diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index d3d5dbac66..a8c718f62d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -5681,47 +5681,6 @@ qemuDomainCheckDiskStartupPolicy(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 }
 
 
-int
-qemuDomainCheckDiskPresence(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
-                            virDomainObjPtr vm,
-                            unsigned int flags)
-{
-    size_t i;
-    bool pretend = flags & VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_PRETEND;
-    bool cold_boot = flags & VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_COLD;
-
-    VIR_DEBUG("Checking for disk presence");
-    for (i = vm->def->ndisks; i > 0; i--) {
-        size_t idx = i - 1;
-        virDomainDiskDefPtr disk = vm->def->disks[idx];
-        virStorageFileFormat format = virDomainDiskGetFormat(disk);
-
-        if (pretend)
-            continue;
-
-        if (virStorageSourceIsEmpty(disk->src))
-            continue;
-
-        /* There is no need to check the backing chain for disks
-         * without backing support, the fact that the file exists is
-         * more than enough */
-        if (virStorageSourceIsLocalStorage(disk->src) &&
-            format > VIR_STORAGE_FILE_NONE &&
-            format < VIR_STORAGE_FILE_BACKING &&
-            virFileExists(virDomainDiskGetSource(disk)))
-            continue;
-
-        if (qemuDomainDetermineDiskChain(driver, vm, disk, true, true) >= 0)
-            continue;
-
-        if (qemuDomainCheckDiskStartupPolicy(driver, vm, idx, cold_boot) >= 0)
-            continue;
-
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
 
 /*
  * The vm must be locked when any of the following cleanup functions is
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 8fa53f7e2d..f29228bc1b 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -5394,10 +5394,6 @@ qemuProcessPrepareDomain(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (qemuProcessPrepareDomainStorage(conn, driver, vm, cfg, flags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    /* Drop possibly missing disks from the definition. */
-    if (qemuDomainCheckDiskPresence(driver, vm, flags) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     VIR_DEBUG("Create domain masterKey");
     if (qemuDomainMasterKeyCreate(vm) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
@@ -5444,6 +5440,44 @@ qemuProcessPrepareDomain(virConnectPtr conn,
 }
 
 
+static int
+qemuProcessPrepareHostStorage(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
+                              virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                              unsigned int flags)
+{
+    size_t i;
+    bool cold_boot = flags & VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_COLD;
+
+    for (i = vm->def->ndisks; i > 0; i--) {
+        size_t idx = i - 1;
+        virDomainDiskDefPtr disk = vm->def->disks[idx];
+        virStorageFileFormat format = virDomainDiskGetFormat(disk);
+
+        if (virStorageSourceIsEmpty(disk->src))
+            continue;
+
+        /* There is no need to check the backing chain for disks
+         * without backing support, the fact that the file exists is
+         * more than enough */
+        if (virStorageSourceIsLocalStorage(disk->src) &&
+            format > VIR_STORAGE_FILE_NONE &&
+            format < VIR_STORAGE_FILE_BACKING &&
+            virFileExists(virDomainDiskGetSource(disk)))
+            continue;
+
+        if (qemuDomainDetermineDiskChain(driver, vm, disk, true, true) >= 0)
+            continue;
+
+        if (qemuDomainCheckDiskStartupPolicy(driver, vm, idx, cold_boot) >= 0)
+            continue;
+
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * qemuProcessPrepareHost:
  * @driver: qemu driver
@@ -5536,6 +5570,10 @@ qemuProcessPrepareHost(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (qemuDomainWriteMasterKeyFile(driver, vm) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    VIR_DEBUG("Preparing disks (host)");
+    if (qemuProcessPrepareHostStorage(driver, vm, flags) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
     virObjectUnref(cfg);