diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index dd8bb65d72..c764f6296c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -11103,7 +11103,8 @@ qemuDomainInitializePflashStorageSource(virDomainObj *vm)
     pflash0->type = VIR_STORAGE_TYPE_FILE;
     pflash0->format = VIR_STORAGE_FILE_RAW;
     pflash0->path = g_strdup(def->os.loader->path);
-    pflash0->readonly = def->os.loader->readonly;
+    pflash0->readonly = false;
+    virTristateBoolToBool(def->os.loader->readonly, &pflash0->readonly);
     pflash0->nodeformat = g_strdup("libvirt-pflash0-format");
     pflash0->nodestorage = g_strdup("libvirt-pflash0-storage");
 
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw-implicit.x86_64-latest.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw-implicit.x86_64-latest.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fde4c3f57f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw-implicit.x86_64-latest.args
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+LC_ALL=C \
+PATH=/bin \
+HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios \
+USER=test \
+LOGNAME=test \
+XDG_DATA_HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/.local/share \
+XDG_CACHE_HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/.cache \
+XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/.config \
+/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 \
+-name guest=test-bios,debug-threads=on \
+-S \
+-object '{"qom-type":"secret","id":"masterKey0","format":"raw","file":"/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/master-key.aes"}' \
+-blockdev '{"driver":"file","filename":"/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/nvram/test-bios.fd","node-name":"libvirt-pflash0-storage","auto-read-only":true,"discard":"unmap"}' \
+-blockdev '{"node-name":"libvirt-pflash0-format","read-only":false,"driver":"raw","file":"libvirt-pflash0-storage"}' \
+-machine pc,usb=off,dump-guest-core=off,pflash0=libvirt-pflash0-format,memory-backend=pc.ram \
+-accel tcg \
+-cpu qemu64 \
+-m 1024 \
+-object '{"qom-type":"memory-backend-ram","id":"pc.ram","size":1073741824}' \
+-overcommit mem-lock=off \
+-smp 1,sockets=1,cores=1,threads=1 \
+-uuid 362d1fc1-df7d-193e-5c18-49a71bd1da66 \
+-display none \
+-no-user-config \
+-nodefaults \
+-chardev socket,id=charmonitor,fd=1729,server=on,wait=off \
+-mon chardev=charmonitor,id=monitor,mode=control \
+-rtc base=utc \
+-no-shutdown \
+-boot menu=on,strict=on \
+-device '{"driver":"piix3-usb-uhci","id":"usb","bus":"pci.0","addr":"0x1.0x2"}' \
+-blockdev '{"driver":"host_device","filename":"/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1","node-name":"libvirt-1-storage","auto-read-only":true,"discard":"unmap"}' \
+-blockdev '{"node-name":"libvirt-1-format","read-only":false,"driver":"raw","file":"libvirt-1-storage"}' \
+-device '{"driver":"ide-hd","bus":"ide.0","unit":0,"drive":"libvirt-1-format","id":"ide0-0-0","bootindex":1}' \
+-device '{"driver":"usb-tablet","id":"input0","bus":"usb.0","port":"1"}' \
+-audiodev '{"id":"audio1","driver":"none"}' \
+-device '{"driver":"virtio-balloon-pci","id":"balloon0","bus":"pci.0","addr":"0x2"}' \
+-sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=deny,spawn=deny,resourcecontrol=deny \
+-msg timestamp=on
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw-implicit.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw-implicit.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ebcd3e5300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw-implicit.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>test-bios</name>
+  <uuid>362d1fc1-df7d-193e-5c18-49a71bd1da66</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>1048576</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>1048576</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc'>hvm</type>
+    <loader type='pflash'>/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/nvram/test-bios.fd</loader>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+    <bootmenu enable='yes'/>
+  </os>
+  <features>
+    <acpi/>
+  </features>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>restart</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>
+    <disk type='block' device='disk'>
+      <source dev='/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1'/>
+      <target dev='hda' bus='ide'/>
+      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <input type='tablet' bus='usb'/>
+    <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'/>
