diff --git a/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le_test.go b/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le_test.go
index ddb25fc006..6c33cff038 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le_test.go
@@ -7,12 +7,17 @@ package virtcontainers
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os/exec"
+	"regexp"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 
 	govmmQemu "github.com/intel/govmm/qemu"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
+var qemuVersionArgs = "--version"
+
 func newTestQemu(machineType string) qemuArch {
 	config := HypervisorConfig{
 		HypervisorMachineType: machineType,
@@ -34,6 +39,31 @@ func TestQemuPPC64leCPUModel(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(expectedOut, model)
 }
 
+func getQemuVersion() (qemuMajorVersion int, qemuMinorVersion int) {
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(defaultQemuPath, qemuVersionArgs)
+	additionalEnv := "LANG=C"
+	cmd.Env = append(cmd.Env, additionalEnv)
+	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("Could not execute command %s %s", defaultQemuPath, qemuVersionArgs)
+		fmt.Println(err.Error())
+	}
+
+	re := regexp.MustCompile("[0-9]+")
+	qVer := re.FindAllString(string(out), -1)
+
+	qMajor, err := strconv.Atoi(qVer[0])
+	qMinor, err1 := strconv.Atoi(qVer[1])
+
+	if err != nil || err1 != nil {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("Could not convert string to int")
+		fmt.Println(err.Error())
+	}
+
+	return qMajor, qMinor
+}
+
 func TestQemuPPC64leMemoryTopology(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 	ppc64le := newTestQemu(QemuPseries)
@@ -42,12 +72,19 @@ func TestQemuPPC64leMemoryTopology(t *testing.T) {
 	hostMem := uint64(1024)
 	mem := uint64(120)
 	slots := uint8(10)
+
+	qemuMajorVersion, qemuMinorVersion = getQemuVersion()
+	m := ppc64le.memoryTopology(mem, hostMem, slots)
+
+	if qemuMajorVersion <= 2 && qemuMinorVersion < 10 {
+		hostMem = uint64(defaultMemMaxPPC64le)
+	}
+
 	expectedMemory := govmmQemu.Memory{
 		Size:   fmt.Sprintf("%dM", mem),
 		Slots:  slots,
 		MaxMem: fmt.Sprintf("%dM", hostMem+uint64(memoryOffset)),
 	}
 
-	m := ppc64le.memoryTopology(mem, hostMem, slots)
 	assert.Equal(expectedMemory, m)
 }