diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index c51423b647..4439ea663f 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -653,8 +653,10 @@ static void machine_class_base_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 static void machine_initfn(Object *obj)
 {
     MachineState *ms = MACHINE(obj);
+    MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(obj);
 
     ms->kernel_irqchip_allowed = true;
+    ms->kernel_irqchip_split = mc->default_kernel_irqchip_split;
     ms->kvm_shadow_mem = -1;
     ms->dump_guest_core = true;
     ms->mem_merge = true;
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index 8836d21485..0a3f3f18e4 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ static void pc_q35_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
     m->units_per_default_bus = 1;
     m->default_machine_opts = "firmware=bios-256k.bin";
     m->default_display = "std";
+    m->default_kernel_irqchip_split = true;
     m->no_floppy = 1;
     machine_class_allow_dynamic_sysbus_dev(m, TYPE_AMD_IOMMU_DEVICE);
     machine_class_allow_dynamic_sysbus_dev(m, TYPE_INTEL_IOMMU_DEVICE);
@@ -323,6 +324,7 @@ DEFINE_Q35_MACHINE(v4_0, "pc-q35-4.0", NULL,
 static void pc_q35_3_1_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
 {
     pc_q35_4_0_machine_options(m);
+    m->default_kernel_irqchip_split = false;
     m->alias = NULL;
     SET_MACHINE_COMPAT(m, PC_COMPAT_3_1);
 }
diff --git a/include/hw/boards.h b/include/hw/boards.h
index f82f28468b..362384815e 100644
--- a/include/hw/boards.h
+++ b/include/hw/boards.h
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ struct MachineClass {
     const char *hw_version;
     ram_addr_t default_ram_size;
     const char *default_cpu_type;
+    bool default_kernel_irqchip_split;
     bool option_rom_has_mr;
     bool rom_file_has_mr;
     int minimum_page_bits;