diff --git a/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5.in b/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5.in
index abc2315d45..ee8451166d 100644
--- a/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5.in
+++ b/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5.in
@@ -2250,8 +2250,6 @@ or
 B<xen-qemuuser-shared>
 (in which case different guests will not
 be protected against each other).
-And if you do not create the user,
-the restriction request will be silently ineffective!
 
 =item
 
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
index 60c0356d6e..00718c5059 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
@@ -1635,6 +1635,12 @@ static int libxl__build_device_model_args_new(libxl__gc *gc,
             goto end_search;
         }
 
+        if (!libxl_defbool_val(b_info->u.hvm.dm_restrict)) {
+            LOGD(DEBUG, guest_domid,
+                 "dm_restrict disabled, starting QEMU as root");
+            goto end_search;
+        }
+
         user = GCSPRINTF("%s%d", LIBXL_QEMU_USER_BASE, guest_domid);
         ret = libxl__dm_runas_helper(gc, user);
         if (ret < 0)
@@ -1652,9 +1658,10 @@ static int libxl__build_device_model_args_new(libxl__gc *gc,
             goto end_search;
         }
 
-        user = NULL;
-        LOGD(DEBUG, guest_domid, "Could not find user %s, starting QEMU as root",
-             LIBXL_QEMU_USER_SHARED);
+        LOGD(ERROR, guest_domid,
+             "Could not find user %s%d or %s, cannot restrict",
+             LIBXL_QEMU_USER_BASE, guest_domid, LIBXL_QEMU_USER_SHARED);
+        return ERROR_INVAL;
 
 end_search:
         if (user != NULL && strcmp(user, "root")) {