diff --git a/qemu/qemu.go b/qemu/qemu.go
index e1394831e6..4cb18d10ad 100644
--- a/qemu/qemu.go
+++ b/qemu/qemu.go
@@ -1456,8 +1456,8 @@ type Knobs struct {
 	// be set.
 	FileBackedMem bool
 
-	// FileBackedMemShared will set the FileBackedMem device as shared.
-	FileBackedMemShared bool
+	// MemShared will set the memory device as shared.
+	MemShared bool
 
 	// Mlock will control locking of memory
 	// Only active when Realtime is set to true
@@ -1758,46 +1758,34 @@ func (config *Config) appendKernel() {
 }
 
 func (config *Config) appendMemoryKnobs() {
-	if config.Knobs.HugePages {
-		if config.Memory.Size != "" {
-			dimmName := "dimm1"
-			objMemParam := "memory-backend-file,id=" + dimmName + ",size=" + config.Memory.Size + ",mem-path=/dev/hugepages,share=on,prealloc=on"
-			numaMemParam := "node,memdev=" + dimmName
-
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-object")
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, objMemParam)
-
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-numa")
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, numaMemParam)
-		}
-	} else if config.Knobs.MemPrealloc {
-		if config.Memory.Size != "" {
-			dimmName := "dimm1"
-			objMemParam := "memory-backend-ram,id=" + dimmName + ",size=" + config.Memory.Size + ",prealloc=on"
-			numaMemParam := "node,memdev=" + dimmName
-
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-object")
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, objMemParam)
-
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-numa")
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, numaMemParam)
-		}
-	} else if config.Knobs.FileBackedMem {
-		if config.Memory.Size != "" && config.Memory.Path != "" {
-			dimmName := "dimm1"
-			objMemParam := "memory-backend-file,id=" + dimmName + ",size=" + config.Memory.Size + ",mem-path=" + config.Memory.Path
-			if config.Knobs.FileBackedMemShared {
-				objMemParam += ",share=on"
-			}
-			numaMemParam := "node,memdev=" + dimmName
-
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-object")
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, objMemParam)
-
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-numa")
-			config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, numaMemParam)
-		}
+	if config.Memory.Size == "" {
+		return
 	}
+
+	var objMemParam, numaMemParam string
+	dimmName := "dimm1"
+	if config.Knobs.HugePages {
+		objMemParam = "memory-backend-file,id=" + dimmName + ",size=" + config.Memory.Size + ",mem-path=/dev/hugepages"
+		numaMemParam = "node,memdev=" + dimmName
+	} else if config.Knobs.FileBackedMem && config.Memory.Path != "" {
+		objMemParam = "memory-backend-file,id=" + dimmName + ",size=" + config.Memory.Size + ",mem-path=" + config.Memory.Path
+		numaMemParam = "node,memdev=" + dimmName
+	} else {
+		objMemParam = "memory-backend-ram,id=" + dimmName + ",size=" + config.Memory.Size
+		numaMemParam = "node,memdev=" + dimmName
+	}
+
+	if config.Knobs.MemShared {
+		objMemParam += ",share=on"
+	}
+	if config.Knobs.MemPrealloc {
+		objMemParam += ",prealloc=on"
+	}
+	config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-object")
+	config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, objMemParam)
+
+	config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, "-numa")
+	config.qemuParams = append(config.qemuParams, numaMemParam)
 }
 
 func (config *Config) appendKnobs() {
diff --git a/qemu/qemu_test.go b/qemu/qemu_test.go
index 577660d783..bc527ab6bc 100644
--- a/qemu/qemu_test.go
+++ b/qemu/qemu_test.go
@@ -488,16 +488,16 @@ func TestAppendEmptyDevice(t *testing.T) {
 func TestAppendKnobsAllTrue(t *testing.T) {
 	var knobsString = "-no-user-config -nodefaults -nographic -daemonize -realtime mlock=on -S"
 	knobs := Knobs{
-		NoUserConfig:        true,
-		NoDefaults:          true,
-		NoGraphic:           true,
-		Daemonize:           true,
-		MemPrealloc:         true,
-		FileBackedMem:       true,
-		FileBackedMemShared: true,
-		Realtime:            true,
-		Mlock:               true,
-		Stopped:             true,
+		NoUserConfig:  true,
+		NoDefaults:    true,
+		NoGraphic:     true,
+		Daemonize:     true,
+		MemPrealloc:   true,
+		FileBackedMem: true,
+		MemShared:     true,
+		Realtime:      true,
+		Mlock:         true,
+		Stopped:       true,
 	}
 
 	testAppend(knobs, knobsString, t)
@@ -506,15 +506,15 @@ func TestAppendKnobsAllTrue(t *testing.T) {
 func TestAppendKnobsAllFalse(t *testing.T) {
 	var knobsString = "-realtime mlock=off"
 	knobs := Knobs{
-		NoUserConfig:        false,
-		NoDefaults:          false,
-		NoGraphic:           false,
-		MemPrealloc:         false,
-		FileBackedMem:       false,
-		FileBackedMemShared: false,
-		Realtime:            false,
-		Mlock:               false,
-		Stopped:             false,
+		NoUserConfig:  false,
+		NoDefaults:    false,
+		NoGraphic:     false,
+		MemPrealloc:   false,
+		FileBackedMem: false,
+		MemShared:     false,
+		Realtime:      false,
+		Mlock:         false,
+		Stopped:       false,
 	}
 
