diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 890facf1b7..8a9c958c5c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -7530,6 +7530,14 @@ qemuDomainDetermineDiskChain(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
             VIR_ALLOC(src->backingStore) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
 
+        /* host cdrom requires special treatment in qemu, so we need to check
+         * whether a block device is a cdrom */
+        if (disk->device == VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_DEVICE_CDROM &&
+            src->format == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_RAW &&
+            virStorageSourceIsBlockLocal(src) &&
+            virFileIsCDROM(src->path) == 1)
+            src->hostcdrom = true;
+
         ret = 0;
         goto cleanup;
     }
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.h b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
index 9286436827..01f89bf182 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.h
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
@@ -316,6 +316,8 @@ struct _virStorageSource {
 
     bool floppyimg; /* set to true if the storage source is going to be used
                        as a source for floppy drive */
+
+    bool hostcdrom; /* backing device is a cdrom */
 };