diff --git a/src/xen/xen_driver.c b/src/xen/xen_driver.c
index 39334b75ecc04e8f8c75af6672c068f634d4397e..4ae38d37ad0ebb8aad3af2bc2b032232c0436474 100644
--- a/src/xen/xen_driver.c
+++ b/src/xen/xen_driver.c
@@ -365,6 +365,13 @@ xenUnifiedConnectOpen(virConnectPtr conn, virConnectAuthPtr auth, unsigned int f
         if (!xenUnifiedProbe())
             return VIR_DRV_OPEN_DECLINED;
 
+#ifdef WITH_LIBXL
+        /* Decline xen:// URI if xend is not running and libxenlight
+         * driver is potentially available. */
+        if (!xenUnifiedXendProbe())
+            return VIR_DRV_OPEN_DECLINED;
+#endif
+
         if (!(conn->uri = virURIParse("xen:///")))
             return VIR_DRV_OPEN_ERROR;
     } else {
@@ -374,6 +381,12 @@ xenUnifiedConnectOpen(virConnectPtr conn, virConnectAuthPtr auth, unsigned int f
                 STRCASENEQ(conn->uri->scheme, "http"))
                 return VIR_DRV_OPEN_DECLINED;
 
+#ifdef WITH_LIBXL
+            /* Decline xen:// URI if xend is not running and libxenlight
+             * driver is potentially available. */
+            if (!xenUnifiedXendProbe())
+                return VIR_DRV_OPEN_DECLINED;
+#endif
 
             /* Return an error if the path isn't '' or '/' */
             if (conn->uri->path &&
@@ -395,13 +408,6 @@ xenUnifiedConnectOpen(virConnectPtr conn, virConnectAuthPtr auth, unsigned int f
         }
     }
 
-#ifdef WITH_LIBXL
-    /* Decline xen:// URI if xend is not running and libxenlight
-     * driver is potentially available. */
-    if (!xenUnifiedXendProbe())
-        return VIR_DRV_OPEN_DECLINED;
-#endif
-
     /* We now know the URI is definitely for this driver, so beyond
      * here, don't return DECLINED, always use ERROR */