diff --git a/hw/block/nvme-ns.c b/hw/block/nvme-ns.c
index 008deb5e87..992e5a13f5 100644
--- a/hw/block/nvme-ns.c
+++ b/hw/block/nvme-ns.c
@@ -210,30 +210,6 @@ static int nvme_ns_zoned_check_calc_geometry(NvmeNamespace *ns, Error **errp)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (ns->params.max_active_zones) {
-        if (ns->params.max_open_zones > ns->params.max_active_zones) {
-            error_setg(errp, "max_open_zones (%u) exceeds max_active_zones (%u)",
-                       ns->params.max_open_zones, ns->params.max_active_zones);
-            return -1;
-        }
-
-        if (!ns->params.max_open_zones) {
-            ns->params.max_open_zones = ns->params.max_active_zones;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (ns->params.zd_extension_size) {
-        if (ns->params.zd_extension_size & 0x3f) {
-            error_setg(errp,
-                "zone descriptor extension size must be a multiple of 64B");
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if ((ns->params.zd_extension_size >> 6) > 0xff) {
-            error_setg(errp, "zone descriptor extension size is too large");
-            return -1;
-        }
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -403,6 +379,34 @@ static int nvme_ns_check_constraints(NvmeCtrl *n, NvmeNamespace *ns,
         }
     }
 
+    if (ns->params.zoned) {
+        if (ns->params.max_active_zones) {
+            if (ns->params.max_open_zones > ns->params.max_active_zones) {
+                error_setg(errp, "max_open_zones (%u) exceeds "
+                           "max_active_zones (%u)", ns->params.max_open_zones,
+                           ns->params.max_active_zones);
+                return -1;
+            }
+
+            if (!ns->params.max_open_zones) {
+                ns->params.max_open_zones = ns->params.max_active_zones;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (ns->params.zd_extension_size) {
+            if (ns->params.zd_extension_size & 0x3f) {
+                error_setg(errp, "zone descriptor extension size must be a "
+                           "multiple of 64B");
+                return -1;
+            }
+            if ((ns->params.zd_extension_size >> 6) > 0xff) {
+                error_setg(errp,
+                           "zone descriptor extension size is too large");
+                return -1;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }