diff --git a/hw/xen_disk.c b/hw/xen_disk.c
index 096d1c9..801da58 100644
--- a/hw/xen_disk.c
+++ b/hw/xen_disk.c
@@ -616,11 +616,13 @@ static int blk_init(struct XenDevice *xendev)
 {
     struct XenBlkDev *blkdev = container_of(xendev, struct XenBlkDev, xendev);
     int index, qflags, have_barriers, info = 0;
-    char *h;
+    char *h = NULL;
 
     /* read xenstore entries */
     if (blkdev->params == NULL) {
         blkdev->params = xenstore_read_be_str(&blkdev->xendev, "params");
+        if (blkdev->params != NULL)
+            h = strchr(blkdev->params, ':');
         h = strchr(blkdev->params, ':');
         if (h != NULL) {
             blkdev->fileproto = blkdev->params;
@@ -672,11 +674,15 @@ static int blk_init(struct XenDevice *xendev)
         /* setup via xenbus -> create new block driver instance */
         xen_be_printf(&blkdev->xendev, 2, "create new bdrv (xenbus setup)\n");
         blkdev->bs = bdrv_new(blkdev->dev);
-        if (bdrv_open(blkdev->bs, blkdev->filename, qflags,
-                      bdrv_find_whitelisted_format(blkdev->fileproto)) != 0) {
-            bdrv_delete(blkdev->bs);
-            return -1;
+        if (blkdev->bs) {
+            if (bdrv_open(blkdev->bs, blkdev->filename, qflags,
+                        bdrv_find_whitelisted_format(blkdev->fileproto)) != 0) {
+                bdrv_delete(blkdev->bs);
+                blkdev->bs = NULL;
+            }
         }
+        if (!blkdev->bs)
+            return -1;
     } else {
         /* setup via qemu cmdline -> already setup for us */
         xen_be_printf(&blkdev->xendev, 2, "get configured bdrv (cmdline setup)\n");