diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index b885fe7c77..48abc3f850 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -3037,6 +3037,12 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefDiskFrontend(const virDomainDiskDef *disk,
             return -1;
         }
 
+        if (virStorageSourceIsEmpty(disk->src)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                           _("'usb' disk must not be empty"));
+            return -1;
+        }
+
         if (disk->info.type != VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_NONE &&
             disk->info.type != VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_USB) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.args b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.args
index e0d2452a10..e1406af663 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.args
@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/.config \
 -no-shutdown \
 -boot strict=on \
 -device '{"driver":"piix3-usb-uhci","id":"usb","bus":"pci.0","addr":"0x1.0x2"}' \
--blockdev '{"driver":"file","filename":"/root/boot.iso","node-name":"libvirt-2-storage","read-only":true}' \
--device '{"driver":"usb-storage","bus":"usb.0","port":"1","drive":"libvirt-2-storage","id":"usb-disk0","removable":false}' \
--device '{"driver":"usb-storage","bus":"usb.0","port":"2","id":"usb-disk1","removable":false}' \
+-blockdev '{"driver":"file","filename":"/root/boot.iso","node-name":"libvirt-1-storage","read-only":true}' \
+-device '{"driver":"usb-storage","bus":"usb.0","port":"1","drive":"libvirt-1-storage","id":"usb-disk0","removable":false}' \
 -audiodev '{"id":"audio1","driver":"none"}' \
 -sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=deny,spawn=deny,resourcecontrol=deny \
 -msg timestamp=on
diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.xml b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.xml
index 312e735947..f16fe63057 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.x86_64-latest.xml
@@ -23,11 +23,6 @@
       <target dev='sda' bus='usb'/>
       <readonly/>
     </disk>
-    <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>
-      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
-      <target dev='sdb' bus='usb'/>
-      <readonly/>
-    </disk>
     <controller type='usb' index='0' model='piix3-uhci'>
       <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x01' function='0x2'/>
     </controller>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.xml b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.xml
index 9564dc11be..119ce297a0 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.xml
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-bus-other.xml
@@ -20,11 +20,6 @@
       <target dev='sda' bus='usb'/>
       <readonly/>
     </disk>
-    <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>
-      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
-      <target dev='sdb' bus='usb'/>
-      <readonly/>
-    </disk>
     <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
     <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
     <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-usb-empty.x86_64-latest.err b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-usb-empty.x86_64-latest.err
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a00cb0a4b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-usb-empty.x86_64-latest.err
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+unsupported configuration: 'usb' disk must not be empty
diff --git a/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-usb-empty.xml b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-usb-empty.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fc1cf45085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconfdata/disk-cdrom-usb-empty.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>QEMUGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219100</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219100</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='x86_64' 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-system-x86_64</emulator>
+    <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
+      <target dev='sdb' bus='usb'/>
+      <readonly/>
+    </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/qemuxmlconftest.c b/tests/qemuxmlconftest.c
index 89292af300..436d58b977 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxmlconftest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxmlconftest.c
@@ -1536,6 +1536,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("disk-cdrom");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("disk-cdrom-empty-network-invalid");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("disk-cdrom-bus-other");
+    DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST_PARSE_ERROR("disk-cdrom-usb-empty");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("disk-cdrom-network");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("disk-cdrom-tray");
     DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST("disk-floppy");