diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index d58c76306c..700f6d781c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -4401,19 +4401,6 @@ qemuBuildHubCommandLine(virCommandPtr cmd,
 }
 
 
-static char *
-qemuBuildSCSIHostHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev)
-{
-    virDomainHostdevSubsysSCSIPtr scsisrc = &dev->source.subsys.u.scsi;
-    virDomainHostdevSubsysSCSIHostPtr scsihostsrc = &scsisrc->u.host;
-
-    return virSCSIDeviceGetSgName(NULL,
-                                  scsihostsrc->adapter,
-                                  scsihostsrc->bus,
-                                  scsihostsrc->target,
-                                  scsihostsrc->unit);
-}
-
 static char *
 qemuBuildSCSIiSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev,
                                 virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps)
@@ -4484,9 +4471,7 @@ qemuBuildSCSIHostdevDrvStr(virDomainHostdevDefPtr dev,
             return NULL;
         virBufferAdd(&buf, source, -1);
     } else {
-        if (!(source = qemuBuildSCSIHostHostdevDrvStr(dev)))
-            return NULL;
-        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "file=/dev/%s,if=none,format=raw", source);
+        virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "file=%s,if=none,format=raw", scsisrc->u.host.src->path);
     }
 
     if (!(drivealias = qemuAliasFromHostdev(dev)))
@@ -4977,23 +4962,9 @@ qemuBuildHostdevSCSIAttachPrepare(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev,
     virStorageSourcePtr src = NULL;
 
     if (virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_BLOCKDEV_HOSTDEV_SCSI)) {
-        g_autofree char *devstr = NULL;
-
         switch ((virDomainHostdevSCSIProtocolType) scsisrc->protocol) {
         case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_NONE:
-            if (!scsisrc->u.host.src) {
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                               _("SCSI host device data structure was not initialized"));
-                return NULL;
-            }
-
-            if (!(devstr = qemuBuildSCSIHostHostdevDrvStr(hostdev)))
-                return NULL;
-
             src = scsisrc->u.host.src;
-
-            src->path = g_strdup_printf("/dev/%s", devstr);
-
             break;
 
         case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_ISCSI:
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index f07a27d525..bb4a46be98 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -6398,6 +6398,59 @@ static char
 }
 
 
+static int
+qemuConnectDomainXMLToNativePrepareHostHostdev(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
+{
+    if (virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(hostdev)) {
+        virDomainHostdevSubsysSCSIPtr scsisrc = &hostdev->source.subsys.u.scsi;
+
+        switch ((virDomainHostdevSCSIProtocolType) scsisrc->protocol) {
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_NONE: {
+            virDomainHostdevSubsysSCSIHostPtr scsihostsrc = &scsisrc->u.host;
+            virStorageSourcePtr src = scsisrc->u.host.src;
+            g_autofree char *devstr = NULL;
+
+            if (!(devstr = virSCSIDeviceGetSgName(NULL,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->adapter,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->bus,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->target,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->unit)))
+                return -1;
+
+            src->path = g_strdup_printf("/dev/%s", devstr);
+            break;
+        }
+
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_ISCSI:
+            break;
+
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_LAST:
+        default:
+            virReportEnumRangeError(virDomainHostdevSCSIProtocolType, scsisrc->protocol);
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+static int
+qemuConnectDomainXMLToNativePrepareHost(virDomainObjPtr vm)
+{
+    size_t i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < vm->def->nhostdevs; i++) {
+        virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev = vm->def->hostdevs[i];
+
+        if (qemuConnectDomainXMLToNativePrepareHostHostdev(hostdev) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static char *qemuConnectDomainXMLToNative(virConnectPtr conn,
                                           const char *format,
                                           const char *xmlData,
@@ -6455,6 +6508,9 @@ static char *qemuConnectDomainXMLToNative(virConnectPtr conn,
                                            VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_COLD) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (qemuConnectDomainXMLToNativePrepareHost(vm) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     if (!(cmd = qemuProcessCreatePretendCmdBuild(driver, vm, NULL,
                                                  qemuCheckFips(), true, false)))
         goto cleanup;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index f76e773f64..3841c993b8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -2608,6 +2608,9 @@ qemuDomainAttachHostSCSIDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (qemuDomainPrepareHostdev(hostdev, priv) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (qemuProcessPrepareHostHostdev(hostdev) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     if (!(data = qemuBuildHostdevSCSIAttachPrepare(hostdev, &backendalias,
                                                    priv->qemuCaps)))
         goto cleanup;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 1f504011cb..fae386917d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -6213,6 +6213,59 @@ qemuProcessPrepareDomainHostdevs(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 }
 
