diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index de0867c4b1..fd7b90e47d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -4091,6 +4091,31 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefControllerPCI(const virDomainControllerDef *cont,
         }
     }
 
+    /* memReserve */
+    switch ((virDomainControllerModelPCI) cont->model) {
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_ROOT_PORT:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_BRIDGE:
+        break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_ROOT:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_SWITCH_DOWNSTREAM_PORT:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_ROOT:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_DMI_TO_PCI_BRIDGE:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_TO_PCI_BRIDGE:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_SWITCH_UPSTREAM_PORT:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_EXPANDER_BUS:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCIE_EXPANDER_BUS:
+        if (pciopts->memReserve) {
+            virReportControllerInvalidOption(cont, model, modelName, "memReserve");
+            return -1;
+        }
+        break;
+
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_DEFAULT:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_MODEL_PCI_LAST:
+    default:
+        virReportEnumRangeError(virDomainControllerModelPCI, cont->model);
+    }
+
     /* QEMU device availability */
     if (cap < 0) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,