diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 28e5555b99..b4175a846e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -5883,6 +5883,8 @@ qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateDisk(const virDomainDiskDef *disk,
 {
     const char *driverName = virDomainDiskGetDriver(disk);
     virStorageSourcePtr n;
+    int idx;
+    int partition;
 
     if (disk->src->shared && !disk->src->readonly &&
         !qemuBlockStorageSourceSupportsConcurrentAccess(disk->src)) {
@@ -5951,6 +5953,19 @@ qemuDomainDeviceDefValidateDisk(const virDomainDiskDef *disk,
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (virDiskNameParse(disk->dst, &idx, &partition) < 0) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                       _("invalid disk target '%s'"), disk->dst);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (partition != 0) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                       _("invalid disk target '%s', partitions can't appear in disk targets"),
+                       disk->dst);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     for (n = disk->src; virStorageSourceIsBacking(n); n = n->backingStore) {
         if (qemuDomainValidateStorageSource(n, qemuCaps) < 0)
             return -1;
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-attaching-partition-nosupport.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-attaching-partition-nosupport.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..591819fbb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/disk-attaching-partition-nosupport.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>QEMUGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219100</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219100</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='i686' machine='pc'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+  </os>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-i686</emulator>
+    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
+      <source file='/export/vmimages/1.raw'/>
+      <target dev='vdb1' bus='virtio'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <memballoon model='virtio'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index 5f4e87aa6d..b7cb356d13 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -1107,6 +1107,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("disk-no-boot", NONE);
     DO_TEST_PARSE_ERROR("disk-device-lun-type-invalid",
                         QEMU_CAPS_VIRTIO_SCSI);
+    DO_TEST_CAPS_LATEST_PARSE_ERROR("disk-attaching-partition-nosupport");
     DO_TEST_FAILURE("disk-usb-nosupport", NONE);
     DO_TEST("disk-usb-device",
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_STORAGE);