diff --git a/blockdev-nbd.c b/blockdev-nbd.c
index e362572279649dab78e9e268186d62e684fbdfe5..d1721a3e26fd6e2a314ea271ed5f70c13f12cb4a 100644
--- a/blockdev-nbd.c
+++ b/blockdev-nbd.c
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ void qmp_nbd_server_add(const char *device, bool has_writable, bool writable,
     NBDExport *exp;
     NBDCloseNotifier *n;
 
+    if (server_fd == -1) {
+        error_setg(errp, "NBD server not running");
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (nbd_export_find(device)) {
         error_setg(errp, "NBD server already exporting device '%s'", device);
         return;