diff --git a/gns3server/modules/qemu/qemu_vm.py b/gns3server/modules/qemu/qemu_vm.py
index 310a2223..6a1995a1 100644
--- a/gns3server/modules/qemu/qemu_vm.py
+++ b/gns3server/modules/qemu/qemu_vm.py
@@ -80,10 +80,12 @@ class QemuVM(BaseVM):
             try:
                 self.qemu_path = qemu_path
             except QemuError as e:
+                # If the binary is not found for topologies 1.4 and later
+                # search via the platform otherwise use the binary name
                 if platform:
                     self.platform = platform
                 else:
-                    raise e
+                    self.qemu_path = os.path.basename(qemu_path)
         else:
             self.platform = platform
 
diff --git a/tests/modules/qemu/test_qemu_vm.py b/tests/modules/qemu/test_qemu_vm.py
index 103cbb14..1a36a62b 100644
--- a/tests/modules/qemu/test_qemu_vm.py
+++ b/tests/modules/qemu/test_qemu_vm.py
@@ -85,6 +85,22 @@ def test_vm(project, manager, fake_qemu_binary):
     assert vm.id == "00010203-0405-0607-0809-0a0b0c0d0e0f"
 
 
+def test_vm_invalid_qemu_with_platform(project, manager, fake_qemu_binary):
+
+    vm = QemuVM("test", "00010203-0405-0607-0809-0a0b0c0d0e0f", project, manager, qemu_path="/usr/fake/bin/qemu-system-64", platform="x86_64")
+
+    assert vm.qemu_path == fake_qemu_binary
+    assert vm.platform == "x86_64"
+
+
+def test_vm_invalid_qemu_without_platform(project, manager, fake_qemu_binary):
+
+    vm = QemuVM("test", "00010203-0405-0607-0809-0a0b0c0d0e0f", project, manager, qemu_path="/usr/fake/bin/qemu-system-x86_64")
+
+    assert vm.qemu_path == fake_qemu_binary
+    assert vm.platform == "x86_64"
+
+
 def test_is_running(vm, running_subprocess_mock):
 
     vm._process = None
@@ -270,7 +286,6 @@ def test_set_qemu_path_old_windows(vm, tmpdir):
     assert vm.platform == "i386"
 
 
-
 @pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform.startswith("win"), reason="Not supported on Windows")
 def test_set_qemu_path_kvm_binary(vm, tmpdir, fake_qemu_binary):