+    <input type='keyboard' bus='ps2'/>
+    <memballoon model='virtio'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw.x86_64-latest.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw.x86_64-latest.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fde4c3f57f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw.x86_64-latest.args
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+LC_ALL=C \
+PATH=/bin \
+HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios \
+USER=test \
+LOGNAME=test \
+XDG_DATA_HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/.local/share \
+XDG_CACHE_HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/.cache \
+XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/.config \
+/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 \
+-name guest=test-bios,debug-threads=on \
+-S \
+-object '{"qom-type":"secret","id":"masterKey0","format":"raw","file":"/tmp/lib/domain--1-test-bios/master-key.aes"}' \
+-blockdev '{"driver":"file","filename":"/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/nvram/test-bios.fd","node-name":"libvirt-pflash0-storage","auto-read-only":true,"discard":"unmap"}' \
+-blockdev '{"node-name":"libvirt-pflash0-format","read-only":false,"driver":"raw","file":"libvirt-pflash0-storage"}' \
+-machine pc,usb=off,dump-guest-core=off,pflash0=libvirt-pflash0-format,memory-backend=pc.ram \
+-accel tcg \
+-cpu qemu64 \
+-m 1024 \
+-object '{"qom-type":"memory-backend-ram","id":"pc.ram","size":1073741824}' \
+-overcommit mem-lock=off \
+-smp 1,sockets=1,cores=1,threads=1 \
+-uuid 362d1fc1-df7d-193e-5c18-49a71bd1da66 \
+-display none \
+-no-user-config \
+-nodefaults \
+-chardev socket,id=charmonitor,fd=1729,server=on,wait=off \
+-mon chardev=charmonitor,id=monitor,mode=control \
+-rtc base=utc \
+-no-shutdown \
+-boot menu=on,strict=on \
+-device '{"driver":"piix3-usb-uhci","id":"usb","bus":"pci.0","addr":"0x1.0x2"}' \
+-blockdev '{"driver":"host_device","filename":"/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1","node-name":"libvirt-1-storage","auto-read-only":true,"discard":"unmap"}' \
+-blockdev '{"node-name":"libvirt-1-format","read-only":false,"driver":"raw","file":"libvirt-1-storage"}' \
+-device '{"driver":"ide-hd","bus":"ide.0","unit":0,"drive":"libvirt-1-format","id":"ide0-0-0","bootindex":1}' \
+-device '{"driver":"usb-tablet","id":"input0","bus":"usb.0","port":"1"}' \
+-audiodev '{"id":"audio1","driver":"none"}' \
+-device '{"driver":"virtio-balloon-pci","id":"balloon0","bus":"pci.0","addr":"0x2"}' \
+-sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=deny,spawn=deny,resourcecontrol=deny \
+-msg timestamp=on
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b03b4b5ecb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/bios-nvram-rw.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>test-bios</name>
+  <uuid>362d1fc1-df7d-193e-5c18-49a71bd1da66</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>1048576</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>1048576</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc'>hvm</type>
+    <loader readonly='no' type='pflash'>/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/nvram/test-bios.fd</loader>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+    <bootmenu enable='yes'/>
+  </os>
+  <features>
+    <acpi/>
+  </features>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>restart</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>
+    <disk type='block' device='disk'>
+      <source dev='/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1'/>
+      <target dev='hda' bus='ide'/>
+      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <input type='tablet' bus='usb'/>
+    <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'/>
+    <input type='keyboard' bus='ps2'/>
+    <memballoon model='virtio'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index b9d8885912..6cf35a0ebf 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -1267,6 +1267,8 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("bios",
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_ISA_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST_NOCAPS("bios-nvram");
+    DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("bios-nvram-rw");
+    DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("bios-nvram-rw-implicit");
     DO_TEST("bios-nvram-secure",
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_DMI_TO_PCI_BRIDGE,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_PCI_BRIDGE,