diff --git a/docs/formatdomain.html.in b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
index a3cf86698d..d2db53b418 100644
--- a/docs/formatdomain.html.in
+++ b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
@@ -6244,10 +6244,10 @@ qemu-kvm -net nic,model=? /dev/null
           <dd>
             <p>
               This backend type expects a non-blocking character device as
-              input. The only accepted paths are /dev/random and /dev/hwrng.
-              The file name is specified as contents of the
+              input. The file name is specified as contents of the
               <code>backend</code> element. When no file name is specified
-              the hypervisor default is used.
+              the hypervisor default is used. For qemu, the default is
+              /dev/random
             </p>
           </dd>
           <dt><code>egd</code></dt>
diff --git a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
index 66f41679a4..f77bbcf598 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
+++ b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
@@ -4693,8 +4693,7 @@
             <value>random</value>
           </attribute>
           <choice>
-            <value>/dev/random</value>
-            <value>/dev/hwrng</value>
+            <ref name='absFilePath'/>
             <empty/>
           </choice>
         </group>
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index db567f5c07..2c6244aaf3 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -11497,14 +11497,6 @@ virDomainRNGDefParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
     switch ((virDomainRNGBackend) def->backend) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_RNG_BACKEND_RANDOM:
         def->source.file = virXPathString("string(./backend)", ctxt);
-        if (def->source.file &&
-            STRNEQ(def->source.file, "/dev/random") &&
-            STRNEQ(def->source.file, "/dev/hwrng")) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
-                           _("file '%s' is not a supported random source"),
-                           def->source.file);
-            goto error;
-        }
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_RNG_BACKEND_EGD:
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.args
index ba97c1e8ee..5a4d47be97 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.args
@@ -18,6 +18,6 @@ QEMU_AUDIO_DRV=none \
 -boot c \
 -usb \
 -device virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3 \
--object rng-random,id=objrng0,filename=/dev/hwrng \
+-object rng-random,id=objrng0,filename=/dev/urandom \
 -device virtio-rng-pci,rng=objrng0,id=rng0,max-bytes=123,period=1234,bus=pci.0,\
 addr=0x4
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.xml
index 71bd21a65c..a6e91fff3e 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-virtio-rng-random.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     <memballoon model='virtio'/>
     <rng model='virtio'>
       <rate bytes='123' period='1234'/>
-      <backend model='random'>/dev/hwrng</backend>
+      <backend model='random'>/dev/urandom</backend>
     </rng>
   </devices>
 </domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-virtio-rng-random.xml b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-virtio-rng-random.xml
index e8a047866b..0bdefdef44 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-virtio-rng-random.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-virtio-rng-random.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     </memballoon>
     <rng model='virtio'>
       <rate bytes='123' period='1234'/>
-      <backend model='random'>/dev/hwrng</backend>
+      <backend model='random'>/dev/urandom</backend>
       <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x04' function='0x0'/>
     </rng>
   </devices>