diff --git a/extras/multipath/ChangeLog b/extras/multipath/ChangeLog
index 9296b4db684..a780865d3ec 100644
--- a/extras/multipath/ChangeLog
+++ b/extras/multipath/ChangeLog
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 2003-12-29 multipath-012
+	* check hotplug event refers to a block device; if not exit early
 	* refresh doc
 	* add the uninstall target in Makefile
 2003-12-22 multipath-010
diff --git a/extras/multipath/main.c b/extras/multipath/main.c
index f62e0f99547..a8e29e8ba60 100644
--- a/extras/multipath/main.c
+++ b/extras/multipath/main.c
@@ -261,7 +261,11 @@ get_all_paths_sysfs(struct env * conf, struct path * all_paths)
 		sprintf(buff, "%s%s/block",
 			conf->sysfs_path, conf->hotplugdev);
 		memset(conf->hotplugdev, 0, FILE_NAME_SIZE);
-		readlink(buff, conf->hotplugdev, FILE_NAME_SIZE);
+
+		/* if called from hotplug but with no block, leave */
+		if (0 > readlink(buff, conf->hotplugdev, FILE_NAME_SIZE))
+			return 0;
+
 		basename(conf->hotplugdev, buff);
 		sprintf(curpath.sg_dev, "/dev/%s", buff);
 
diff --git a/extras/multipath/multipath.hotplug b/extras/multipath/multipath.hotplug
index 8d60f4d2c6e..9bab619826a 100644
--- a/extras/multipath/multipath.hotplug
+++ b/extras/multipath/multipath.hotplug
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 . /etc/hotplug/hotplug.functions
+
+# wait for sysfs
 sleep 1
+
 mesg `/sbin/multipath scsi $DEVPATH`