diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index eddc263680..36b264b114 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -2383,6 +2383,13 @@ qemuBuildRBDString(virConnectPtr conn,
     char *secret = NULL;
     size_t secret_size;
 
+    if (strchr(disk->src, ':')) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                       _("':' not allowed in RBD source volume name '%s'"),
+                       disk->src);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     virBufferEscape(opt, ',', ",", "rbd:%s", disk->src);
     if (disk->auth.username) {
         virBufferEscape(opt, '\\', ":", ":id=%s", disk->auth.username);
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-drive-network-rbd-invalid.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-drive-network-rbd-invalid.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e8d3280013
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-disk-drive-network-rbd-invalid.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>QEMUGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219136</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219136</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='i686' machine='pc'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+  </os>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu</emulator>
+    <disk type='block' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
+      <source dev='/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1'/>
+      <target dev='hda' bus='ide'/>
+      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <disk type='network' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
+      <source protocol='rbd' name='poolname/imagename:rbd_cache=1:rbd_cache_size=67108864:rbd_cache_max_dirty=0'>
+        <host name='mon1.example.org' port='6321'/>
+        <host name='mon2.example.org' port='6322'/>
+        <host name='mon3.example.org' port='6322'/>
+      </source>
+      <target dev='vda' bus='virtio'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <memballoon model='virtio'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index 98ceb83fba..579c016c28 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ static int testCompareXMLToArgvFiles(const char *xml,
                                      VIR_NETDEV_VPORT_PROFILE_OP_NO_OP))) {
         if (flags & FLAG_EXPECT_FAILURE) {
             ret = 0;
+            if (virTestGetDebug() > 1)
+                fprintf(stderr, "Got expected error: %s\n",
+                        virGetLastErrorMessage());
             virResetLastError();
         }
         goto out;
@@ -528,6 +531,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_FORMAT);
     DO_TEST("disk-drive-network-rbd-ipv6",
             QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_FORMAT);
+    DO_TEST_FAILURE("disk-drive-network-rbd-invalid",
+                    QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_FORMAT);
     DO_TEST("disk-drive-no-boot",
             QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE, QEMU_CAPS_BOOTINDEX);
     DO_TEST("disk-usb",  NONE);