diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 4b23ee061b..7cde099ebd 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -11848,6 +11848,13 @@ qemuDomainSetBlockIoTune(virDomainPtr dom,
                         _("no domain with matching uuid '%s'"), uuidstr);
         goto cleanup;
     }
+    priv = vm->privateData;
+    if (!qemuCapsGet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE_IOTUNE)) {
+        qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                        _("block I/O throttling not supported with this "
+                          "QEMU binary"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
 
     device = qemuDiskPathToAlias(vm, disk, &idx);
     if (!device) {
@@ -11919,7 +11926,6 @@ qemuDomainSetBlockIoTune(virDomainPtr dom,
             info.read_iops_sec = oldinfo->read_iops_sec;
             info.write_iops_sec = oldinfo->write_iops_sec;
         }
-        priv = vm->privateData;
         qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
         ret = qemuMonitorSetBlockIoThrottle(priv->mon, device, &info);
         qemuDomainObjExitMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);