 
+int
+qemuProcessPrepareHostHostdev(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
+{
+    if (virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(hostdev)) {
+        virDomainHostdevSubsysSCSIPtr scsisrc = &hostdev->source.subsys.u.scsi;
+
+        switch ((virDomainHostdevSCSIProtocolType) scsisrc->protocol) {
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_NONE: {
+            virDomainHostdevSubsysSCSIHostPtr scsihostsrc = &scsisrc->u.host;
+            virStorageSourcePtr src = scsisrc->u.host.src;
+            g_autofree char *devstr = NULL;
+
+            if (!(devstr = virSCSIDeviceGetSgName(NULL,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->adapter,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->bus,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->target,
+                                                  scsihostsrc->unit)))
+                return -1;
+
+            src->path = g_strdup_printf("/dev/%s", devstr);
+            break;
+        }
+
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_ISCSI:
+            break;
+
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_LAST:
+        default:
+            virReportEnumRangeError(virDomainHostdevSCSIProtocolType, scsisrc->protocol);
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+static int
+qemuProcessPrepareHostHostdevs(virDomainObjPtr vm)
+{
+    size_t i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < vm->def->nhostdevs; i++) {
+        virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev = vm->def->hostdevs[i];
+
+        if (qemuProcessPrepareHostHostdev(hostdev) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static void
 qemuProcessPrepareAllowReboot(virDomainObjPtr vm)
 {
@@ -6618,6 +6671,10 @@ qemuProcessPrepareHost(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (qemuProcessPrepareHostStorage(driver, vm, flags) < 0)
         return -1;
 
+    VIR_DEBUG("Preparing hostdevs (host-side)");
+    if (qemuProcessPrepareHostHostdevs(vm) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     VIR_DEBUG("Preparing external devices");
     if (qemuExtDevicesPrepareHost(driver, vm) < 0)
         return -1;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.h b/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
index 830b2b23d6..f4feeaa68f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ int qemuProcessPrepareDomain(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
 int qemuProcessOpenVhostVsock(virDomainVsockDefPtr vsock);
 
+int qemuProcessPrepareHostHostdev(virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev);
+
 int qemuProcessPrepareHost(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                            virDomainObjPtr vm,
                            unsigned int flags);
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index 8cab2da626..abc982890f 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -413,6 +413,24 @@ testCompareXMLToArgvCreateArgs(virQEMUDriverPtr drv,
             hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.backend == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_PCI_BACKEND_DEFAULT) {
             hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.backend = VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_PCI_BACKEND_VFIO;
         }
+
+        if (virHostdevIsSCSIDevice(hostdev)) {
+            virDomainHostdevSubsysSCSIPtr scsisrc = &hostdev->source.subsys.u.scsi;
+
+            switch ((virDomainHostdevSCSIProtocolType) scsisrc->protocol) {
+            case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_NONE:
+                scsisrc->u.host.src->path = g_strdup("/dev/sg0");
+                break;
+
+            case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_ISCSI:
+                break;
+
+            case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SCSI_PROTOCOL_TYPE_LAST:
+            default:
+                virReportEnumRangeError(virDomainHostdevSCSIProtocolType, scsisrc->protocol);
+                return NULL;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     for (i = 0; i < vm->def->nfss; i++) {