diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 95dd2c2514..c60953c68e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -6336,28 +6336,13 @@ qemuBuildBootCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
     }
 
     if (def->os.bios.rt_set) {
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_REBOOT_TIMEOUT)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("reboot timeout is not supported "
-                             "by this QEMU binary"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-
         virBufferAsprintf(&boot_buf,
                           "reboot-timeout=%d,",
                           def->os.bios.rt_delay);
     }
 
-    if (def->os.bm_timeout_set) {
-        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("splash timeout is not supported "
-                             "by this QEMU binary"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-
+    if (def->os.bm_timeout_set)
         virBufferAsprintf(&boot_buf, "splash-time=%u,", def->os.bm_timeout);
-    }
 
     if (virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_BOOT_STRICT))
         virBufferAddLit(&boot_buf, "strict=on,");
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index aa2da0a81a..9840bee324 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -5495,6 +5495,32 @@ qemuDomainDefValidatePM(const virDomainDef *def,
 }
 
 
+static int
+qemuDomainDefValidateBoot(const virDomainDef *def,
+                          virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps)
+{
+    if (def->os.bios.rt_set) {
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_REBOOT_TIMEOUT)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("reboot timeout is not supported "
+                             "by this QEMU binary"));
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (def->os.bm_timeout_set) {
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("splash timeout is not supported "
+                             "by this QEMU binary"));
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static int
 qemuDomainDefValidate(const virDomainDef *def,
                       void *opaque)
@@ -5614,6 +5640,9 @@ qemuDomainDefValidate(const virDomainDef *def,
     if (qemuDomainDefValidatePM(def, qemuCaps) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (qemuDomainDefValidateBoot(def, qemuCaps) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     /* QEMU 2.7 (detected via the availability of query-hotpluggable-cpus)
      * enforces stricter rules than previous versions when it comes to guest
      * CPU topology. Verify known constraints are respected */
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index d0fd4bccef..0db4160a77 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("boot-menu-enable", NONE);
     DO_TEST("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout",
             QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT);
-    DO_TEST_FAILURE("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout", NONE);
+    DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout", NONE);
     DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout-invalid", NONE);
     DO_TEST("boot-menu-disable", NONE);
     DO_TEST("boot-menu-disable-drive", NONE);
@@ -860,7 +860,7 @@ mymain(void)
 
     DO_TEST("reboot-timeout-disabled", QEMU_CAPS_REBOOT_TIMEOUT);
     DO_TEST("reboot-timeout-enabled", QEMU_CAPS_REBOOT_TIMEOUT);
-    DO_TEST_FAILURE("reboot-timeout-enabled", NONE);
+    DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("reboot-timeout-enabled", NONE);
 
     DO_TEST("bios",
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_ISA_SERIAL,
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
index 9d727ce074..ca993c35b2 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
@@ -251,13 +251,13 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_IOH3420,
             QEMU_CAPS_ICH9_AHCI);
     DO_TEST("boot-multi", NONE);
-    DO_TEST("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout", NONE);
+    DO_TEST("boot-menu-enable-with-timeout", QEMU_CAPS_SPLASH_TIMEOUT);
     DO_TEST("boot-menu-disable", NONE);
     DO_TEST("boot-menu-disable-with-timeout", NONE);
     DO_TEST("boot-order", NONE);
 
-    DO_TEST("reboot-timeout-enabled", NONE);
-    DO_TEST("reboot-timeout-disabled", NONE);
+    DO_TEST("reboot-timeout-enabled", QEMU_CAPS_REBOOT_TIMEOUT);
+    DO_TEST("reboot-timeout-disabled", QEMU_CAPS_REBOOT_TIMEOUT);
 
     DO_TEST("clock-utc", NONE);
     DO_TEST("clock-localtime", NONE);