diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index c6962d5d95..b231d65b24 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -4599,11 +4599,25 @@ qemuBuildControllerDevStr(virDomainDefPtr domainDef,
         }
         break;
 
-    /* We always get an IDE controller, whether we want it or not. */
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_IDE:
+        /* Since we currently only support the integrated IDE controller
+         * on 440fx, if we ever get to here, it's because some other
+         * machinetype had an IDE controller specified, or a 440fx had
+         * multiple ide controllers.
+         */
+        if (qemuDomainMachineIsI440FX(domainDef))
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("Only a single IDE controller is unsupported "
+                             "for this machine type"));
+        else
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("IDE controllers are unsupported for "
+                             "this QEMU binary or machine type"));
+        goto error;
+
     default:
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                       _("Unknown controller type: %s"),
+                       _("Unsupported controller type: %s"),
                        virDomainControllerTypeToString(def->type));
         goto error;
     }
@@ -8629,20 +8643,21 @@ qemuBuildCommandLine(virConnectPtr conn,
          * List of controller types that we add commandline args for,
          * *in the order we want to add them*.
          *
-         * We don't add an explicit IDE or FD controller because the
+         * We don't add an explicit FD controller because the
          * provided PIIX4 device already includes one. It isn't possible to
          * remove the PIIX4.
          *
          * We don't add PCI/PCIe root controller either, because it's
          * implicit, but we do add PCI bridges and other PCI
          * controllers, so we leave that in to check each
-         * one. Likewise, we don't do anything for the primary SATA
-         * controller on q35, but we do add those beyond this one
-         * exception.
+         * one. Likewise, we don't do anything for the primary IDE
+         * controller on an i440fx machine or primary SATA on q35, but
+         * we do add those beyond these two exceptions.
          */
         VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_PCI,
         VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_USB,
         VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SCSI,
+        VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_IDE,
         VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_SATA,
         VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_VIRTIO_SERIAL,
         VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_CCID,
@@ -9439,6 +9454,11 @@ qemuBuildCommandLine(virConnectPtr conn,
                     cont->idx == 0 && qemuDomainMachineIsQ35(def))
                         continue;
 
+                /* first IDE controller on i440fx machines is implicit */
+                if (cont->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_IDE &&
+                    cont->idx == 0 && qemuDomainMachineIsI440FX(def))
+                        continue;
+
                 if (cont->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_USB &&
                     cont->model == -1 &&
                     !qemuDomainMachineIsQ35(def) &&
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.args
index 33f87142f3..79af23d1e3 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.args
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ LC_ALL=C PATH=/bin HOME=/home/test USER=test LOGNAME=test QEMU_AUDIO_DRV=none \
 -drive file=/tmp/idedisk.img,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-2 \
 -device ide-hd,bus=ide.0,unit=2,drive=drive-ide0-0-2,id=ide0-0-2,\
 logical_block_size=512,physical_block_size=512 \
--device virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x4
+-device virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.xml
index 52c9704cd2..2b400c3d61 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-blockio.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
     </disk>
     <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
     <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
-    <controller type='ide' index='1'/>
     <memballoon model='virtio'/>
   </devices>
 </domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.args
index 9ccdd5e2fd..4fe04b3233 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.args
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ LC_ALL=C PATH=/bin HOME=/home/test USER=test LOGNAME=test QEMU_AUDIO_DRV=none \
 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.0,unit=1,drive=drive-ide0-0-1,id=ide0-0-1 \
 -drive file=/tmp/idedisk.img,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-2 \
 -device ide-hd,bus=ide.0,unit=2,drive=drive-ide0-0-2,id=ide0-0-2 \
--device virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x4
+-device virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.xml
index 21c285b803..65c438bcd7 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-ide-drive-split.xml
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
     </disk>
     <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
     <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
-    <controller type='ide' index='1'/>
     <memballoon model='virtio'/>
   </devices>
 </domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.args
index 8f6a3dd9f6..75562946b6 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.args
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ file=iscsi://iscsi.example.com:3260/demo-target/2,if=none,media=cdrom,id=drive-i
 -device ide-drive,bus=ide.0,unit=2,drive=drive-ide0-0-2,id=ide0-0-2 -drive \
 file=/tmp/idedisk.img,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-3 -device \
 ide-drive,bus=ide.0,unit=3,drive=drive-ide0-0-3,id=ide0-0-3 -device \
-virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x4
+virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.xml
index c791717232..dcab1e9aa0 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool-mode.xml
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
     </disk>
     <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
     <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
-    <controller type='ide' index='1'/>
     <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
     <memballoon model='virtio'/>
   </devices>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.args
index 6b409b7a95..f930e467ca 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.args
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ if=none,media=cdrom,id=drive-ide0-1-0 -device \
 ide-drive,bus=ide.1,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-1-0,id=ide0-1-0 -drive \
 file=/tmp/idedisk.img,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-2 -device \
 ide-drive,bus=ide.0,unit=2,drive=drive-ide0-0-2,id=ide0-0-2 -device \
-virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x4
+virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.xml
index ef095a0920..19255c98fe 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-source-pool.xml
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
     </disk>
     <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
     <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
-    <controller type='ide' index='1'/>
     <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
     <memballoon model='virtio'/>
   </devices>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-disk-source-pool.xml b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-disk-source-pool.xml
index 31e4928caf..d3c8b692b1 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-disk-source-pool.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmloutdata/qemuxml2xmlout-disk-source-pool.xml
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
     </disk>
     <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
     <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
-    <controller type='ide' index='1'/>
     <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
     <memballoon model='virtio'/>
   </devices>