diff --git a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
index f24d7da783..d54a8701d8 100644
--- a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
+++ b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ struct KVMState
     bool kernel_irqchip_required;
     OnOffAuto kernel_irqchip_split;
     bool sync_mmu;
-    bool manual_dirty_log_protect;
+    uint64_t manual_dirty_log_protect;
     /* The man page (and posix) say ioctl numbers are signed int, but
      * they're not.  Linux, glibc and *BSD all treat ioctl numbers as
      * unsigned, and treating them as signed here can break things */
@@ -1995,6 +1995,7 @@ static int kvm_init(MachineState *ms)
     int ret;
     int type = 0;
     const char *kvm_type;
+    uint64_t dirty_log_manual_caps;
 
     s = KVM_STATE(ms->accelerator);
 
@@ -2120,14 +2121,20 @@ static int kvm_init(MachineState *ms)
     s->coalesced_pio = s->coalesced_mmio &&
                        kvm_check_extension(s, KVM_CAP_COALESCED_PIO);
 
-    s->manual_dirty_log_protect =
+    dirty_log_manual_caps =
         kvm_check_extension(s, KVM_CAP_MANUAL_DIRTY_LOG_PROTECT2);
-    if (s->manual_dirty_log_protect) {
-        ret = kvm_vm_enable_cap(s, KVM_CAP_MANUAL_DIRTY_LOG_PROTECT2, 0, 1);
+    dirty_log_manual_caps &= (KVM_DIRTY_LOG_MANUAL_PROTECT_ENABLE |
+                              KVM_DIRTY_LOG_INITIALLY_SET);
+    s->manual_dirty_log_protect = dirty_log_manual_caps;
+    if (dirty_log_manual_caps) {
+        ret = kvm_vm_enable_cap(s, KVM_CAP_MANUAL_DIRTY_LOG_PROTECT2, 0,
+                                   dirty_log_manual_caps);
         if (ret) {
-            warn_report("Trying to enable KVM_CAP_MANUAL_DIRTY_LOG_PROTECT2 "
-                        "but failed.  Falling back to the legacy mode. ");
-            s->manual_dirty_log_protect = false;
+            warn_report("Trying to enable capability %"PRIu64" of "
+                        "KVM_CAP_MANUAL_DIRTY_LOG_PROTECT2 but failed. "
+                        "Falling back to the legacy mode. ",
+                        dirty_log_manual_caps);
+            s->manual_dirty_log_protect = 0;
         }
     }