diff --git a/tools/virsh-domain.c b/tools/virsh-domain.c
index 6dd75e224d..7a8162bf7a 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-domain.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-domain.c
@@ -11054,6 +11054,7 @@ virshUpdateDiskXML(xmlNodePtr disk_node,
 {
     xmlNodePtr tmp = NULL;
     xmlNodePtr source = NULL;
+    xmlNodePtr backingStore = NULL;
     xmlNodePtr target_node = NULL;
     xmlNodePtr text_node = NULL;
     char *device_type = NULL;
@@ -11094,13 +11095,22 @@ virshUpdateDiskXML(xmlNodePtr disk_node,
         if (xmlStrEqual(tmp->name, BAD_CAST "target"))
             target_node = tmp;
 
+        if (xmlStrEqual(tmp->name, BAD_CAST "backingStore"))
+            backingStore = tmp;
+
         /*
          * We've found all we needed.
          */
-        if (source && target_node)
+        if (source && target_node && backingStore)
             break;
     }
 
+    /* drop the <backingStore> subtree since it would become invalid */
+    if (backingStore) {
+        xmlUnlinkNode(backingStore);
+        xmlFreeNode(backingStore);
+    }
+
     if (type == VIRSH_UPDATE_DISK_XML_EJECT) {
         if (!source) {
             vshError(NULL, _("The disk device '%s' doesn't have media"), target);