diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend_gluster.c b/src/storage/storage_backend_gluster.c
index 8a7d7e5314bab6ea828df81bc541e04dba85e891..b79b6342045b1903725518f43384e2038d744279 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend_gluster.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend_gluster.c
@@ -571,9 +571,17 @@ virStorageFileBackendGlusterInit(virStorageSourcePtr src)
 {
     virStorageFileBackendGlusterPrivPtr priv = NULL;
     virStorageNetHostDefPtr host = &(src->hosts[0]);
-    const char *hostname = host->name;
+    const char *hostname;
     int port = 0;
 
+    if (src->nhosts != 1) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                       _("Expected exactly 1 host for the gluster volume"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    hostname = host->name;
+
     VIR_DEBUG("initializing gluster storage file %p (gluster://%s:%s/%s%s)",
               src, hostname, host->port ? host->port : "0",
               NULLSTR(src->volume), src->path);