diff --git a/virttest/qemu_vm.py b/virttest/qemu_vm.py
index b55a48d8330..1d0a8a0193d 100644
--- a/virttest/qemu_vm.py
+++ b/virttest/qemu_vm.py
@@ -1053,8 +1053,14 @@ def add_memorys(devices, params):
                 name = output[0]
                 backend_options = {}
                 backend_options["size_mem"] = "%sM" % params["mem"]
-                if params.get("vm_mem_backend"):
+                mem_backend = params.get("vm_mem_backend")
+                if mem_backend:
                     backend_options["backend_mem"] = params.get("vm_mem_backend")
+                if (not params.get("vm_mem_mem-path") and mem_backend ==
+                        "memory-backend-file"):
+                    LOG.error("expect mem-path for %s", mem_backend)
+                if params.get("vm_mem_mem-path"):
+                    backend_options["mem-path_mem"] = params["vm_mem_mem-path"]
                 if params.get("hugepage_path"):
                     backend_options["backend_mem"] = "memory-backend-file"
                     backend_options["mem-path_mem"] = params["hugepage_path"]