diff --git a/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c b/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c
index c1e9c0fd9c..d1281066f4 100644
--- a/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c
+++ b/hw/i386/fw_cfg.c
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ void fw_cfg_build_smbios(PCMachineState *pcms, FWCfgState *fw_cfg)
     smbios_set_cpuid(cpu->env.cpuid_version, cpu->env.features[FEAT_1_EDX]);
 
     if (pcmc->smbios_legacy_mode) {
-        smbios_tables = smbios_get_table_legacy(ms->smp.cpus,
-                                                &smbios_tables_len);
+        smbios_tables = smbios_get_table_legacy(&smbios_tables_len);
         fw_cfg_add_bytes(fw_cfg, FW_CFG_SMBIOS_ENTRIES,
                          smbios_tables, smbios_tables_len);
         return;
diff --git a/hw/smbios/smbios.c b/hw/smbios/smbios.c
index aab4ffb4cb..30196d2911 100644
--- a/hw/smbios/smbios.c
+++ b/hw/smbios/smbios.c
@@ -545,14 +545,17 @@ opts_init(smbios_register_config);
  */
 #define SMBIOS_21_MAX_TABLES_LEN 0xffff
 
-static void smbios_validate_table(uint32_t expected_t4_count)
+static void smbios_check_type4_count(uint32_t expected_t4_count)
 {
     if (smbios_type4_count && smbios_type4_count != expected_t4_count) {
         error_report("Expected %d SMBIOS Type 4 tables, got %d instead",
                      expected_t4_count, smbios_type4_count);
         exit(1);
     }
+}
 
+static void smbios_validate_table(void)
+{
     if (smbios_ep_type == SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_32 &&
         smbios_tables_len > SMBIOS_21_MAX_TABLES_LEN) {
         error_report("SMBIOS 2.1 table length %zu exceeds %d",
@@ -637,7 +640,7 @@ static void smbios_build_type_1_fields(void)
     }
 }
 
-uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(uint32_t expected_t4_count, size_t *length)
+uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(size_t *length)
 {
     int i;
     size_t usr_offset;
@@ -650,6 +653,12 @@ uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(uint32_t expected_t4_count, size_t *length)
         exit(1);
     }
 
+    if (test_bit(4, have_binfile_bitmap)) {
+        error_report("can't process table for smbios "
+                     "type 4 on machine versions < 2.1!");
+        exit(1);
+    }
+
     g_free(smbios_entries);
     smbios_entries_len = sizeof(uint16_t);
     smbios_entries = g_malloc0(smbios_entries_len);
@@ -676,7 +685,7 @@ uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(uint32_t expected_t4_count, size_t *length)
 
     smbios_build_type_0_fields();
     smbios_build_type_1_fields();
-    smbios_validate_table(expected_t4_count);
+    smbios_validate_table();
     *length = smbios_entries_len;
     return smbios_entries;
 }
@@ -1304,7 +1313,8 @@ void smbios_get_tables(MachineState *ms,
     smbios_build_type_41_table(errp);
     smbios_build_type_127_table();
 
-    smbios_validate_table(ms->smp.sockets);
+    smbios_check_type4_count(ms->smp.sockets);
+    smbios_validate_table();
     smbios_entry_point_setup();
 
     /* return tables blob and entry point (anchor), and their sizes */
diff --git a/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h b/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h
index 7b42e7b4ac..0f0dca8f83 100644
--- a/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h
+++ b/include/hw/firmware/smbios.h
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ void smbios_set_defaults(const char *manufacturer, const char *product,
                          const char *version,
                          bool uuid_encoded, SmbiosEntryPointType ep_type);
 void smbios_set_default_processor_family(uint16_t processor_family);
-uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(uint32_t expected_t4_count, size_t *length);
+uint8_t *smbios_get_table_legacy(size_t *length);
 void smbios_get_tables(MachineState *ms,
                        const struct smbios_phys_mem_area *mem_array,
                        const unsigned int mem_array_size,