diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index 2c403b574e37..6c47466fc2f1 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -4048,6 +4048,18 @@ static void spapr_machine_device_unplug(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev,
     }
 }
 
+bool spapr_memory_hot_unplug_supported(SpaprMachineState *spapr)
+{
+    return spapr_ovec_test(spapr->ov5_cas, OV5_HP_EVT) ||
+        /*
+         * CAS will process all pending unplug requests.
+         *
+         * HACK: a guest could theoretically have cleared all bits in OV5,
+         * but none of the guests we care for do.
+         */
+        spapr_ovec_empty(spapr->ov5_cas);
+}
+
 static void spapr_machine_device_unplug_request(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev,
                                                 DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
@@ -4056,16 +4068,9 @@ static void spapr_machine_device_unplug_request(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev,
     SpaprMachineClass *smc = SPAPR_MACHINE_CLASS(mc);
 
     if (object_dynamic_cast(OBJECT(dev), TYPE_PC_DIMM)) {
-        if (!smc->pre_6_0_memory_unplug ||
-            spapr_ovec_test(sms->ov5_cas, OV5_HP_EVT)) {
+        if (spapr_memory_hot_unplug_supported(sms)) {
             spapr_memory_unplug_request(hotplug_dev, dev, errp);
         } else {
-            /* NOTE: this means there is a window after guest reset, prior to
-             * CAS negotiation, where unplug requests will fail due to the
-             * capability not being detected yet. This is a bit different than
-             * the case with PCI unplug, where the events will be queued and
-             * eventually handled by the guest after boot
-             */
             error_setg(errp, "Memory hot unplug not supported for this guest");
         }
     } else if (object_dynamic_cast(OBJECT(dev), TYPE_SPAPR_CPU_CORE)) {
@@ -4543,11 +4548,8 @@ DEFINE_SPAPR_MACHINE(6_0, "6.0", true);
  */
 static void spapr_machine_5_2_class_options(MachineClass *mc)
 {
-    SpaprMachineClass *smc = SPAPR_MACHINE_CLASS(mc);
-
     spapr_machine_6_0_class_options(mc);
     compat_props_add(mc->compat_props, hw_compat_5_2, hw_compat_5_2_len);
-    smc->pre_6_0_memory_unplug = true;
 }
 
 DEFINE_SPAPR_MACHINE(5_2, "5.2", false);
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_events.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_events.c
index 6aedd988b3d0..d51daedfa6e0 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_events.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_events.c
@@ -658,8 +658,7 @@ static void spapr_hotplug_req_event(uint8_t hp_id, uint8_t hp_action,
         /* we should not be using count_indexed value unless the guest
          * supports dedicated hotplug event source
          */
-        g_assert(!SPAPR_MACHINE_GET_CLASS(spapr)->pre_6_0_memory_unplug ||
-                 spapr_ovec_test(spapr->ov5_cas, OV5_HP_EVT));
+        g_assert(spapr_memory_hot_unplug_supported(spapr));
         hp->drc_id.count_indexed.count =
             cpu_to_be32(drc_id->count_indexed.count);
         hp->drc_id.count_indexed.index =
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.c
index dd003f1763fd..b2567caa5cf4 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.c
@@ -125,6 +125,13 @@ bool spapr_ovec_test(SpaprOptionVector *ov, long bitnr)
     return test_bit(bitnr, ov->bitmap) ? true : false;
 }
 
+bool spapr_ovec_empty(SpaprOptionVector *ov)
+{
+    g_assert(ov);
+
+    return bitmap_empty(ov->bitmap, OV_MAXBITS);
+}
+
 static void guest_byte_to_bitmap(uint8_t entry, unsigned long *bitmap,
                                  long bitmap_offset)
 {
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
index 1cc19575f548..3ad2ff713279 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ struct SpaprMachineClass {
     hwaddr rma_limit;          /* clamp the RMA to this size */
     bool pre_5_1_assoc_refpoints;
     bool pre_5_2_numa_associativity;
-    bool pre_6_0_memory_unplug;
 
     bool (*phb_placement)(SpaprMachineState *spapr, uint32_t index,
                           uint64_t *buid, hwaddr *pio, 
@@ -950,4 +949,5 @@ bool spapr_check_pagesize(SpaprMachineState *spapr, hwaddr pagesize,
 
 void spapr_set_all_lpcrs(target_ulong value, target_ulong mask);
 hwaddr spapr_get_rtas_addr(void);
+bool spapr_memory_hot_unplug_supported(SpaprMachineState *spapr);
 #endif /* HW_SPAPR_H */
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.h
index d4dee9e06a01..48b716a060c2 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_ovec.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ void spapr_ovec_cleanup(SpaprOptionVector *ov);
 void spapr_ovec_set(SpaprOptionVector *ov, long bitnr);
 void spapr_ovec_clear(SpaprOptionVector *ov, long bitnr);
 bool spapr_ovec_test(SpaprOptionVector *ov, long bitnr);
+bool spapr_ovec_empty(SpaprOptionVector *ov);
 SpaprOptionVector *spapr_ovec_parse_vector(target_ulong table_addr, int vector);
 int spapr_dt_ovec(void *fdt, int fdt_offset,
                   SpaprOptionVector *ov, const char *name);
