diff --git a/src/libvirt-domain.c b/src/libvirt-domain.c
index b8a6f10333..8be2c21194 100644
--- a/src/libvirt-domain.c
+++ b/src/libvirt-domain.c
@@ -244,6 +244,18 @@ virDomainCreateXMLWithFiles(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xmlDesc,
     virCheckNonNullArgGoto(xmlDesc, error);
     virCheckReadOnlyGoto(conn->flags, error);
 
+    if (nfiles > 0) {
+        int rc;
+
+        if ((rc = VIR_DRV_SUPPORTS_FEATURE(conn->driver, conn,
+                                           VIR_DRV_FEATURE_FD_PASSING)) <= 0) {
+            if (rc == 0)
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_ARGUMENT_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                               _("fd passing is not supported by this connection"));
+            goto error;
+        }
+    }
+
     if (conn->driver->domainCreateXMLWithFiles) {
         virDomainPtr ret;
         ret = conn->driver->domainCreateXMLWithFiles(conn, xmlDesc,
@@ -6869,6 +6881,18 @@ virDomainCreateWithFiles(virDomainPtr domain, unsigned int nfiles,
 
     virCheckReadOnlyGoto(conn->flags, error);
 
+    if (nfiles > 0) {
+        int rc;
+
+        if ((rc = VIR_DRV_SUPPORTS_FEATURE(conn->driver, conn,
+                                           VIR_DRV_FEATURE_FD_PASSING)) <= 0) {
+            if (rc == 0)
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_ARGUMENT_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                               _("fd passing is not supported by this connection"));
+            goto error;
+        }
+    }
+
     if (conn->driver->domainCreateWithFiles) {
         int ret;
         ret = conn->driver->domainCreateWithFiles(domain,