diff --git a/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.cpp b/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.cpp
index a9bd9eec15e..ee6bb08d597 100644
--- a/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.cpp
+++ b/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.cpp
@@ -169,8 +169,21 @@ void GNADeviceHelper::releaseModel(const uint32_t model_id) {
 }
 
 bool GNADeviceHelper::enforceLegacyCnnNeeded() const {
-    const auto compileTargetDevice = getTargetDevice(false);
-    return (isGnaLibVersion3_0 || isGnaLibVersion2_1) && isUpTo20HwGnaDevice(compileTargetDevice);
+    const auto execTargetDevice = getTargetDevice(true);
+    return (isGnaLibVersion3_0 || isGnaLibVersion2_1) && isUpTo20HwGnaDevice(execTargetDevice);
+}
+
+Gna2DeviceVersion GNADeviceHelper::parseTarget(const std::string& target) {
+    const std::map<std::string, Gna2DeviceVersion> targetMap {
+        {InferenceEngine::GNAConfigParams::GNA_TARGET_2_0, Gna2DeviceVersion2_0},
+        {InferenceEngine::GNAConfigParams::GNA_TARGET_3_0, Gna2DeviceVersion3_0},
+        {"", Gna2DeviceVersionSoftwareEmulation},
+    };
+    const auto f = targetMap.find(target);
+    if (f != targetMap.end()) {
+        return f->second;
+    }
+    THROW_GNA_EXCEPTION << "Unsupported " << "GNAConfigParams::GNA_TARGET = \"" << target << "\"\n";
 }
 
 Gna2DeviceVersion GNADeviceHelper::parseDeclaredTarget(std::string target, const bool execTarget) const {
@@ -476,6 +489,16 @@ void GNADeviceHelper::dumpXnnForDeviceVersion(
     outStream.write("Gna2ModelSueCreekHeader", 24);
     outStream.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&sueHeader), sizeof(sueHeader));
 }
+
+void GNADeviceHelper::createVirtualDevice(Gna2DeviceVersion devVersion, std::string purpose) {
+    const auto status = Gna2DeviceCreateForExport(devVersion, &nGnaDeviceIndex);
+    GNADeviceHelper::checkGna2Status(status, "Gna2DeviceCreateForExport(" + std::to_string(devVersion) + ")" + purpose);
+}
+
+void GNADeviceHelper::updateGnaDeviceVersion() {
+    const auto status = Gna2DeviceGetVersion(nGnaDeviceIndex, &detectedGnaDevVersion);
+    checkGna2Status(status, "Gna2DeviceGetVersion");
+}
 #endif
 
 #if GNA_LIB_VER == 1
@@ -492,14 +515,18 @@ void GNADeviceHelper::open(uint8_t n_threads) {
     nGNAHandle = GNADeviceOpenSetThreads(&nGNAStatus, n_threads);
     checkStatus();
 #else
-    auto status = Gna2DeviceGetVersion(nGnaDeviceIndex, &detectedGnaDevVersion);
-    checkGna2Status(status, "Gna2DeviceGetVersion");
-
+    updateGnaDeviceVersion();
+    const auto gnaExecTarget = parseTarget(executionTarget);
     if (useDeviceEmbeddedExport) {
-        status = Gna2DeviceCreateForExport(exportGeneration, &nGnaDeviceIndex);
-        GNADeviceHelper::checkGna2Status(status, "Gna2DeviceCreateForExport");
+        createVirtualDevice(exportGeneration, "export");
+    } else if (!executionTarget.empty() && gnaExecTarget != detectedGnaDevVersion) {
+        createVirtualDevice(gnaExecTarget, "execution");
+        updateGnaDeviceVersion();
+        if (detectedGnaDevVersion != gnaExecTarget) {
+            THROW_GNA_EXCEPTION << "Wrong virtual GNA device version reported: " << detectedGnaDevVersion << " instead of: " << gnaExecTarget;
+        }
     } else {
-        status = Gna2DeviceOpen(nGnaDeviceIndex);
+        const auto status = Gna2DeviceOpen(nGnaDeviceIndex);
         checkGna2Status(status, "Gna2DeviceOpen");
     }
 
diff --git a/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.hpp b/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.hpp
index 5e6719607d6..4024b3c1807 100644
--- a/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.hpp
+++ b/inference-engine/src/gna_plugin/gna_device.hpp
@@ -202,9 +202,13 @@ public:
 
     static void enforceLegacyCnns(Gna2Model& gnaModel);
     static void enforceLegacyCnnsWhenNeeded(Gna2Model& gnaModel);
+    static Gna2DeviceVersion parseTarget(const std::string& target);
     Gna2DeviceVersion parseDeclaredTarget(std::string target, const bool execTarget) const;
     Gna2DeviceVersion getDefaultTarget() const;
     Gna2DeviceVersion getTargetDevice(bool execTarget) const;
+
+    void createVirtualDevice(Gna2DeviceVersion devVersion, std::string purpose = "");
+    void updateGnaDeviceVersion();
 #endif
     void setOMPThreads(uint8_t const n_threads);