diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
index da78690667..00b7388328 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
@@ -423,6 +423,14 @@ virQEMUDriverConfigHugeTLBFSInit(virHugeTLBFSPtr hugetlbfs,
 }
 
 
+static int
+virQEMUDriverConfigLoadMemoryEntry(virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg,
+                                   virConfPtr conf)
+{
+    return virConfGetValueString(conf, "memory_backing_dir", &cfg->memoryBackingDir);
+}
+
+
 static int
 virQEMUDriverConfigLoadSWTPMEntry(virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg,
                                   virConfPtr conf)
@@ -892,7 +900,7 @@ int virQEMUDriverConfigLoadFile(virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg,
         }
     }
 
-    if (virConfGetValueString(conf, "memory_backing_dir", &cfg->memoryBackingDir) < 0)
+    if (virQEMUDriverConfigLoadMemoryEntry(cfg, conf) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virQEMUDriverConfigLoadSWTPMEntry(cfg, conf) < 0)