diff --git a/hw/arm/aspeed.c b/hw/arm/aspeed.c
index e447923536..6ca145362c 100644
--- a/hw/arm/aspeed.c
+++ b/hw/arm/aspeed.c
@@ -338,10 +338,20 @@ static void sdhci_attach_drive(SDHCIState *sdhci, DriveInfo *dinfo, bool emmc,
             return;
         }
         card = qdev_new(emmc ? TYPE_EMMC : TYPE_SD_CARD);
-        if (emmc) {
+
+        /*
+         * Force the boot properties of the eMMC device only when the
+         * machine is strapped to boot from eMMC. Without these
+         * settings, the machine would not boot.
+         *
+         * This also allows the machine to use an eMMC device without
+         * boot areas when booting from the flash device (or -kernel)
+         * Ideally, the device and its properties should be defined on
+         * the command line.
+         */
+        if (emmc && boot_emmc) {
             qdev_prop_set_uint64(card, "boot-partition-size", 1 * MiB);
-            qdev_prop_set_uint8(card, "boot-config",
-                                boot_emmc ? 0x1 << 3 : 0x0);
+            qdev_prop_set_uint8(card, "boot-config", 0x1 << 3);
         }
         qdev_prop_set_drive_err(card, "drive", blk_by_legacy_dinfo(dinfo),
                                 &error_fatal);