttle.c
index 564e13261e35469a39f92900b17d94d3ae4227e2..77010b4a1af6c5d9c40fdedf852235161737d188 100644
--- a/util/throttle.c
+++ b/util/throttle.c
@@ -306,13 +306,16 @@ bool throttle_is_valid(ThrottleConfig *cfg)
 
 /* check if bps_max/iops_max is used without bps/iops
  * @cfg: the throttling configuration to inspect
+ * @errp: error object
  */
-bool throttle_max_is_missing_limit(ThrottleConfig *cfg)
+bool throttle_max_is_missing_limit(ThrottleConfig *cfg, Error **errp)
 {
     int i;
 
     for (i = 0; i < BUCKETS_COUNT; i++) {
         if (cfg->buckets[i].max && !cfg->buckets[i].avg) {
+            error_setg(errp, "bps_max/iops_max require corresponding"
+                       " bps/iops values");
             return true;
         }
     }