diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index a9e64a88e5..40bec88681 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -2158,6 +2158,20 @@ static void pc_machine_set_nvdimm(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
     pcms->acpi_nvdimm_state.is_enabled = value;
 }
 
+static bool pc_machine_get_smbus(Object *obj, Error **errp)
+{
+    PCMachineState *pcms = PC_MACHINE(obj);
+
+    return pcms->smbus;
+}
+
+static void pc_machine_set_smbus(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
+{
+    PCMachineState *pcms = PC_MACHINE(obj);
+
+    pcms->smbus = value;
+}
+
 static void pc_machine_initfn(Object *obj)
 {
     PCMachineState *pcms = PC_MACHINE(obj);
@@ -2169,6 +2183,7 @@ static void pc_machine_initfn(Object *obj)
     pcms->acpi_nvdimm_state.is_enabled = false;
     /* acpi build is enabled by default if machine supports it */
     pcms->acpi_build_enabled = PC_MACHINE_GET_CLASS(pcms)->has_acpi_build;
+    pcms->smbus = true;
 }
 
 static void pc_machine_reset(void)
@@ -2329,6 +2344,9 @@ static void pc_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 
     object_class_property_add_bool(oc, PC_MACHINE_NVDIMM,
         pc_machine_get_nvdimm, pc_machine_set_nvdimm, &error_abort);
+
+    object_class_property_add_bool(oc, PC_MACHINE_SMBUS,
+        pc_machine_get_smbus, pc_machine_set_smbus, &error_abort);
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo pc_machine_info = {
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index b40d19ee00..5efc65aec6 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -248,11 +248,13 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
         ehci_create_ich9_with_companions(host_bus, 0x1d);
     }
 
-    /* TODO: Populate SPD eeprom data.  */
-    smbus_eeprom_init(ich9_smb_init(host_bus,
-                                    PCI_DEVFN(ICH9_SMB_DEV, ICH9_SMB_FUNC),
-                                    0xb100),
-                      8, NULL, 0);
+    if (pcms->smbus) {
+        /* TODO: Populate SPD eeprom data.  */
+        smbus_eeprom_init(ich9_smb_init(host_bus,
+                                        PCI_DEVFN(ICH9_SMB_DEV, ICH9_SMB_FUNC),
+                                        0xb100),
+                          8, NULL, 0);
+    }
 
     pc_cmos_init(pcms, idebus[0], idebus[1], rtc_state);
 
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/pc.h b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
index 4b74130559..e5447a08c6 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/pc.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ struct PCMachineState {
     AcpiNVDIMMState acpi_nvdimm_state;
 
     bool acpi_build_enabled;
+    bool smbus;
 
     /* RAM information (sizes, addresses, configuration): */
     ram_addr_t below_4g_mem_size, above_4g_mem_size;
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ struct PCMachineState {
 #define PC_MACHINE_VMPORT           "vmport"
 #define PC_MACHINE_SMM              "smm"
 #define PC_MACHINE_NVDIMM           "nvdimm"
+#define PC_MACHINE_SMBUS            "smbus"
 
 /**
  * PCMachineClass: