diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index cdc1163dc6fb5b61d26d4de136639e21bb907c07..5d445839e89e194b1726671ec6cc5ce5543494ed 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ static void machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     object_class_property_set_description(oc, "accel",
         "Accelerator list", &error_abort);
 
-    object_class_property_add(oc, "kernel-irqchip", "OnOffSplit",
+    object_class_property_add(oc, "kernel-irqchip", "on|off|split",
         NULL, machine_set_kernel_irqchip,
         NULL, NULL, &error_abort);
     object_class_property_set_description(oc, "kernel-irqchip",