diff --git a/hw/ppc/pnv.c b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
index 50810df838..77af846cdf 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/pnv.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "qemu-common.h"
 #include "qemu/datadir.h"
 #include "qemu/units.h"
+#include "qemu/cutils.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "sysemu/qtest.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
@@ -725,8 +726,11 @@ static void pnv_init(MachineState *machine)
     DeviceState *dev;
 
     /* allocate RAM */
-    if (machine->ram_size < (1 * GiB)) {
-        warn_report("skiboot may not work with < 1GB of RAM");
+    if (machine->ram_size < mc->default_ram_size) {
+        char *sz = size_to_str(mc->default_ram_size);
+        error_report("Invalid RAM size, should be bigger than %s", sz);
+        g_free(sz);
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
     memory_region_add_subregion(get_system_memory(), 0, machine->ram);
 
@@ -1994,7 +1998,7 @@ static void pnv_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
      * RAM defaults to less than 2048 for 32-bit hosts, and large
      * enough to fit the maximum initrd size at it's load address
      */
-    mc->default_ram_size = INITRD_LOAD_ADDR + INITRD_MAX_SIZE;
+    mc->default_ram_size = 1 * GiB;
     mc->default_ram_id = "pnv.ram";
     ispc->print_info = pnv_pic_print_info;
     nc->nmi_monitor_handler = pnv_nmi;