diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 94703c67c2a9018ba9e15cd17c26ceabe3cbeb74..a833951e47d284ccd068747679564812bb103af8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -14699,7 +14699,8 @@ qemuDomainSnapshotCreateInactiveExternal(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         if (virStorageSourceInitChainElement(newsrc, defdisk->src, false) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
 
-        if (virStorageSourceHasBacking(defdisk->src)) {
+        if (!reuse &&
+            virStorageSourceHasBacking(defdisk->src)) {
             defdisk->src->readonly = true;
             newsrc->backingStore = g_steal_pointer(&defdisk->src);
         } else {