diff --git a/backends/hostmem-file.c b/backends/hostmem-file.c
index cb319a9157..c8c355f5aa 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem-file.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem-file.c
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ file_backend_memory_alloc(HostMemoryBackend *backend, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    backend->force_prealloc = mem_prealloc;
     name = host_memory_backend_get_name(backend);
     memory_region_init_ram_from_file(&backend->mr, OBJECT(backend),
                                      name,
diff --git a/backends/hostmem-memfd.c b/backends/hostmem-memfd.c
index 26070b425e..74ba9879c4 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem-memfd.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem-memfd.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ memfd_backend_memory_alloc(HostMemoryBackend *backend, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    backend->force_prealloc = mem_prealloc;
     fd = qemu_memfd_create(TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_MEMFD, backend->size,
                            m->hugetlb, m->hugetlbsize, m->seal ?
                            F_SEAL_GROW | F_SEAL_SHRINK | F_SEAL_SEAL : 0,
diff --git a/backends/hostmem.c b/backends/hostmem.c
index 0988986016..a70867b255 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ static bool host_memory_backend_get_prealloc(Object *obj, Error **errp)
 {
     HostMemoryBackend *backend = MEMORY_BACKEND(obj);
 
-    return backend->prealloc || backend->force_prealloc;
+    return backend->prealloc;
 }
 
 static void host_memory_backend_set_prealloc(Object *obj, bool value,
@@ -224,14 +224,6 @@ static void host_memory_backend_set_prealloc(Object *obj, bool value,
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     HostMemoryBackend *backend = MEMORY_BACKEND(obj);
 
-    if (backend->force_prealloc) {
-        if (value) {
-            error_setg(errp,
-                       "remove -mem-prealloc to use the prealloc property");
-            return;
-        }
-    }
-
     if (!host_memory_backend_mr_inited(backend)) {
         backend->prealloc = value;
         return;
@@ -288,8 +280,6 @@ static void host_memory_backend_init(Object *obj)
     /* TODO: convert access to globals to compat properties */
     backend->merge = machine_mem_merge(machine);
     backend->dump = machine_dump_guest_core(machine);
-    backend->prealloc = mem_prealloc;
-    backend->prealloc_threads = 1;
 }
 
 static void host_memory_backend_post_init(Object *obj)
diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index 6ebff8bd3a..8c0258a7ae 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -1801,8 +1801,6 @@ static void *file_ram_alloc(RAMBlock *block,
                             bool truncate,
                             Error **errp)
 {
-    Error *err = NULL;
-    MachineState *ms = MACHINE(qdev_get_machine());
     void *area;
 
     block->page_size = qemu_fd_getpagesize(fd);
@@ -1858,15 +1856,6 @@ static void *file_ram_alloc(RAMBlock *block,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (mem_prealloc) {
-        os_mem_prealloc(fd, area, memory, ms->smp.cpus, &err);
-        if (err) {
-            error_propagate(errp, err);
-            qemu_ram_munmap(fd, area, memory);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-    }
-
     block->fd = fd;
     return area;
 }
diff --git a/include/sysemu/hostmem.h b/include/sysemu/hostmem.h
index bdf86665ab..8276e53683 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/hostmem.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/hostmem.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ struct HostMemoryBackend {
     /* protected */
     uint64_t size;
     bool merge, dump, use_canonical_path;
-    bool prealloc, force_prealloc, is_mapped, share;
+    bool prealloc, is_mapped, share;
     uint32_t prealloc_threads;
     DECLARE_BITMAP(host_nodes, MAX_NODES + 1);
     HostMemPolicy policy;
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index ae78b2a122..55bdd57a9b 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ extern uint8_t *boot_splash_filedata;
 extern bool enable_mlock;
 extern bool enable_cpu_pm;
 extern QEMUClockType rtc_clock;
-extern int mem_prealloc;
 
 #define MAX_OPTION_ROMS 16
 typedef struct QEMUOptionRom {
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index afc682e168..54857f7afa 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ enum vga_retrace_method vga_retrace_method = VGA_RETRACE_DUMB;
 int display_opengl;
 const char* keyboard_layout = NULL;
 ram_addr_t ram_size;
-int mem_prealloc = 0; /* force preallocation of physical target memory */
 bool enable_mlock = false;
 bool enable_cpu_pm = false;
 int nb_nics;
@@ -2883,6 +2882,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     const char *mem_path = NULL;
     BlockdevOptionsQueue bdo_queue = QSIMPLEQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(bdo_queue);
     QemuPluginList plugin_list = QTAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(plugin_list);
+    int mem_prealloc = 0; /* force preallocation of physical target memory */
 
     os_set_line_buffering();
 
@@ -3984,6 +3984,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         val = g_strdup_printf("%d", current_machine->smp.cpus);
         object_register_sugar_prop("memory-backend", "prealloc-threads", val);
         g_free(val);
+        object_register_sugar_prop("memory-backend", "prealloc", "on");
     }
 
     /*