diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 9b93f256e8..57635cd419 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -558,6 +558,16 @@ qemuDomainChangeMediaBlockdev(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                                  nodename);
     }
 
+    /* set throttling for the new image */
+    if (rc == 0 &&
+        !virStorageSourceIsEmpty(newsrc) &&
+        qemuDiskConfigBlkdeviotuneEnabled(disk)) {
+        rc = qemuMonitorSetBlockIoThrottle(priv->mon, NULL,
+                                           diskPriv->qomName,
+                                           &disk->blkdeviotune,
+                                           true, true, true);
+    }
+
     if (rc == 0)
         rc = qemuMonitorBlockdevTrayClose(priv->mon, diskPriv->qomName);
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index e7421b415f..414e9327d2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -6838,6 +6838,10 @@ qemuProcessSetupDiskThrottlingBlockdev(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         if (qemuDiskBusIsSD(disk->bus))
             continue;
 
+        /* Setting throttling for empty drives fails */
+        if (virStorageSourceIsEmpty(disk->src))
+            continue;
+
         if (!qemuDiskConfigBlkdeviotuneEnabled(disk))
             continue;