diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 635bdda78b..cd097527f4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -4117,6 +4117,13 @@ qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(virStorageSourcePtr src)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (src->format == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_DIR) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("'directory' storage format is not directly supported by QEMU, "
+                         "use 'dir' disk type instead"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-drive-fmt-dir.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-drive-fmt-dir.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ede3f8e186
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-drive-fmt-dir.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<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'/>
+  <devices>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-i686</emulator>
+    <disk type='block' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='dir'/>
+      <source dev='/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1'/>
+      <target dev='hda' bus='ide'/>
+      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'/>
+    <input type='keyboard' bus='ps2'/>
+    <memballoon model='none'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index 5d7f2e15ba..711bd1b661 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -913,6 +913,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("disk-drive-fmt-qcow",
             QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_BOOT);
     DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("disk-drive-fmt-cow", QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_BOOT);
+    DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("disk-drive-fmt-dir", QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_BOOT);
     DO_TEST("disk-drive-shared",
             QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("disk-drive-shared-qcow", NONE);