diff --git a/src/conf/capabilities.h b/src/conf/capabilities.h
index 96bf0a25c8..e2fa1d6540 100644
--- a/src/conf/capabilities.h
+++ b/src/conf/capabilities.h
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ struct _virCaps {
     int (*privateDataXMLFormat)(virBufferPtr, void *);
     int (*privateDataXMLParse)(xmlXPathContextPtr, void *);
     bool hasWideScsiBus;
+    const char *defaultInitPath;
 
     virDomainXMLNamespace ns;
 };
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 9ab9a5a498..f7e4959707 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -5708,6 +5708,18 @@ static virDomainDefPtr virDomainDefParseXML(virCapsPtr caps,
 
     if (STREQ(def->os.type, "exe")) {
         def->os.init = virXPathString("string(./os/init[1])", ctxt);
+        if (!def->os.init) {
+            if (caps->defaultInitPath) {
+                def->os.init = strdup(caps->defaultInitPath);
+                if (!def->os.init) {
+                    goto no_memory;
+                }
+            } else {
+                virDomainReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
+                                     _("init binary must be specified"));
+                goto error;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     if (STREQ(def->os.type, "xen") ||
diff --git a/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c b/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c
index 88cd4c88ff..45bc398764 100644
--- a/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c
+++ b/src/openvz/openvz_conf.c
@@ -174,8 +174,10 @@ virCapsPtr openvzCapsInit(void)
                                       0,
                                       NULL) == NULL)
         goto no_memory;
-    return caps;
 
+    caps->defaultInitPath = "/sbin/init";
+
+    return caps;
 no_memory:
     virCapabilitiesFree(caps);
     return NULL;
diff --git a/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c b/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
index fbb8800e36..3e1952fa1e 100644
--- a/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
+++ b/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
@@ -857,13 +857,6 @@ openvzDomainDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml)
                                          VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INACTIVE)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (vmdef->os.init == NULL) {
-        if (!(vmdef->os.init = strdup("/sbin/init"))) {
-            virReportOOMError();
-            goto cleanup;
-        }
-    }
-
     vm = virDomainFindByName(&driver->domains, vmdef->name);
     if (vm) {
         openvzError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
@@ -943,13 +936,6 @@ openvzDomainCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml,
                                          VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INACTIVE)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (vmdef->os.init == NULL) {
-        if (!(vmdef->os.init = strdup("/sbin/init"))) {
-            virReportOOMError();
-            goto cleanup;
-        }
-    }
-
     vm = virDomainFindByName(&driver->domains, vmdef->name);
     if (vm) {
         openvzError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,