diff --git a/tests/virstoragetest.c b/tests/virstoragetest.c
index c28a23e332..53533d5885 100644
--- a/tests/virstoragetest.c
+++ b/tests/virstoragetest.c
@@ -478,6 +478,14 @@ mymain(void)
                abs_srcdir "/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2_qcow2-auto.qcow2",
                VIR_STORAGE_FILE_QCOW2, EXP_PASS);
 
+    /* QCOW2 with protocol recorded inside the 'backing file format field */
+    TEST_CHAIN("qcow2-protocol-backing-file",
+               abs_srcdir "/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-file.qcow2",
+               VIR_STORAGE_FILE_QCOW2, EXP_PASS);
+    TEST_CHAIN("qcow2-protocol-backing-nbd",
+               abs_srcdir "/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-nbd.qcow2",
+               VIR_STORAGE_FILE_QCOW2, EXP_FAIL);
+
     /* Qcow2 file with missing backing file but specified type */
     TEST_CHAIN("qcow2-qcow2_missing",
                abs_srcdir "/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2_qcow2-missing.qcow2",
diff --git a/tests/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-file.qcow2 b/tests/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-file.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3fe320f0f
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-file.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/tests/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-nbd.qcow2 b/tests/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-nbd.qcow2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ae422d8f5
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-nbd.qcow2 differ
diff --git a/tests/virstoragetestdata/out/qcow2-protocol-backing-file b/tests/virstoragetestdata/out/qcow2-protocol-backing-file
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b565bdba77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/virstoragetestdata/out/qcow2-protocol-backing-file
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+path:ABS_SRCDIR/virstoragetestdata/images/qcow2-protocol-backing-file.qcow2
+backingStoreRaw: raw
+backingStoreRawFormat: <null>(-1)
+capacity: 1024
+encryption: 0
+relPath:<null>
+type:file
+format:qcow2
+protocol:none
+hostname:<null>
+
+path:ABS_SRCDIR/virstoragetestdata/images/raw
+backingStoreRaw: <null>
+backingStoreRawFormat: none(0)
+capacity: 0
+encryption: 0
+relPath:raw
+type:file
+format:raw
+protocol:none
+hostname:<null>