diff --git a/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h b/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h
index a187fbbd3d..0818184834 100644
--- a/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h
+++ b/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ struct smbios_type_127 {
 void smbios_entry_add(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
 void smbios_set_cpuid(uint32_t version, uint32_t features);
 void smbios_set_defaults(const char *manufacturer, const char *product,
-                         const char *version, bool legacy_mode,
+                         const char *version,
                          bool uuid_encoded, SmbiosEntryPointType ep_type);
 void smbios_set_default_processor_family(uint16_t processor_family);
 uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(uint32_t expected_t4_count, size_t *length);
diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index 0af1943697..8588681f27 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -1633,7 +1633,7 @@ static void virt_build_smbios(VirtMachineState *vms)
     }
 
     smbios_set_defaults("QEMU", product,
-                        vmc->smbios_old_sys_ver ? "1.0" : mc->name, false,
+                        vmc->smbios_old_sys_ver ? "1.0" : mc->name,
                         true, SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_64);
 
     /* build the array of physical mem area from base_memmap */
diff --git a/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c b/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c
index fcb4fb0769..c1e9c0fd9c 100644
--- a/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c
+++ b/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c
@@ -63,15 +63,16 @@ void fw_cfg_build_smbios(PCMachineState *pcms, FWCfgState *fw_cfg)
     if (pcmc->smbios_defaults) {
         /* These values are guest ABI, do not change */
         smbios_set_defaults("QEMU", mc->desc, mc->name,
-                            pcmc->smbios_legacy_mode, pcmc->smbios_uuid_encoded,
+                            pcmc->smbios_uuid_encoded,
                             pcms->smbios_entry_point_type);
     }
 
     /* tell smbios about cpuid version and features */
     smbios_set_cpuid(cpu->env.cpuid_version, cpu->env.features[FEAT_1_EDX]);
 
-    smbios_tables = smbios_get_table_legacy(ms->smp.cpus, &smbios_tables_len);
-    if (smbios_tables) {
+    if (pcmc->smbios_legacy_mode) {
+        smbios_tables = smbios_get_table_legacy(ms->smp.cpus,
+                                                &smbios_tables_len);
         fw_cfg_add_bytes(fw_cfg, FW_CFG_SMBIOS_ENTRIES,
                          smbios_tables, smbios_tables_len);
         return;
diff --git a/hw/loongarch/virt.c b/hw/loongarch/virt.c
index 1e98d8bda5..8c7601ef91 100644
--- a/hw/loongarch/virt.c
+++ b/hw/loongarch/virt.c
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ static void virt_build_smbios(LoongArchMachineState *lams)
         return;
     }
 
-    smbios_set_defaults("QEMU", product, mc->name, false,
+    smbios_set_defaults("QEMU", product, mc->name,
                         true, SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_64);
 
     smbios_get_tables(ms, NULL, 0, &smbios_tables, &smbios_tables_len,
diff --git a/hw/riscv/virt.c b/hw/riscv/virt.c
index a094af97c3..535fd047ba 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/virt.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/virt.c
@@ -1275,7 +1275,7 @@ static void virt_build_smbios(RISCVVirtState *s)
         product = "KVM Virtual Machine";
     }
 
-    smbios_set_defaults("QEMU", product, mc->name, false,
+    smbios_set_defaults("QEMU", product, mc->name,
                         true, SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_64);
 
     if (riscv_is_32bit(&s->soc[0])) {
diff --git a/hw/smbios/smbios.c b/hw/smbios/smbios.c
index 15339d8dbe..c46fc93357 100644
--- a/hw/smbios/smbios.c
+++ b/hw/smbios/smbios.c
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ struct smbios_table {
 
 static uint8_t *smbios_entries;
 static size_t smbios_entries_len;
-static bool smbios_legacy = true;
 static bool smbios_uuid_encoded = true;
 /* end: legacy structures & constants for <= 2.0 machines */
 
@@ -570,9 +569,16 @@ static void smbios_build_type_1_fields(void)
 
 uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(uint32_t expected_t4_count, size_t *length)
 {
-    if (!smbios_legacy) {
-        *length = 0;
-        return NULL;
+    /* drop unwanted version of command-line file blob(s) */
+    g_free(smbios_tables);
+    smbios_tables = NULL;
+
+    /* also complain if fields were given for types > 1 */
+    if (find_next_bit(have_fields_bitmap,
+                      SMBIOS_MAX_TYPE + 1, 2) < SMBIOS_MAX_TYPE + 1) {
+        error_report("can't process fields for smbios "
+                     "types > 1 on machine versions < 2.1!");
+        exit(1);
     }
 
     if (!smbios_immutable) {
@@ -1006,28 +1012,13 @@ void smbios_set_default_processor_family(uint16_t processor_family)
 }
 
 void smbios_set_defaults(const char *manufacturer, const char *product,
-                         const char *version, bool legacy_mode,
+                         const char *version,
                          bool uuid_encoded, SmbiosEntryPointType ep_type)
 {
     smbios_have_defaults = true;
-    smbios_legacy = legacy_mode;
     smbios_uuid_encoded = uuid_encoded;
     smbios_ep_type = ep_type;
 
-    /* drop unwanted version of command-line file blob(s) */
-    if (smbios_legacy) {
-        g_free(smbios_tables);
-        /* in legacy mode, also complain if fields were given for types > 1 */
-        if (find_next_bit(have_fields_bitmap,
-                          SMBIOS_MAX_TYPE+1, 2) < SMBIOS_MAX_TYPE+1) {
-            error_report("can't process fields for smbios "
-                         "types > 1 on machine versions < 2.1!");
-            exit(1);
-        }
-    } else {
-        g_free(smbios_entries);
-    }
-
     SMBIOS_SET_DEFAULT(type1.manufacturer, manufacturer);
     SMBIOS_SET_DEFAULT(type1.product, product);
     SMBIOS_SET_DEFAULT(type1.version, version);
@@ -1103,6 +1094,10 @@ void smbios_get_tables(MachineState *ms,
 {
     unsigned i, dimm_cnt, offset;
 
+    /* drop unwanted (legacy) version of command-line file blob(s) */
+    g_free(smbios_entries);
+    smbios_entries = NULL;
+
     if (!smbios_immutable) {
         smbios_build_type_0_table();
         smbios_build_type_1_table();