 	testAppend(knobs, knobsString, t)
@@ -533,10 +533,10 @@ func TestAppendMemoryHugePages(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigAppend(conf, conf.Memory, memString, t)
 
 	knobs := Knobs{
-		HugePages:           true,
-		MemPrealloc:         true,
-		FileBackedMem:       true,
-		FileBackedMemShared: true,
+		HugePages:     true,
+		MemPrealloc:   true,
+		FileBackedMem: true,
+		MemShared:     true,
 	}
 	knobsString := "-object memory-backend-file,id=dimm1,size=1G,mem-path=/dev/hugepages,share=on,prealloc=on -numa node,memdev=dimm1"
 	mlockFalseString := "-realtime mlock=off"
@@ -557,17 +557,16 @@ func TestAppendMemoryMemPrealloc(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigAppend(conf, conf.Memory, memString, t)
 
 	knobs := Knobs{
-		MemPrealloc:         true,
-		FileBackedMem:       true,
-		FileBackedMemShared: true,
+		MemPrealloc: true,
+		MemShared:   true,
 	}
-	knobsString := "-object memory-backend-ram,id=dimm1,size=1G,prealloc=on -numa node,memdev=dimm1"
+	knobsString := "-object memory-backend-ram,id=dimm1,size=1G,share=on,prealloc=on -numa node,memdev=dimm1"
 	mlockFalseString := "-realtime mlock=off"
 
 	testConfigAppend(conf, knobs, memString+" "+knobsString+" "+mlockFalseString, t)
 }
 
-func TestAppendMemoryFileBackedMemShared(t *testing.T) {
+func TestAppendMemoryMemShared(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := &Config{
 		Memory: Memory{
 			Size:   "1G",
@@ -580,8 +579,8 @@ func TestAppendMemoryFileBackedMemShared(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigAppend(conf, conf.Memory, memString, t)
 
 	knobs := Knobs{
-		FileBackedMem:       true,
-		FileBackedMemShared: true,
+		FileBackedMem: true,
+		MemShared:     true,
 	}
 	knobsString := "-object memory-backend-file,id=dimm1,size=1G,mem-path=foobar,share=on -numa node,memdev=dimm1"
 	mlockFalseString := "-realtime mlock=off"
@@ -602,8 +601,8 @@ func TestAppendMemoryFileBackedMem(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigAppend(conf, conf.Memory, memString, t)
 
 	knobs := Knobs{
-		FileBackedMem:       true,
-		FileBackedMemShared: false,
+		FileBackedMem: true,
+		MemShared:     false,
 	}
 	knobsString := "-object memory-backend-file,id=dimm1,size=1G,mem-path=foobar -numa node,memdev=dimm1"
 	mlockFalseString := "-realtime mlock=off"
@@ -611,6 +610,29 @@ func TestAppendMemoryFileBackedMem(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigAppend(conf, knobs, memString+" "+knobsString+" "+mlockFalseString, t)
 }
 
+func TestAppendMemoryFileBackedMemPrealloc(t *testing.T) {
+	conf := &Config{
+		Memory: Memory{
+			Size:   "1G",
+			Slots:  8,
+			MaxMem: "3G",
+			Path:   "foobar",
+		},
+	}
+	memString := "-m 1G,slots=8,maxmem=3G"
+	testConfigAppend(conf, conf.Memory, memString, t)
+
+	knobs := Knobs{
+		FileBackedMem: true,
+		MemShared:     true,
+		MemPrealloc:   true,
+	}
+	knobsString := "-object memory-backend-file,id=dimm1,size=1G,mem-path=foobar,share=on,prealloc=on -numa node,memdev=dimm1"
+	mlockFalseString := "-realtime mlock=off"
+
+	testConfigAppend(conf, knobs, memString+" "+knobsString+" "+mlockFalseString, t)
+}
+
 var kernelString = "-kernel /opt/vmlinux.container -initrd /opt/initrd.container -append root=/dev/pmem0p1 rootflags=dax,data=ordered,errors=remount-ro rw rootfstype=ext4 tsc=reliable"
 
 func TestAppendKernel(t *testing.T) {
@@ -987,7 +1009,7 @@ func TestBadMemoryKnobs(t *testing.T) {
 
 	c = &Config{
 		Knobs: Knobs{
-			HugePages: true,
+			MemShared: true,
 		},
 	}
 	c.appendMemoryKnobs()
@@ -1004,19 +1026,6 @@ func TestBadMemoryKnobs(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(c.qemuParams) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("Expected empty qemuParams, found %s", c.qemuParams)
 	}
-
-	c = &Config{
-		Knobs: Knobs{
-			FileBackedMem: true,
-		},
-		Memory: Memory{
-			Size: "1024",
-		},
-	}
-	c.appendMemoryKnobs()
-	if len(c.qemuParams) != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected empty qemuParams, found %s", c.qemuParams)
-	}
 }
 
 func TestBadKnobs(t *testing.T) {