diff --git a/hw/net/e1000e.c b/hw/net/e1000e.c
index 4994e1ca00..89f96eb4a0 100644
--- a/hw/net/e1000e.c
+++ b/hw/net/e1000e.c
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ static void e1000e_pci_realize(PCIDevice *pci_dev, Error **errp)
         hw_error("Failed to initialize PM capability");
     }
 
-    if (pcie_aer_init(pci_dev, e1000e_aer_offset, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF) < 0) {
+    if (pcie_aer_init(pci_dev, e1000e_aer_offset, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF, NULL) < 0) {
         hw_error("Failed to initialize AER capability");
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/pci-bridge/ioh3420.c b/hw/pci-bridge/ioh3420.c
index c8b5ac4207..04180af794 100644
--- a/hw/pci-bridge/ioh3420.c
+++ b/hw/pci-bridge/ioh3420.c
@@ -135,8 +135,9 @@ static int ioh3420_initfn(PCIDevice *d)
         goto err_pcie_cap;
     }
 
-    rc = pcie_aer_init(d, IOH_EP_AER_OFFSET, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF);
+    rc = pcie_aer_init(d, IOH_EP_AER_OFFSET, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF, &err);
     if (rc < 0) {
+        error_report_err(err);
         goto err;
     }
     pcie_aer_root_init(d);
diff --git a/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_downstream.c b/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_downstream.c
index cef6e1325e..571334185b 100644
--- a/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_downstream.c
+++ b/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_downstream.c
@@ -97,8 +97,9 @@ static int xio3130_downstream_initfn(PCIDevice *d)
         goto err_pcie_cap;
     }
 
-    rc = pcie_aer_init(d, XIO3130_AER_OFFSET, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF);
+    rc = pcie_aer_init(d, XIO3130_AER_OFFSET, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF, &err);
     if (rc < 0) {
+        error_report_err(err);
         goto err;
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_upstream.c b/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_upstream.c
index 4ad0440aa1..94c1691006 100644
--- a/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_upstream.c
+++ b/hw/pci-bridge/xio3130_upstream.c
@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@ static int xio3130_upstream_initfn(PCIDevice *d)
     pcie_cap_flr_init(d);
     pcie_cap_deverr_init(d);
 
-    rc = pcie_aer_init(d, XIO3130_AER_OFFSET, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF);
+    rc = pcie_aer_init(d, XIO3130_AER_OFFSET, PCI_ERR_SIZEOF, &err);
     if (rc < 0) {
+        error_report_err(err);
         goto err;
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/pci/pcie_aer.c b/hw/pci/pcie_aer.c
index 048ce6a424..2a4bd5aef6 100644
--- a/hw/pci/pcie_aer.c
+++ b/hw/pci/pcie_aer.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "hw/pci/msi.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pci_bus.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pcie_regs.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
 
 //#define DEBUG_PCIE
 #ifdef DEBUG_PCIE
@@ -96,21 +97,17 @@ static void aer_log_clear_all_err(PCIEAERLog *aer_log)
     aer_log->log_num = 0;
 }
 
-int pcie_aer_init(PCIDevice *dev, uint16_t offset, uint16_t size)
+int pcie_aer_init(PCIDevice *dev, uint16_t offset, uint16_t size,
+                  Error **errp)
 {
-    PCIExpressDevice *exp;
-
     pcie_add_capability(dev, PCI_EXT_CAP_ID_ERR, PCI_ERR_VER,
                         offset, size);
-    exp = &dev->exp;
-    exp->aer_cap = offset;
+    dev->exp.aer_cap = offset;
 
-    /* log_max is property */
-    if (dev->exp.aer_log.log_max == PCIE_AER_LOG_MAX_UNSET) {
-        dev->exp.aer_log.log_max = PCIE_AER_LOG_MAX_DEFAULT;
-    }
-    /* clip down the value to avoid unreasobale memory usage */
+    /* clip down the value to avoid unreasonable memory usage */
     if (dev->exp.aer_log.log_max > PCIE_AER_LOG_MAX_LIMIT) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Invalid aer_log_max %d. The max number of aer log "
+                "is %d", dev->exp.aer_log.log_max, PCIE_AER_LOG_MAX_LIMIT);
         return -EINVAL;
     }
     dev->exp.aer_log.log = g_malloc0(sizeof dev->exp.aer_log.log[0] *
diff --git a/include/hw/pci/pcie_aer.h b/include/hw/pci/pcie_aer.h
index c2ee4e2bdb..5891b6816e 100644
--- a/include/hw/pci/pcie_aer.h
+++ b/include/hw/pci/pcie_aer.h
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ struct PCIEAERLog {
      */
 #define PCIE_AER_LOG_MAX_DEFAULT        8
 #define PCIE_AER_LOG_MAX_LIMIT          128
-#define PCIE_AER_LOG_MAX_UNSET          0xffff
     uint16_t log_max;
 
     /* Error log. log_max-sized array */
@@ -87,7 +86,8 @@ struct PCIEAERErr {
 
 extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_pcie_aer_log;
 
-int pcie_aer_init(PCIDevice *dev, uint16_t offset, uint16_t size);
+int pcie_aer_init(PCIDevice *dev, uint16_t offset, uint16_t size,
+                  Error **errp);
 void pcie_aer_exit(PCIDevice *dev);
 void pcie_aer_write_config(PCIDevice *dev,
                            uint32_t addr, uint32_t val, int len);