diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index d112b85b4f..fd4942e881 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -2975,14 +2975,16 @@ static void spapr_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
     }
 
     if (kernel_filename) {
+        uint64_t loaded_addr = 0;
+
         spapr->kernel_size = load_elf(kernel_filename, NULL,
                                       translate_kernel_address, spapr,
-                                      NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 1,
+                                      NULL, &loaded_addr, NULL, NULL, 1,
                                       PPC_ELF_MACHINE, 0, 0);
         if (spapr->kernel_size == ELF_LOAD_WRONG_ENDIAN) {
             spapr->kernel_size = load_elf(kernel_filename, NULL,
                                           translate_kernel_address, spapr,
-                                          NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0,
+                                          NULL, &loaded_addr, NULL, NULL, 0,
                                           PPC_ELF_MACHINE, 0, 0);
             spapr->kernel_le = spapr->kernel_size > 0;
         }
@@ -2992,6 +2994,13 @@ static void spapr_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
             exit(1);
         }
 
+        if (spapr->kernel_addr != loaded_addr) {
+            warn_report("spapr: kernel_addr changed from 0x%"PRIx64
+                        " to 0x%"PRIx64,
+                        spapr->kernel_addr, loaded_addr);
+            spapr->kernel_addr = loaded_addr;
+        }
+
         /* load initrd */
         if (initrd_filename) {
             /* Try to locate the initrd in the gap between the kernel