diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_alias.c b/src/qemu/qemu_alias.c
index 101ab5608f..dcb6c7156d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_alias.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_alias.c
@@ -176,6 +176,12 @@ qemuAssignDeviceControllerAlias(virDomainDefPtr domainDef,
             controller->info.alias = g_strdup("usb");
             return 0;
         }
+    } else if (controller->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SCSI) {
+        if (controller->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90 &&
+            controller->idx == 0) {
+            controller->info.alias = g_strdup("scsi");
+            return 0;
+        }
     }
     /* all other controllers use the default ${type}${index} naming
      * scheme for alias/id.
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index d3de13c6ee..fbaacb8dd8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -2471,11 +2471,15 @@ qemuBuildControllerDevStr(const virDomainDef *domainDef,
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_VMPVSCSI:
             virBufferAddLit(&buf, "pvscsi");
             break;
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AM53C974:
+            virBufferAddLit(&buf, "am53c974");
+            break;
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_DC390:
+            virBufferAddLit(&buf, "dc-390");
+            break;
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AUTO:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_BUSLOGIC:
-        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90:
-        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_DC390:
-        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AM53C974:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90: /* It is built-in dev */
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                            _("Unsupported controller model: %s"),
                            virDomainControllerModelSCSITypeToString(def->model));
@@ -2713,6 +2717,14 @@ qemuBuildSkipController(const virDomainControllerDef *controller,
         controller->idx == 0 && qemuDomainHasBuiltinIDE(def))
         return true;
 
+    /* first ESP SCSI controller is implicit on certain machine types */
+    if (controller->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SCSI &&
+        controller->idx == 0 &&
+        controller->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90 &&
+        qemuDomainHasBuiltinESP(def)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
index f1fb532f39..2788dc7fb3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ qemuDomainGetSCSIControllerModel(const virDomainDef *def,
         return VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSILOGIC;
     else if (virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_SCSI))
         return VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_VIRTIO_SCSI;
+    else if (qemuDomainHasBuiltinESP(def))
+        return VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90;
 
     virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                    _("Unable to determine model for SCSI controller idx=%d"),
@@ -2249,6 +2251,11 @@ qemuDomainAssignDevicePCISlots(virDomainDefPtr def,
             cont->idx == 0)
             continue;
 
+        /* NCR53C90 SCSI controller is always a built-in device */
+        if (cont->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SCSI &&
+            cont->model == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90)
+            continue;
+
         if (!virDeviceInfoPCIAddressIsWanted(&cont->info))
             continue;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index add8bc4557..e60d39a22f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -2953,13 +2953,31 @@ qemuValidateCheckSCSIControllerModel(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
         break;
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AUTO:
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_BUSLOGIC:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_DC390:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AM53C974:
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                        _("Unsupported controller model: %s"),
                        virDomainControllerModelSCSITypeToString(model));
         return false;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_NCR53C90)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
+                             "the NCR53C90 (ESP) controller"));
+        }
+        return true;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_DC390:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_DC390)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
+                             "the DC390 (ESP) controller"));
+        }
+        return true;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AM53C974:
+        if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_SCSI_AM53C974)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("This QEMU doesn't support "
+                             "the AM53C974 (ESP) controller"));
+        }
+        return true;
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_DEFAULT:
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LAST:
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
@@ -3067,6 +3085,19 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefControllerSCSI(const virDomainControllerDef *controll
                 return -1;
             break;
 
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90:
+            if (controller->idx != 0) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                               _("ncr53c90 can only be used as first SCSI controller"));
+                return -1;
+            }
+            if (!qemuDomainHasBuiltinESP(def)) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                               _("ncr53c90 SCSI controller is not a built-in for this machine"));
+                return -1;
+            }
+            break;
+
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AUTO:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_BUSLOGIC:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSILOGIC:
@@ -3074,7 +3105,6 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefControllerSCSI(const virDomainControllerDef *controll
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_VMPVSCSI:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_IBMVSCSI:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_LSISAS1078:
-        case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_NCR53C90:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_DC390:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_AM53C974:
         case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_SCSI_DEFAULT: