diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index fc52772fddec..8d37567e0863 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -1856,6 +1856,7 @@ static void pc_machine_set_max_fw_size(Object *obj, Visitor *v,
 static void pc_machine_initfn(Object *obj)
 {
     PCMachineState *pcms = PC_MACHINE(obj);
+    PCMachineClass *pcmc = PC_MACHINE_GET_CLASS(pcms);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_VMPORT
     pcms->vmport = ON_OFF_AUTO_AUTO;
@@ -1863,7 +1864,7 @@ static void pc_machine_initfn(Object *obj)
     pcms->vmport = ON_OFF_AUTO_OFF;
 #endif /* CONFIG_VMPORT */
     pcms->max_ram_below_4g = 0; /* use default */
-    pcms->smbios_entry_point_type = SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_32;
+    pcms->smbios_entry_point_type = pcmc->default_smbios_ep_type;
 
     /* acpi build is enabled by default if machine supports it */
     pcms->acpi_build_enabled = PC_MACHINE_GET_CLASS(pcms)->has_acpi_build;
@@ -1975,6 +1976,7 @@ static void pc_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     mc->nvdimm_supported = true;
     mc->smp_props.dies_supported = true;
     mc->default_ram_id = "pc.ram";
+    pcmc->default_smbios_ep_type = SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_64;
 
     object_class_property_add(oc, PC_MACHINE_MAX_RAM_BELOW_4G, "size",
         pc_machine_get_max_ram_below_4g, pc_machine_set_max_ram_below_4g,
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
index 44146e6ff566..f9947fbc10db 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
@@ -506,11 +506,16 @@ DEFINE_I440FX_MACHINE(v8_1, "pc-i440fx-8.1", NULL,
 
 static void pc_i440fx_8_0_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
 {
+    PCMachineClass *pcmc = PC_MACHINE_CLASS(m);
+
     pc_i440fx_8_1_machine_options(m);
     m->alias = NULL;
     m->is_default = false;
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, hw_compat_8_0, hw_compat_8_0_len);
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, pc_compat_8_0, pc_compat_8_0_len);
+
+    /* For pc-i44fx-8.0 and older, use SMBIOS 2.8 by default */
+    pcmc->default_smbios_ep_type = SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_32;
 }
 
 DEFINE_I440FX_MACHINE(v8_0, "pc-i440fx-8.0", NULL,
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index a9a59ed42bc2..cf68b80974dd 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -387,10 +387,15 @@ DEFINE_Q35_MACHINE(v8_1, "pc-q35-8.1", NULL,
 
 static void pc_q35_8_0_machine_options(MachineClass *m)
 {
+    PCMachineClass *pcmc = PC_MACHINE_CLASS(m);
+
     pc_q35_8_1_machine_options(m);
     m->alias = NULL;
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, hw_compat_8_0, hw_compat_8_0_len);
     compat_props_add(m->compat_props, pc_compat_8_0, pc_compat_8_0_len);
+
+    /* For pc-q35-8.0 and older, use SMBIOS 2.8 by default */
+    pcmc->default_smbios_ep_type = SMBIOS_ENTRY_POINT_TYPE_32;
 }
 
 DEFINE_Q35_MACHINE(v8_0, "pc-q35-8.0", NULL,
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/pc.h b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
index c661e9cc80e9..6eec0fc51d17 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/pc.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ struct PCMachineClass {
     bool smbios_defaults;
     bool smbios_legacy_mode;
     bool smbios_uuid_encoded;
+    SmbiosEntryPointType default_smbios_ep_type;
 
     /* RAM / address space compat: */
     bool gigabyte_align;
diff --git a/tests/qtest/bios-tables-test-allowed-diff.h b/tests/qtest/bios-tables-test-allowed-diff.h
index dfb8523c8bf4..81148a604f42 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/bios-tables-test-allowed-diff.h
+++ b/tests/qtest/bios-tables-test-allowed-diff.h
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 /* List of comma-separated changed AML files to ignore */
+"tests/data/acpi/q35/SSDT.dimmpxm",