diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index 3742a8cf06..795f6ab505 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -1136,19 +1136,28 @@ static void spapr_dt_ov5_platform_support(SpaprMachineState *spapr, void *fdt,
     PowerPCCPU *first_ppc_cpu = POWERPC_CPU(first_cpu);
 
     char val[2 * 4] = {
-        23, spapr->irq->ov5, /* Xive mode. */
+        23, 0x00, /* XICS / XIVE mode */
         24, 0x00, /* Hash/Radix, filled in below. */
         25, 0x00, /* Hash options: Segment Tables == no, GTSE == no. */
         26, 0x40, /* Radix options: GTSE == yes. */
     };
 
+    if (spapr->irq->xics && spapr->irq->xive) {
+        val[1] = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_BOTH;
+    } else if (spapr->irq->xive) {
+        val[1] = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_EXPLOIT;
+    } else {
+        assert(spapr->irq->xics);
+        val[1] = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_LEGACY;
+    }
+
     if (!ppc_check_compat(first_ppc_cpu, CPU_POWERPC_LOGICAL_3_00, 0,
                           first_ppc_cpu->compat_pvr)) {
         /*
          * If we're in a pre POWER9 compat mode then the guest should
          * do hash and use the legacy interrupt mode
          */
-        val[1] = 0x00; /* XICS */
+        val[1] = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_LEGACY; /* XICS */
         val[3] = 0x00; /* Hash */
     } else if (kvm_enabled()) {
         if (kvmppc_has_cap_mmu_radix() && kvmppc_has_cap_mmu_hash_v3()) {
@@ -2837,7 +2846,7 @@ static void spapr_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
     spapr_ovec_set(spapr->ov5, OV5_DRMEM_V2);
 
     /* advertise XIVE on POWER9 machines */
-    if (spapr->irq->ov5 & (SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_EXPLOIT | SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_BOTH)) {
+    if (spapr->irq->xive) {
         spapr_ovec_set(spapr->ov5, OV5_XIVE_EXPLOIT);
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_hcall.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_hcall.c
index 3d3a67149a..140f05c1c6 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_hcall.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_hcall.c
@@ -1784,13 +1784,13 @@ static target_ulong h_client_architecture_support(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
      * terminate the boot.
      */
     if (guest_xive) {
-        if (spapr->irq->ov5 == SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_LEGACY) {
+        if (!spapr->irq->xive) {
             error_report(
 "Guest requested unavailable interrupt mode (XIVE), try the ic-mode=xive or ic-mode=dual machine property");
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
     } else {
-        if (spapr->irq->ov5 == SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_EXPLOIT) {
+        if (!spapr->irq->xics) {
             error_report(
 "Guest requested unavailable interrupt mode (XICS), either don't set the ic-mode machine property or try ic-mode=xics or ic-mode=dual");
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -1804,7 +1804,7 @@ static target_ulong h_client_architecture_support(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
      */
     if (!spapr->cas_reboot) {
         spapr->cas_reboot = spapr_ovec_test(ov5_updates, OV5_XIVE_EXPLOIT)
-            && spapr->irq->ov5 & SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_BOTH;
+            && spapr->irq->xics && spapr->irq->xive;
     }
 
     spapr_ovec_cleanup(ov5_updates);
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
index 4951329959..0aec5b0f0e 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
@@ -210,7 +210,8 @@ static void spapr_irq_init_kvm_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
 SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xics = {
     .nr_xirqs    = SPAPR_NR_XIRQS,
     .nr_msis     = SPAPR_NR_MSIS,
-    .ov5         = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_LEGACY,
+    .xics        = true,
+    .xive        = false,
 
     .init        = spapr_irq_init_xics,
     .claim       = spapr_irq_claim_xics,
@@ -353,7 +354,8 @@ static void spapr_irq_init_kvm_xive(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
 SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xive = {
     .nr_xirqs    = SPAPR_NR_XIRQS,
     .nr_msis     = SPAPR_NR_MSIS,
-    .ov5         = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_EXPLOIT,
+    .xics        = false,
+    .xive        = true,
 
     .init        = spapr_irq_init_xive,
     .claim       = spapr_irq_claim_xive,
@@ -514,7 +516,8 @@ static void spapr_irq_set_irq_dual(void *opaque, int irq, int val)
 SpaprIrq spapr_irq_dual = {
     .nr_xirqs    = SPAPR_NR_XIRQS,
     .nr_msis     = SPAPR_NR_MSIS,
-    .ov5         = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_BOTH,
+    .xics        = true,
+    .xive        = true,
 
     .init        = spapr_irq_init_dual,
     .claim       = spapr_irq_claim_dual,
@@ -757,7 +760,8 @@ int spapr_irq_find(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int num, bool align, Error **errp)
 SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xics_legacy = {
     .nr_xirqs    = SPAPR_IRQ_XICS_LEGACY_NR_XIRQS,
     .nr_msis     = SPAPR_IRQ_XICS_LEGACY_NR_XIRQS,
-    .ov5         = SPAPR_OV5_XIVE_LEGACY,
+    .xics        = true,
+    .xive        = false,
 
     .init        = spapr_irq_init_xics,
     .claim       = spapr_irq_claim_xics,
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h
index ed88b4599a..d3f3b85eb9 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ void spapr_irq_msi_free(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int irq, uint32_t num);
 typedef struct SpaprIrq {
     uint32_t    nr_xirqs;
     uint32_t    nr_msis;
-    uint8_t     ov5;
+    bool        xics;
+    bool        xive;
 
     void (*init)(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp);
     int (*claim)(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int irq, bool lsi, Error **errp);
