diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.x86_64-latest.args b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.x86_64-latest.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5c936add9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.x86_64-latest.args
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+LC_ALL=C \
+PATH=/bin \
+HOME=/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain--1-QEMUGuest1 \
+USER=test \
+LOGNAME=test \
+XDG_DATA_HOME=/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/.local/share \
+XDG_CACHE_HOME=/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/.cache \
+XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/.config \
+/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 \
+-name guest=QEMUGuest1,debug-threads=on \
+-S \
+-object '{"qom-type":"secret","id":"masterKey0","format":"raw","file":"/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/master-key.aes"}' \
+-machine pc-i440fx-5.0,usb=off,dump-guest-core=off,acpi=off \
+-accel tcg \
+-cpu qemu64 \
+-m size=219136k \
+-overcommit mem-lock=off \
+-smp 16,sockets=2,dies=1,clusters=1,cores=4,threads=2 \
+-numa node,nodeid=0,cpus=0-7,mem=107 \
+-numa node,nodeid=1,cpus=8-15,mem=107 \
+-uuid c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809 \
+-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 strict=on \
+-device '{"driver":"piix3-usb-uhci","id":"usb","bus":"pci.0","addr":"0x1.0x2"}' \
+-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/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.x86_64-latest.xml b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.x86_64-latest.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..60a67bc2b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.x86_64-latest.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>QEMUGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219100</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219100</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>16</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-i440fx-5.0'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='network'/>
+  </os>
+  <cpu mode='custom' match='exact' check='none'>
+    <model fallback='forbid'>qemu64</model>
+    <topology sockets='2' dies='1' clusters='1' cores='4' threads='2'/>
+    <numa>
+      <cell id='0' cpus='0-7' memory='109550' unit='KiB'/>
+      <cell id='1' cpus='8-15' memory='109550' unit='KiB'/>
+    </numa>
+  </cpu>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>
+    <controller type='usb' index='0' model='piix3-uhci'>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x01' function='0x2'/>
+    </controller>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'/>
+    <input type='keyboard' bus='ps2'/>
+    <audio id='1' type='none'/>
+    <memballoon model='virtio'>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x02' function='0x0'/>
+    </memballoon>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.xml b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0fca4a989
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>QEMUGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219100</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219100</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>16</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <!-- this deliberatel tests the old-style commandline with pre-5.1 machine
+    types -->
+    <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-i440fx-5.0'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='network'/>
+  </os>
+  <cpu>
+    <topology sockets='2' dies='1' cores='4' threads='2'/>
+    <numa>
+      <cell cpus='0-7' memory='109550' unit='KiB'/>
+      <cell cpus='8-15' memory='109550' unit='KiB'/>
+    </numa>
+  </cpu>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+      <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconftest.c b/tests/qemuxmlconftest.c
index 7e47c78150..2e8b786983 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxmlconftest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconftest.c
@@ -2174,6 +2174,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST_CAPS_VER("cpu-fallback", "8.0.0");
 
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("cpu-numa1");
+    DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("cpu-numa-memory-oldstyle");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("cpu-numa2");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("cpu-numa-no-memory-element");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST_PARSE_ERROR("cpu-numa3");