diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend.c b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
index 00cfe74c8824912811ff153b5d34082b06d578c7..70d2a59cc857db1d4147e3d976374cb6b7ed37eb 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
@@ -1388,6 +1388,10 @@ virStorageBackendVolOpen(const char *path, struct stat *sb,
             VIR_WARN("ignoring missing file '%s'", path);
             return -2;
         }
+        if ((errno == EACCES || errno == EPERM) && noerror) {
+            VIR_WARN("ignoring permission error for '%s'", path);
+            return -2;
+        }
 
         virReportSystemError(errno, _("cannot open volume '%s'"), path);
         return -1;