diff --git a/src/conf/backup_conf.c b/src/conf/backup_conf.c
index 013c08cd6e..e151c29738 100644
--- a/src/conf/backup_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/backup_conf.c
@@ -424,7 +424,8 @@ virDomainBackupDefAssignStore(virDomainBackupDiskDef *disk,
         }
     }
 
-    if (!disk->store) {
+    if (!disk->store ||
+        virStorageSourceIsEmpty(disk->store)) {
         if (virStorageSourceGetActualType(src) != VIR_STORAGE_TYPE_FILE) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                            _("refusing to generate file name for disk '%1$s'"),
@@ -432,7 +433,9 @@ virDomainBackupDefAssignStore(virDomainBackupDiskDef *disk,
             return -1;
         }
 
-        disk->store = virStorageSourceNew();
+        if (!disk->store)
+            disk->store = virStorageSourceNew();
+
         disk->store->type = VIR_STORAGE_TYPE_FILE;
         disk->store->path = g_strdup_printf("%s.%s", src->path, suffix);
     }
diff --git a/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlin/backup-push.xml b/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlin/backup-push.xml
index 0bfec9b270..a95833d407 100644
--- a/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlin/backup-push.xml
+++ b/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlin/backup-push.xml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
       <driver type='raw'/>
       <target file='/path/to/file'/>
     </disk>
+    <disk name='vdb' type='file' backupmode='full'/>
     <disk name='hda' backup='no'/>
   </disks>
 </domainbackup>
diff --git a/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlout/backup-push.xml b/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlout/backup-push.xml
index 317dcf6e47..fff7db716b 100644
--- a/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlout/backup-push.xml
+++ b/tests/domainbackupxml2xmlout/backup-push.xml
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
       <driver type='raw'/>
       <target file='/path/to/file'/>
     </disk>
+    <disk name='vdb' backup='yes' type='file' backupmode='full'>
+      <target file='/fake/vdb.qcow2.SUFFIX'/>
+    </disk>
     <disk name='hda' backup='no'/>
     <disk name='vdextradisk' backup='no'/>
   </disks>