diff --git a/daemon/libvirtd.c b/daemon/libvirtd.c
index 5103e8debe..6d3b83355b 100644
--- a/daemon/libvirtd.c
+++ b/daemon/libvirtd.c
@@ -1422,7 +1422,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
     if (config->audit_level) {
         VIR_DEBUG("Attempting to configure auditing subsystem");
-        if (virAuditOpen() < 0) {
+        if (virAuditOpen(config->audit_level) < 0) {
             if (config->audit_level > 1) {
                 ret = VIR_DAEMON_ERR_AUDIT;
                 goto cleanup;
diff --git a/src/util/viraudit.c b/src/util/viraudit.c
index 17e58b3a95..0085dc37be 100644
--- a/src/util/viraudit.c
+++ b/src/util/viraudit.c
@@ -55,11 +55,23 @@ static int auditfd = -1;
 #endif
 static bool auditlog;
 
-int virAuditOpen(void)
+int virAuditOpen(unsigned int audit_level ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
 #if WITH_AUDIT
     if ((auditfd = audit_open()) < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno, "%s", _("Unable to initialize audit layer"));
+        /* You get these error codes only when the kernel does not
+         * have audit compiled in or it's disabled (e.g. by the kernel
+         * cmdline) */
+        if (errno == EINVAL || errno == EPROTONOSUPPORT ||
+            errno == EAFNOSUPPORT) {
+            if (audit_level < 2)
+                VIR_INFO("Audit is not supported by the kernel");
+            else
+                virReportError(VIR_FROM_THIS, "%s", _("Audit is not supported by the kernel"));
+        } else {
+            virReportSystemError(errno, "%s", _("Unable to initialize audit layer"));
+        }
+
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/util/viraudit.h b/src/util/viraudit.h
index ed3d66ab5d..478dc8408f 100644
--- a/src/util/viraudit.h
+++ b/src/util/viraudit.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ typedef enum {
     VIR_AUDIT_RECORD_RESOURCE,
 } virAuditRecordType;
 
-int virAuditOpen(void);
+int virAuditOpen(unsigned int audit_level);
 
 void virAuditLog(bool enabled);