diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_vio.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_vio.c
index 472dd6f33a..4555c648a8 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_vio.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_vio.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
+#include "qapi/visitor.h"
 #include "hw/hw.h"
 #include "qemu/log.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "sysemu/kvm.h"
 #include "sysemu/device_tree.h"
 #include "kvm_ppc.h"
+#include "sysemu/qtest.h"
 
 #include "hw/ppc/spapr.h"
 #include "hw/ppc/spapr_vio.h"
@@ -41,8 +43,26 @@
 
 #include <libfdt.h>
 
+static void spapr_vio_getset_irq(Object *obj, Visitor *v, const char *name,
+                              void *opaque, Error **errp)
+{
+    Property *prop = opaque;
+    uint32_t *ptr = qdev_get_prop_ptr(DEVICE(obj), prop);
+
+    if (!qtest_enabled()) {
+        warn_report(TYPE_VIO_SPAPR_DEVICE " '%s' property is deprecated", name);
+    }
+    visit_type_uint32(v, name, ptr, errp);
+}
+
+static const PropertyInfo spapr_vio_irq_propinfo = {
+    .name = "irq",
+    .get = spapr_vio_getset_irq,
+    .set = spapr_vio_getset_irq,
+};
+
 static Property spapr_vio_props[] = {
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("irq", VIOsPAPRDevice, irq, 0), \
+    DEFINE_PROP("irq", VIOsPAPRDevice, irq, spapr_vio_irq_propinfo, uint32_t),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
diff --git a/qemu-doc.texi b/qemu-doc.texi
index 9aff6b4ea9..cd05760cac 100644
--- a/qemu-doc.texi
+++ b/qemu-doc.texi
@@ -2958,13 +2958,21 @@ support page sizes < 4096 any longer.
 
 @section System emulator machines
 
-@section Block device options
+@section Device options
 
-@subsection "backing": "" (since 2.12.0)
+@subsection Block device options
+
+@subsubsection "backing": "" (since 2.12.0)
 
 In order to prevent QEMU from automatically opening an image's backing
 chain, use ``"backing": null'' instead.
 
+@subsection vio-spapr-device device options
+
+@subsubsection "irq": "" (since 3.0.0)
+
+The ``irq'' property is obsoleted.
+
 @node Supported build platforms
 @appendix Supported build platforms