diff --git a/hw/nvram/fw_cfg.c b/hw/nvram/fw_cfg.c
index 79c5742b33..f3acb47bd4 100644
--- a/hw/nvram/fw_cfg.c
+++ b/hw/nvram/fw_cfg.c
@@ -778,17 +778,19 @@ FWCfgState *fw_cfg_init_io_dma(uint32_t iobase, uint32_t dma_iobase,
     DeviceState *dev;
     FWCfgState *s;
     uint32_t version = FW_CFG_VERSION;
-    bool dma_enabled = dma_iobase && dma_as;
+    bool dma_requested = dma_iobase && dma_as;
 
     dev = qdev_create(NULL, TYPE_FW_CFG_IO);
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "iobase", iobase);
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "dma_iobase", dma_iobase);
-    qdev_prop_set_bit(dev, "dma_enabled", dma_enabled);
+    if (!dma_requested) {
+        qdev_prop_set_bit(dev, "dma_enabled", false);
+    }
 
     fw_cfg_init1(dev);
     s = FW_CFG(dev);
 
-    if (dma_enabled) {
+    if (s->dma_enabled) {
         /* 64 bits for the address field */
         s->dma_as = dma_as;
         s->dma_addr = 0;
@@ -814,11 +816,13 @@ FWCfgState *fw_cfg_init_mem_wide(hwaddr ctl_addr,
     SysBusDevice *sbd;
     FWCfgState *s;
     uint32_t version = FW_CFG_VERSION;
-    bool dma_enabled = dma_addr && dma_as;
+    bool dma_requested = dma_addr && dma_as;
 
     dev = qdev_create(NULL, TYPE_FW_CFG_MEM);
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "data_width", data_width);
-    qdev_prop_set_bit(dev, "dma_enabled", dma_enabled);
+    if (!dma_requested) {
+        qdev_prop_set_bit(dev, "dma_enabled", false);
+    }
 
     fw_cfg_init1(dev);
 
@@ -828,7 +832,7 @@ FWCfgState *fw_cfg_init_mem_wide(hwaddr ctl_addr,
 
     s = FW_CFG(dev);
 
-    if (dma_enabled) {
+    if (s->dma_enabled) {
         s->dma_as = dma_as;
         s->dma_addr = 0;
         sysbus_mmio_map(sbd, 2, dma_addr);
@@ -873,7 +877,7 @@ static Property fw_cfg_io_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("iobase", FWCfgIoState, iobase, -1),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("dma_iobase", FWCfgIoState, dma_iobase, -1),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("dma_enabled", FWCfgIoState, parent_obj.dma_enabled,
-                     false),
+                     true),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
@@ -913,7 +917,7 @@ static const TypeInfo fw_cfg_io_info = {
 static Property fw_cfg_mem_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("data_width", FWCfgMemState, data_width, -1),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("dma_enabled", FWCfgMemState, parent_obj.dma_enabled,
-                     false),
+                     true),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
diff --git a/include/hw/compat.h b/include/hw/compat.h
index 2ebe739fcb..a5dbbf8984 100644
--- a/include/hw/compat.h
+++ b/include/hw/compat.h
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@
         .driver   = "virtio-pci",\
         .property = "migrate-extra",\
         .value    = "off",\
+    },{\
+        .driver   = "fw_cfg_mem",\
+        .property = "dma_enabled",\
+        .value    = "off",\
+    },{\
+        .driver   = "fw_cfg_io",\
+        .property = "dma_enabled",\
+        .value    = "off",\
     },
 
 #define HW_COMPAT_2_3 \