diff --git a/tools/virt-host-validate-common.c b/tools/virt-host-validate-common.c
index 647ed7b48b..1cb9d206b5 100644
--- a/tools/virt-host-validate-common.c
+++ b/tools/virt-host-validate-common.c
@@ -378,11 +378,17 @@ int virHostValidateIOMMU(const char *hvname,
          * devices (which is quite usual on s390x). If there are
          * no PCI devices the directory is still there but is
          * empty. */
-        if (!virDirOpen(&dir, "/sys/bus/pci/devices"))
-            return 0;
+        if (!virDirOpen(&dir, "/sys/bus/pci/devices")) {
+            virHostMsgFail(VIR_HOST_VALIDATE_NOTE,
+                           "Skipped - PCI support disabled");
+            return VIR_HOST_VALIDATE_FAILURE(VIR_HOST_VALIDATE_NOTE);
+        }
         rc = virDirRead(dir, &dent, NULL);
-        if (rc <= 0)
-            return 0;
+        if (rc <= 0) {
+            virHostMsgFail(VIR_HOST_VALIDATE_NOTE,
+                           "Skipped - No PCI devices are online");
+            return VIR_HOST_VALIDATE_FAILURE(VIR_HOST_VALIDATE_NOTE);
+        }
         virHostMsgPass();
     } else {
         virHostMsgFail(level,