diff --git a/release/Makefile.vm b/release/Makefile.vm
--- a/release/Makefile.vm
+++ b/release/Makefile.vm
@@ -101,10 +101,13 @@
 .endif
 QEMUTGT?=
 
+.if (defined(WITH_CLOUDWARE) && !empty(WITH_CLOUDWARE)) || \
+    (defined(WITH_VMIMAGES) && !empty(WITH_VMIMAGES))
 .if (defined(WITHOUT_QEMU) && !defined(NO_ROOT)) || \
   (!defined(WITHOUT_QEMU) && defined(NO_ROOT))
 .error WITHOUT_QEMU requires NO_ROOT (and vice versa)
 .endif
+.endif
 
 .if defined(WITH_CLOUDWARE) && !empty(WITH_CLOUDWARE) && !empty(CLOUDWARE)
 . for _CW in ${CLOUDWARE}