diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index 13427edd5a..1e8450d3b7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -4079,8 +4079,7 @@ virQEMUCapsGetDefaultMachine(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps)
 
 
 static int
-virQEMUCapsFillDomainLoaderCaps(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
-                                virDomainCapsLoaderPtr capsLoader,
+virQEMUCapsFillDomainLoaderCaps(virDomainCapsLoaderPtr capsLoader,
                                 char **loader,
                                 size_t nloader)
 {
@@ -4112,25 +4111,22 @@ virQEMUCapsFillDomainLoaderCaps(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
                              VIR_DOMAIN_LOADER_TYPE_PFLASH);
 
 
-    if (virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_READONLY))
-        VIR_DOMAIN_CAPS_ENUM_SET(capsLoader->readonly,
-                                 VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES,
-                                 VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO);
+    VIR_DOMAIN_CAPS_ENUM_SET(capsLoader->readonly,
+                             VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES,
+                             VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO);
     return 0;
 }
 
 
 static int
-virQEMUCapsFillDomainOSCaps(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
-                            virDomainCapsOSPtr os,
+virQEMUCapsFillDomainOSCaps(virDomainCapsOSPtr os,
                             char **loader,
                             size_t nloader)
 {
     virDomainCapsLoaderPtr capsLoader = &os->loader;
 
     os->supported = true;
-    if (virQEMUCapsFillDomainLoaderCaps(qemuCaps, capsLoader,
-                                        loader, nloader) < 0)
+    if (virQEMUCapsFillDomainLoaderCaps(capsLoader, loader, nloader) < 0)
         return -1;
     return 0;
 }
@@ -4358,8 +4354,7 @@ virQEMUCapsFillDomainCaps(virDomainCapsPtr domCaps,
 
     domCaps->maxvcpus = maxvcpus;
 
-    if (virQEMUCapsFillDomainOSCaps(qemuCaps, os,
-                                    loader, nloader) < 0 ||
+    if (virQEMUCapsFillDomainOSCaps(os, loader, nloader) < 0 ||
         virQEMUCapsFillDomainDeviceDiskCaps(qemuCaps,
                                             domCaps->machine, disk) < 0 ||
         virQEMUCapsFillDomainDeviceGraphicsCaps(qemuCaps, graphics) < 0 ||
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 8bcc08ce6b..102837bafb 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -1393,8 +1393,7 @@ qemuBuildDriveStr(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
          disk->device == VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_DEVICE_LUN) &&
         disk->bus != VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_IDE)
         virBufferAddLit(&opt, ",boot=on");
-    if (disk->src->readonly &&
-        virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_READONLY)) {
+    if (disk->src->readonly) {
         if (disk->device == VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_DEVICE_DISK) {
             if (disk->bus == VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_IDE) {
                 virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
@@ -4608,8 +4607,7 @@ qemuBuildSCSIiSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev)
 }
 
 char *
-qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev,
-                           virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps)
+qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev)
 {
     virBuffer buf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
     char *source = NULL;
@@ -4628,16 +4626,8 @@ qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev,
                       virDomainDeviceAddressTypeToString(dev->info->type),
                       dev->info->alias);
 
-    if (dev->readonly) {
-        if (virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_READONLY)) {
-            virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",readonly=on");
-        } else {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("this qemu doesn't support 'readonly' "
-                             "for -drive"));
-            goto error;
-        }
-    }
+    if (dev->readonly)
+        virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",readonly=on");
 
     if (virBufferCheckError(&buf) < 0)
         goto error;
@@ -5040,7 +5030,7 @@ qemuBuildHostdevCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
                 char *drvstr;
 
                 virCommandAddArg(cmd, "-drive");
-                if (!(drvstr = qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(hostdev, qemuCaps)))
+                if (!(drvstr = qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(hostdev)))
                     return -1;
                 virCommandAddArg(cmd, drvstr);
                 VIR_FREE(drvstr);
@@ -8775,13 +8765,6 @@ qemuBuildDomainLoaderCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
         unit++;
 
         if (loader->readonly) {
-            if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_READONLY)) {
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                               _("this qemu doesn't support passing "
-                                 "readonly attribute"));
-                goto cleanup;
-            }
-
             virBufferAsprintf(&buf, ",readonly=%s",
                               virTristateSwitchTypeToString(loader->readonly));
         }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.h b/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
index c777701458..1c2270564c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
@@ -161,8 +161,7 @@ char *qemuBuildUSBHostdevDevStr(const virDomainDef *def,
                                 virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev,
                                 virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps);
 
-char *qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev,
-                                 virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps);
+char *qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev);
 
 char *qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDevStr(const virDomainDef *def,
                                  virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index fc1bf6e5ea..5f34a768bd 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1928,7 +1928,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachHostSCSIDevice(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (qemuDomainSecretHostdevPrepare(conn, priv, hostdev) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(drvstr = qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(hostdev, priv->qemuCaps)))
+    if (!(drvstr = qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(hostdev)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!(devstr = qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDevStr(vm->def, hostdev, priv->qemuCaps)))