diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 39973a918278bd2e174ffe37848fa9f85e2748df..154a81ea718dff4767e6d179c9cc243783b810d2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -2975,11 +2975,19 @@ qemuDomainAgentAvailable(virDomainObjPtr vm,
         return false;
     }
     if (!priv->agent) {
-        if (reportError) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_ARGUMENT_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("QEMU guest agent is not configured"));
+        if (qemuFindAgentConfig(vm->def)) {
+            if (reportError) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_AGENT_UNRESPONSIVE, "%s",
+                               _("QEMU guest agent is not connected"));
+            }
+            return false;
+        } else {
+            if (reportError) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_ARGUMENT_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                               _("QEMU guest agent is not configured"));
+            }
+            return false;
         }
-        return false;
     }
     if (virDomainObjGetState(vm, NULL) != VIR_DOMAIN_RUNNING) {
         if (reportError) {
@@ -3077,3 +3085,32 @@ qemuDomainSupportsBlockJobs(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
     return 0;
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * qemuFindAgentConfig:
+ * @def: domain definition
+ *
+ * Returns the pointer to the channel definition that is used to access the
+ * guest agent if the agent is configured or NULL otherwise.
+ */
+virDomainChrSourceDefPtr
+qemuFindAgentConfig(virDomainDefPtr def)
+{
+    virDomainChrSourceDefPtr config = NULL;
+    size_t i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < def->nchannels; i++) {
+        virDomainChrDefPtr channel = def->channels[i];
+
+        if (channel->targetType != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CHANNEL_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO)
+            continue;
+
+        if (STREQ_NULLABLE(channel->target.name, "org.qemu.guest_agent.0")) {
+            config = &channel->source;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return config;
+}
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
index d550ae38fe6e7a1e785d766f1dcd4200d5d741e9..76a48195e2d71aaccf874d904de7ed8d9acb9087 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
@@ -439,4 +439,6 @@ bool qemuDomainDiskBlockJobIsActive(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk);
 int qemuDomainAlignMemorySizes(virDomainDefPtr def);
 void qemuDomainMemoryDeviceAlignSize(virDomainMemoryDefPtr mem);
 
+virDomainChrSourceDefPtr qemuFindAgentConfig(virDomainDefPtr def);
+
 #endif /* __QEMU_DOMAIN_H__ */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index fb83d51a5b8d0baff28f697e3a8127b3a8036c89..75ccb66ff58c7f9c7852c99609dc5ee2acc5c5a7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -201,26 +201,6 @@ static qemuAgentCallbacks agentCallbacks = {
     .errorNotify = qemuProcessHandleAgentError,
 };
 
-static virDomainChrSourceDefPtr
-qemuFindAgentConfig(virDomainDefPtr def)
-{
-    virDomainChrSourceDefPtr config = NULL;
-    size_t i;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < def->nchannels; i++) {
-        virDomainChrDefPtr channel = def->channels[i];
-
-        if (channel->targetType != VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CHANNEL_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO)
-            continue;
-
-        if (STREQ_NULLABLE(channel->target.name, "org.qemu.guest_agent.0")) {
-            config = &channel->source;
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return config;
-}
 
 static int
 qemuConnectAgent(virQEMUDriverPtr driver, virDomainObjPtr vm)