diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 93cfca351c..b8b53450fa 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -28206,7 +28206,8 @@ int
 virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
                              virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
                              virDomainDeviceDefPtr oldDev,
-                             virDomainDeviceAction action ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+                             virDomainDeviceAction action,
+                             bool live)
 {
     virDomainCompatibleDeviceData data = {
         .newInfo = virDomainDeviceGetInfo(dev),
@@ -28216,6 +28217,16 @@ virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
     if (oldDev)
         data.oldInfo = virDomainDeviceGetInfo(oldDev);
 
+    if (action == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE &&
+        live &&
+        ((!!data.newInfo != !!data.oldInfo) ||
+         (data.newInfo && data.oldInfo &&
+          STRNEQ_NULLABLE(data.newInfo->alias, data.oldInfo->alias)))) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_DENIED, "%s",
+                       _("changing device alias is not allowed"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     if (!virDomainDefHasUSB(def) &&
         def->os.type != VIR_DOMAIN_OSTYPE_EXE &&
         virDomainDeviceIsUSB(dev)) {
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index f33405e097..71437dc485 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3107,7 +3107,8 @@ typedef enum {
 int virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                  virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
                                  virDomainDeviceDefPtr oldDev,
-                                 virDomainDeviceAction action);
+                                 virDomainDeviceAction action,
+                                 bool live);
 
 void virDomainRNGDefFree(virDomainRNGDefPtr def);
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index ef225999d8..f9794e0655 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -3522,7 +3522,8 @@ lxcDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 
         oldDev.data.net = vmdef->nets[idx];
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vmdef, dev, &oldDev,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE,
+                                         false) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         virDomainNetDefFree(vmdef->nets[idx]);
@@ -4759,7 +4760,8 @@ static int lxcDomainAttachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
             goto endjob;
 
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vmdef, dev, NULL,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH,
+                                         false) < 0)
             goto endjob;
 
         if ((ret = lxcDomainAttachDeviceConfig(vmdef, dev)) < 0)
@@ -4768,7 +4770,8 @@ static int lxcDomainAttachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
 
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE) {
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vm->def, dev_copy, NULL,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH,
+                                         true) < 0)
             goto endjob;
 
         if ((ret = lxcDomainAttachDeviceLive(dom->conn, driver, vm, dev_copy)) < 0)
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index f8a662f747..fee44812c1 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -8643,13 +8643,7 @@ qemuDomainDiskChangeSupported(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (disk->info.alias &&
-        STRNEQ_NULLABLE(disk->info.alias, orig_disk->info.alias)) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED,
-                       _("cannot modify field '%s' of the disk"),
-                       "alias");
-        return false;
-    }
+    /* device alias is checked already in virDomainDefCompatibleDevice */
 
     CHECK_EQ(info.bootIndex, "boot order", true);
     CHECK_EQ(rawio, "rawio", true);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 0e3ac8c741..825b2b27e6 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -7861,7 +7861,8 @@ qemuDomainChangeDiskLive(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
     oldDev.data.disk = orig_disk;
     if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vm->def, dev, &oldDev,
-                                     VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE) < 0)
+                                     VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE,
+                                     true) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!qemuDomainDiskChangeSupported(disk, orig_disk))
@@ -7920,7 +7921,8 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceLive(virDomainObjPtr vm,
         if ((idx = qemuDomainFindGraphicsIndex(vm->def, dev->data.graphics)) >= 0) {
             oldDev.data.graphics = vm->def->graphics[idx];
             if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vm->def, dev, &oldDev,
-                                             VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE) < 0)
+                                             VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE,
+                                             true) < 0)
                 return -1;
         }
 
@@ -7931,7 +7933,8 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceLive(virDomainObjPtr vm,
         if ((idx = virDomainNetFindIdx(vm->def, dev->data.net)) >= 0) {
             oldDev.data.net = vm->def->nets[idx];
             if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vm->def, dev, &oldDev,
-                                             VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE) < 0)
+                                             VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE,
+                                             true) < 0)
                 return -1;
         }
 
@@ -8385,7 +8388,8 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 
         oldDev.data.disk = vmdef->disks[pos];
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vmdef, dev, &oldDev,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE,
+                                         false) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         virDomainDiskDefFree(vmdef->disks[pos]);
@@ -8405,7 +8409,8 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 
         oldDev.data.graphics = vmdef->graphics[pos];
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vmdef, dev, &oldDev,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE,
+                                         false) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         virDomainGraphicsDefFree(vmdef->graphics[pos]);
@@ -8420,7 +8425,8 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 
         oldDev.data.net = vmdef->nets[pos];
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vmdef, dev, &oldDev,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_UPDATE,
+                                         false) < 0)
             return -1;
 
         virDomainNetDefFree(vmdef->nets[pos]);
@@ -8512,7 +8518,8 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceLiveAndConfig(virDomainObjPtr vm,
             goto cleanup;
 
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vmdef, dev, NULL,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH,
+                                         false) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
         if ((ret = qemuDomainAttachDeviceConfig(vmdef, dev, caps,
                                                 parse_flags,
@@ -8522,7 +8529,8 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceLiveAndConfig(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE) {
         if (virDomainDefCompatibleDevice(vm->def, dev_copy, NULL,
-                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH) < 0)
+                                         VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ACTION_ATTACH,
+                                         true) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
 
         if ((ret = qemuDomainAttachDeviceLive(vm, dev_copy, driver)) < 0)
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 965b051fd7..fcd8eb0ffa 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -3200,11 +3200,9 @@ qemuDomainChangeNet(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (!newdev->info.alias &&
         VIR_STRDUP(newdev->info.alias, olddev->info.alias) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
-    if (STRNEQ_NULLABLE(olddev->info.alias, newdev->info.alias)) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                       _("cannot modify network device alias"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
+
+    /* device alias is checked already in virDomainDefCompatibleDevice */
+
     if (olddev->info.rombar != newdev->info.rombar) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
                        _("cannot modify network device rom bar setting"));