diff --git a/hw/intc/spapr_xive_kvm.c b/hw/intc/spapr_xive_kvm.c
index e8a4784f5326..78d2ea433c98 100644
--- a/hw/intc/spapr_xive_kvm.c
+++ b/hw/intc/spapr_xive_kvm.c
@@ -90,9 +90,15 @@ static void kvmppc_xive_cpu_set_state(XiveTCTX *tctx, Error **errp)
 
 void kvmppc_xive_cpu_get_state(XiveTCTX *tctx, Error **errp)
 {
+    SpaprXive *xive = SPAPR_MACHINE(qdev_get_machine())->xive;
     uint64_t state[2] = { 0 };
     int ret;
 
+    /* The KVM XIVE device is not in use */
+    if (xive->fd == -1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     ret = kvm_get_one_reg(tctx->cs, KVM_REG_PPC_VP_STATE, state);
     if (ret != 0) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, errno,
@@ -140,6 +146,11 @@ void kvmppc_xive_cpu_connect(XiveTCTX *tctx, Error **errp)
     unsigned long vcpu_id;
     int ret;
 
+    /* The KVM XIVE device is not in use */
+    if (xive->fd == -1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     /* Check if CPU was hot unplugged and replugged. */
     if (kvm_cpu_is_enabled(tctx->cs)) {
         return;
@@ -316,9 +327,13 @@ static void kvmppc_xive_source_get_state(XiveSource *xsrc)
 void kvmppc_xive_source_set_irq(void *opaque, int srcno, int val)
 {
     XiveSource *xsrc = opaque;
+    SpaprXive *xive = SPAPR_XIVE(xsrc->xive);
     struct kvm_irq_level args;
     int rc;
 
+    /* The KVM XIVE device should be in use */
+    assert(xive->fd != -1);
+
     args.irq = srcno;
     if (!xive_source_irq_is_lsi(xsrc, srcno)) {
         if (!val) {
@@ -544,6 +559,11 @@ static void kvmppc_xive_change_state_handler(void *opaque, int running,
 
 void kvmppc_xive_synchronize_state(SpaprXive *xive, Error **errp)
 {
+    /* The KVM XIVE device is not in use */
+    if (xive->fd == -1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     /*
      * When the VM is stopped, the sources are masked and the previous
      * state is saved in anticipation of a migration. We should not
@@ -569,6 +589,11 @@ int kvmppc_xive_pre_save(SpaprXive *xive)
 {
     Error *local_err = NULL;
 
+    /* The KVM XIVE device is not in use */
+    if (xive->fd == -1) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     /* EAT: there is no extra state to query from KVM */
 
     /* ENDT */
@@ -593,6 +618,9 @@ int kvmppc_xive_post_load(SpaprXive *xive, int version_id)
     CPUState *cs;
     int i;
 
+    /* The KVM XIVE device should be in use */
+    assert(xive->fd != -1);
+
     /* Restore the ENDT first. The targetting depends on it. */
     for (i = 0; i < xive->nr_ends; i++) {
         if (!xive_end_is_valid(&xive->endt[i])) {
diff --git a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
index 0e3b5f5fbfcd..b3a01326d261 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ void icp_get_kvm_state(ICPState *icp)
     uint64_t state;
     int ret;
 
+    /* The KVM XICS device is not in use */
+    if (kernel_xics_fd == -1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     /* ICP for this CPU thread is not in use, exiting */
     if (!icp->cs) {
         return;
@@ -105,6 +110,11 @@ int icp_set_kvm_state(ICPState *icp)
     uint64_t state;
     int ret;
 
+    /* The KVM XICS device is not in use */
+    if (kernel_xics_fd == -1) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     /* ICP for this CPU thread is not in use, exiting */
     if (!icp->cs) {
         return 0;
@@ -133,8 +143,9 @@ void icp_kvm_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     unsigned long vcpu_id;
     int ret;
 
+    /* The KVM XICS device is not in use */
     if (kernel_xics_fd == -1) {
-        abort();
+        return;
     }
 
     cs = icp->cs;
@@ -170,6 +181,11 @@ void ics_get_kvm_state(ICSState *ics)
     uint64_t state;
     int i;
 
+    /* The KVM XICS device is not in use */
+    if (kernel_xics_fd == -1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     for (i = 0; i < ics->nr_irqs; i++) {
         ICSIRQState *irq = &ics->irqs[i];
 
@@ -230,6 +246,11 @@ int ics_set_kvm_state_one(ICSState *ics, int srcno)
     ICSIRQState *irq = &ics->irqs[srcno];
     int ret;
 
+    /* The KVM XICS device is not in use */
+    if (kernel_xics_fd == -1) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     state = irq->server;
     state |= (uint64_t)(irq->saved_priority & KVM_XICS_PRIORITY_MASK)
         << KVM_XICS_PRIORITY_SHIFT;
@@ -269,6 +290,11 @@ int ics_set_kvm_state(ICSState *ics)
 {
     int i;
 
+    /* The KVM XICS device is not in use */
+    if (kernel_xics_fd == -1) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     for (i = 0; i < ics->nr_irqs; i++) {
         int ret;
 
@@ -286,6 +312,9 @@ void ics_kvm_set_irq(ICSState *ics, int srcno, int val)
     struct kvm_irq_level args;
     int rc;
 
+    /* The KVM XICS device should be in use */
+    assert(kernel_xics_fd != -1);
+
     args.irq = srcno + ics->offset;
     if (ics->irqs[srcno].flags & XICS_FLAGS_IRQ_MSI) {
         if (!val) {
