diff --git a/hw/vfio/container-base.c b/hw/vfio/container-base.c
index 71f7274973..eee2dcfe76 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/container-base.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/container-base.c
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ void vfio_container_del_section_window(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
 int vfio_container_set_dirty_page_tracking(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                                            bool start)
 {
+    if (!bcontainer->dirty_pages_supported) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     g_assert(bcontainer->ops->set_dirty_page_tracking);
     return bcontainer->ops->set_dirty_page_tracking(bcontainer, start);
 }
diff --git a/hw/vfio/container.c b/hw/vfio/container.c
index 6bacf38222..ed2d721b2b 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/container.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/container.c
@@ -216,10 +216,6 @@ static int vfio_legacy_set_dirty_page_tracking(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
         .argsz = sizeof(dirty),
     };
 
-    if (!bcontainer->dirty_pages_supported) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-
     if (start) {
         dirty.flags = VFIO_IOMMU_DIRTY_PAGES_FLAG_START;
     } else {