diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 811024f075..374836a35e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -1773,10 +1773,18 @@ qemuBuildDriveStr(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
         }
     }
 
-    if (!virStorageSourceIsEmpty(disk->src)) {
-        if (disk->src->readonly)
-            virBufferAddLit(&opt, ",readonly=on");
+    if (disk->src->readonly)
+        virBufferAddLit(&opt, ",readonly=on");
 
+    /* qemu rejects some parameters for an empty -drive, so we need to skip
+     * them in that case:
+     * cache: modifies properties of the format driver which is not present
+     * copy_on_read: really only works for floppies
+     * discard: modifies properties of format driver
+     * detect_zeroes: works but really depends on discard so it's useless
+     * iomode: setting it to 'native' requires a specific cache mode
+     */
+    if (!virStorageSourceIsEmpty(disk->src)) {
         if (disk->cachemode) {
             virBufferAsprintf(&opt, ",cache=%s",
                               qemuDiskCacheV2TypeToString(disk->cachemode));
@@ -1801,10 +1809,10 @@ qemuBuildDriveStr(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
             virBufferAsprintf(&opt, ",aio=%s",
                               virDomainDiskIoTypeToString(disk->iomode));
         }
-
-        qemuBuildDiskThrottling(disk, &opt);
     }
 
+    qemuBuildDiskThrottling(disk, &opt);
+
     if (virBufferCheckError(&opt) < 0)
         goto error;
 
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.args
index a9f60aa477..4823ae82de 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.args
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ bootindex=1 \
 -drive file=/root/boot.iso,format=raw,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-1,media=cdrom,\
 readonly=on \
 -device ide-drive,bus=ide.0,unit=1,drive=drive-ide0-0-1,id=ide0-0-1 \
--drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-0,media=cdrom \
+-drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-0,media=cdrom,readonly=on \
 -device ide-drive,bus=ide.1,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-1-0,id=ide0-1-0 \
--drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-1,media=cdrom \
+-drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-1,media=cdrom,readonly=on \
 -device ide-drive,bus=ide.1,unit=1,drive=drive-ide0-1-1,id=ide0-1-1
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-2.12.0.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-2.12.0.args
index a39d920f67..2fe84177b8 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-2.12.0.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-2.12.0.args
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ file=/tmp/lib/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/master-key.aes \
 -device ide-hd,bus=ide.0,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-0-0,id=ide0-0-0,bootindex=1 \
 -drive file=/root/boot.iso,format=raw,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-1,readonly=on \
 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.0,unit=1,drive=drive-ide0-0-1,id=ide0-0-1 \
--drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-0 \
+-drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-0,readonly=on \
 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.1,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-1-0,id=ide0-1-0,\
 write-cache=on \
--drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-1 \
+-drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-1,readonly=on \
 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.1,unit=1,drive=drive-ide0-1-1,id=ide0-1-1 \
 -sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=deny,spawn=deny,\
 resourcecontrol=deny \
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-latest.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-latest.args
index 029ae23dfa..9b9451f435 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-latest.args
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-cdrom.x86_64-latest.args
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ file=/tmp/lib/domain--1-QEMUGuest1/master-key.aes \
 -device ide-hd,bus=ide.0,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-0-0,id=ide0-0-0,bootindex=1 \
 -drive file=/root/boot.iso,format=raw,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-1,readonly=on \
 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.0,unit=1,drive=drive-ide0-0-1,id=ide0-0-1 \
--drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-0 \
+-drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-0,readonly=on \
 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.1,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-1-0,id=ide0-1-0,\
 write-cache=on \
--drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-1 \
+-drive if=none,id=drive-ide0-1-1,readonly=on \
 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.1,unit=1,drive=drive-ide0-1-1,id=ide0-1-1 \
 -sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=deny,spawn=deny,\
 resourcecontrol=deny \