diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 58d29d8348..7ec44736d3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -2497,8 +2497,7 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefControllerUSB(const virDomainControllerDef *def,
     }
 
     if (def->opts.usbopts.ports != -1) {
-        if ((def->model != VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_USB_NEC_XHCI ||
-             !virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI_PORTS)) &&
+        if (def->model != VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_USB_NEC_XHCI &&
             def->model != VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_USB_QEMU_XHCI) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                            _("usb controller type '%s' doesn't support 'ports' with this QEMU binary"),
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index cd316e06f9..5845f825d7 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -1795,17 +1795,14 @@ mymain(void)
                     QEMU_CAPS_PIIX3_USB_UHCI);
     DO_TEST("usb-controller-xhci",
             QEMU_CAPS_PIIX3_USB_UHCI,
-            QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI,
-            QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI_PORTS);
+            QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI);
     DO_TEST("usb-xhci-autoassign",
             QEMU_CAPS_PIIX3_USB_UHCI,
             QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI,
-            QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI_PORTS,
             QEMU_CAPS_USB_HUB);
     DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("usb-controller-xhci-limit",
             QEMU_CAPS_PIIX3_USB_UHCI,
-            QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI,
-            QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI_PORTS);
+            QEMU_CAPS_NEC_USB_XHCI);
     DO_TEST("usb-controller-qemu-xhci", QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_QEMU_XHCI);
     DO_TEST_FAILURE_NOCAPS("usb-controller-qemu-xhci-unavailable");
     DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("usb-controller-qemu-xhci-limit",