diff --git a/vmm/src/vm.rs b/vmm/src/vm.rs
index e2e046ad7..c9cb0a376 100644
--- a/vmm/src/vm.rs
+++ b/vmm/src/vm.rs
@@ -1235,7 +1235,7 @@ impl Vm {
             &payload.initramfs,
             &payload.cmdline,
         ) {
-            (Some(firmware), None, None, None) => {
+            (Some(firmware), None, _, _) => {
                 let firmware = File::open(firmware).map_err(Error::FirmwareFile)?;
                 Self::load_kernel(firmware, None, memory_manager)
             }
diff --git a/vmm/src/vm_config.rs b/vmm/src/vm_config.rs
index 4619fcc8d..14570b26e 100644
--- a/vmm/src/vm_config.rs
+++ b/vmm/src/vm_config.rs
@@ -694,9 +694,6 @@ pub enum PayloadConfigError {
     /// When a firmware is specified, providing kernel, initrd, or cmdline is not supported.
     #[error("When a firmware is specified, providing kernel, initrd, or cmdline is not supported")]
     FirmwarePlusOtherPayloads,
-    /// Provided cmdline without kernel.
-    #[error("Provided cmdline without kernel")]
-    CmdlineWithoutKernel,
     /// No bootitem provided: neither firmware nor kernel.
     #[error("No bootitem provided: neither firmware nor kernel")]
     MissingBootitem,
@@ -726,19 +723,29 @@ pub struct PayloadConfig {
 impl PayloadConfig {
     /// Validates the payload config and succeeds if Cloud Hypervisor will be
     /// able to boot the configuration.
+    ///
+    /// Some odd yet non-critical configurations will result in a warning
+    /// message rather than an error.
     pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), PayloadConfigError> {
-        match (&self.firmware, &self.kernel, &self.initramfs, &self.cmdline) {
-            (Some(_firmware), None, None, None) => Ok(()),
-            (None, Some(_kernel), _, _) => Ok(()),
-            (Some(_firmware), Some(_kernel), _, _) => {
-                Err(PayloadConfigError::FirmwarePlusOtherPayloads)
-            }
-            (Some(_firmware), _, Some(_initrd), _) => {
+        // Hard validation
+        let res = match (&self.firmware, &self.kernel) {
+            (Some(_firmware), None) => Ok(()),
+            (None, Some(_kernel)) => Ok(()),
+            (Some(_firmware), Some(_kernel)) => {
                 Err(PayloadConfigError::FirmwarePlusOtherPayloads)
             }
-            (_, None, _, Some(_cmdline)) => Err(PayloadConfigError::CmdlineWithoutKernel),
-            (None, None, _, _) => Err(PayloadConfigError::MissingBootitem),
+            (None, None) => Err(PayloadConfigError::MissingBootitem),
+        };
+
+        // After filtering out illegal configurations, no warn about odd
+        // configurations.
+        match (&self.firmware, &self.kernel, &self.initramfs, &self.cmdline) {
+            (_, None, _, Some(_cmdline)) => log::warn!("provided cmdline without kernel"),
+            (_, None, Some(_initramfs), _) => log::warn!("provided initramfs without kernel"),
+            _ => {},
         }
+
+        res
     }
 }