diff --git a/docs/system/deprecated.rst b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
index 544ece0a45..e74a5717c8 100644
--- a/docs/system/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
@@ -101,23 +101,6 @@ error in the future.
 The ``-realtime mlock=on|off`` argument has been replaced by the
 ``-overcommit mem-lock=on|off`` argument.
 
-``-numa node,mem=``\ *size* (since 4.1)
-'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
-
-The parameter ``mem`` of ``-numa node`` is used to assign a part of
-guest RAM to a NUMA node. But when using it, it's impossible to manage specified
-RAM chunk on the host side (like bind it to a host node, setting bind policy, ...),
-so guest end-ups with the fake NUMA configuration with suboptiomal performance.
-However since 2014 there is an alternative way to assign RAM to a NUMA node
-using parameter ``memdev``, which does the same as ``mem`` and adds
-means to actualy manage node RAM on the host side. Use parameter ``memdev``
-with *memory-backend-ram* backend as an replacement for parameter ``mem``
-to achieve the same fake NUMA effect or a properly configured
-*memory-backend-file* backend to actually benefit from NUMA configuration.
-In future new machine versions will not accept the option but it will still
-work with old machine types. User can check QAPI schema to see if the legacy
-option is supported by looking at MachineInfo::numa-mem-supported property.
-
 ``-numa`` node (without memory specified) (since 4.1)
 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
 
@@ -516,3 +499,23 @@ long starting at 1MiB, the old command::
 can be rewritten as::
 
   qemu-nbd -t --image-opts driver=raw,offset=1M,size=100M,file.driver=qcow2,file.file.driver=file,file.file.filename=file.qcow2
+
+Command line options
+--------------------
+
+``-numa node,mem=``\ *size* (removed in 5.1)
+''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+The parameter ``mem`` of ``-numa node`` is used to assign a part of
+guest RAM to a NUMA node. But when using it, it's impossible to manage specified
+RAM chunk on the host side (like bind it to a host node, setting bind policy, ...),
+so guest end-ups with the fake NUMA configuration with suboptiomal performance.
+However since 2014 there is an alternative way to assign RAM to a NUMA node
+using parameter ``memdev``, which does the same as ``mem`` and adds
+means to actualy manage node RAM on the host side. Use parameter ``memdev``
+with *memory-backend-ram* backend as an replacement for parameter ``mem``
+to achieve the same fake NUMA effect or a properly configured
+*memory-backend-file* backend to actually benefit from NUMA configuration.
+In future new machine versions will not accept the option but it will still
+work with old machine types. User can check QAPI schema to see if the legacy
+option is supported by looking at MachineInfo::numa-mem-supported property.
diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index 37462a6f78..063d4703f7 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -2262,7 +2262,6 @@ static void virt_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     hc->pre_plug = virt_machine_device_pre_plug_cb;
     hc->plug = virt_machine_device_plug_cb;
     hc->unplug_request = virt_machine_device_unplug_request_cb;
-    mc->numa_mem_supported = true;
     mc->nvdimm_supported = true;
     mc->auto_enable_numa_with_memhp = true;
     mc->default_ram_id = "mach-virt.ram";
@@ -2375,6 +2374,7 @@ DEFINE_VIRT_MACHINE_AS_LATEST(5, 1)
 static void virt_machine_5_0_options(MachineClass *mc)
 {
     virt_machine_5_1_options(mc);
+    mc->numa_mem_supported = true;
 }
 DEFINE_VIRT_MACHINE(5, 0)
 
diff --git a/hw/core/numa.c b/hw/core/numa.c
index 316bc50d75..7814e646e4 100644
--- a/hw/core/numa.c
+++ b/hw/core/numa.c
@@ -117,6 +117,13 @@ static void parse_numa_node(MachineState *ms, NumaNodeOptions *node,
     }
 
     if (node->has_mem) {
+        if (!mc->numa_mem_supported) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Parameter -numa node,mem is not supported by this"
+                      " machine type");
+            error_append_hint(errp, "Use -numa node,memdev instead");
+            return;
+        }
+
         numa_info[nodenr].node_mem = node->mem;
         if (!qtest_enabled()) {
             warn_report("Parameter -numa node,mem is deprecated,"
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index 2128f3d6fe..a86136069c 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -1960,7 +1960,6 @@ static void pc_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     hc->unplug = pc_machine_device_unplug_cb;
     mc->default_cpu_type = TARGET_DEFAULT_CPU_TYPE;
     mc->nvdimm_supported = true;
-    mc->numa_mem_supported = true;
     mc->default_ram_id = "pc.ram";
 
     object_class_property_add(oc, PC_MACHINE_DEVMEM_REGION_SIZE, "int",
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
index f66e1d73ce..8955436efa 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
@@ -438,6 +438,7 @@ static void pc_i440fx_5_0_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
     pc_i440fx_5_1_machine_options(m);
     m->alias = NULL;
     m->is_default = false;
+    m->numa_mem_supported = true;
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, hw_compat_5_0, hw_compat_5_0_len);
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, pc_compat_5_0, pc_compat_5_0_len);
 }
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index 4ba8ac8774..af6b32adb7 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ static void pc_q35_5_0_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
 {
     pc_q35_5_1_machine_options(m);
     m->alias = NULL;
+    m->numa_mem_supported = true;
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, hw_compat_5_0, hw_compat_5_0_len);
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, pc_compat_5_0, pc_compat_5_0_len);
 }
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index 3b1a5ed865..210d61d1b3 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -4511,7 +4511,6 @@ static void spapr_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
      * in which LMBs are represented and hot-added
      */
     mc->numa_mem_align_shift = 28;
-    mc->numa_mem_supported = true;
     mc->auto_enable_numa = true;
 
     smc->default_caps.caps[SPAPR_CAP_HTM] = SPAPR_CAP_OFF;
@@ -4599,6 +4598,7 @@ static void spapr_machine_5_0_class_options(MachineClass *mc)
 {
     spapr_machine_5_1_class_options(mc);
     compat_props_add(mc->compat_props, hw_compat_5_0, hw_compat_5_0_len);
+    mc->numa_mem_supported = true;
 }
 
 DEFINE_SPAPR_MACHINE(5_0, "5.0", false);
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 93bde2bbc8..196f468786 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -239,10 +239,11 @@ SRST
         -numa node,nodeid=0 -numa node,nodeid=1 \
         -numa cpu,node-id=0,socket-id=0 -numa cpu,node-id=1,socket-id=1
 
-    '\ ``mem``\ ' assigns a given RAM amount to a node. '\ ``memdev``\ '
-    assigns RAM from a given memory backend device to a node. If
-    '\ ``mem``\ ' and '\ ``memdev``\ ' are omitted in all nodes, RAM is
-    split equally between them.
+    Legacy '\ ``mem``\ ' assigns a given RAM amount to a node (not supported
+    for 5.1 and newer machine types). '\ ``memdev``\ ' assigns RAM from
+    a given memory backend device to a node. If '\ ``mem``\ ' and
+    '\ ``memdev``\ ' are omitted in all nodes, RAM is split equally between them.
+
 
     '\ ``mem``\ ' and '\ ``memdev``\ ' are mutually exclusive.
     Furthermore, if one node uses '\ ``memdev``\ ', all of them have to
