diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 0128c9d480..17bbeddec6 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -9343,7 +9343,6 @@ virDomainDiskDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOption *xmlopt,
     g_autofree char *target = NULL;
     g_autofree char *bus = NULL;
     g_autofree char *serial = NULL;
-    g_autofree char *startupPolicy = NULL;
     g_autofree char *removable = NULL;
     g_autofree char *logical_block_size = NULL;
     g_autofree char *physical_block_size = NULL;
@@ -9401,7 +9400,11 @@ virDomainDiskDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOption *xmlopt,
 
             source = true;
 
-            startupPolicy = virXMLPropString(cur, "startupPolicy");
+            if (virXMLPropEnum(cur, "startupPolicy",
+                               virDomainStartupPolicyTypeFromString,
+                               VIR_XML_PROP_OPTIONAL | VIR_XML_PROP_NONZERO,
+                               &def->startupPolicy) < 0)
+                return NULL;
 
             if (!(flags & VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE) &&
                 (tmp = virXMLPropString(cur, "index")) &&
@@ -9655,18 +9658,6 @@ virDomainDiskDefParseXML(virDomainXMLOption *xmlopt,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (startupPolicy) {
-        int val;
-
-        if ((val = virDomainStartupPolicyTypeFromString(startupPolicy)) <= 0) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                           _("unknown startupPolicy value '%s'"),
-                           startupPolicy);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        def->startupPolicy = val;
-    }
-
     def->dst = g_steal_pointer(&target);
     if (authdef) {
             /* If we've already parsed <source> and found an <auth> child,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 2f8ef74020..99ab2a96d9 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ struct _virDomainDiskDef {
     virTristateSwitch event_idx;
     virTristateSwitch copy_on_read;
     int snapshot; /* virDomainSnapshotLocation, snapshot_conf.h */
-    int startupPolicy; /* enum virDomainStartupPolicy */
+    virDomainStartupPolicy startupPolicy;
     bool transient;
     virDomainDeviceInfo info;
     int rawio; /* enum virTristateBool */