diff --git a/docs/schemas/domain.rng b/docs/schemas/domain.rng
index b2783b0..1e42827 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/domain.rng
+++ b/docs/schemas/domain.rng
@@ -1354,6 +1354,7 @@
         <choice>
           <value>virtio</value>
           <value>xen</value>
+          <value>none</value>
         </choice>
       </attribute>
       <optional>
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index bfe01f0..c6534b8 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainSoundModel, VIR_DOMAIN_SOUND_MODEL_LAST,
 
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainMemballoonModel, VIR_DOMAIN_MEMBALLOON_MODEL_LAST,
               "virtio",
-              "xen");
+              "xen",
+              "none");
 
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainWatchdogModel, VIR_DOMAIN_WATCHDOG_MODEL_LAST,
               "i6300esb",
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index e32188f..4361d5b 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -581,6 +581,7 @@ struct _virDomainHostdevDef {
 enum {
     VIR_DOMAIN_MEMBALLOON_MODEL_VIRTIO,
     VIR_DOMAIN_MEMBALLOON_MODEL_XEN,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_MEMBALLOON_MODEL_NONE,
 
     VIR_DOMAIN_MEMBALLOON_MODEL_LAST
 };
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
index 376cd10..fb85220 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.c
@@ -4958,7 +4958,8 @@ int qemudBuildCommandLine(virConnectPtr conn,
      * NB: Earlier we declared that VirtIO balloon will always be in
      * slot 0x3 on bus 0x0
      */
-    if (def->memballoon) {
+    if ((def->memballoon) &&
+        (def->memballoon->model != VIR_DOMAIN_MEMBALLOON_MODEL_NONE)) {
         if (def->memballoon->model != VIR_DOMAIN_MEMBALLOON_MODEL_VIRTIO) {
             qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                             _("Memory balloon device type '%s' is not supported by this version of qemu"),
@@ -6575,6 +6576,9 @@ virDomainDefPtr qemuParseCommandLine(virCapsPtr caps,
         def->videos[def->nvideos++] = vid;
     }
 
+    /*
+     * having a balloon is the default, define one with type="none" to avoid it
+     */
     if (!def->memballoon) {
         virDomainMemballoonDefPtr memballoon;
         if (VIR_ALLOC(memballoon) < 0)