diff --git a/block-vvfat.c b/block-vvfat.c
index 9e2841a409fef379c6e651d3980cc65c15b07989..5fcf7462e8a942aa277ea93b0be97393021be91c 100644
--- a/block-vvfat.c
+++ b/block-vvfat.c
@@ -890,7 +890,6 @@ static int init_directories(BDRVVVFATState* s,
     s->path = mapping->path;
 
     for (i = 0, cluster = 0; i < s->mapping.next; i++) {
-	int j;
 	/* MS-DOS expects the FAT to be 0 for the root directory
 	 * (except for the media byte). */
 	/* LATER TODO: still true for FAT32? */
@@ -923,20 +922,25 @@ static int init_directories(BDRVVVFATState* s,
 
 	assert(mapping->begin < mapping->end);
 
+	/* next free cluster */
+	cluster = mapping->end;
+
+	if(cluster > s->cluster_count) {
+	    fprintf(stderr,"Directory does not fit in FAT%d (capacity %s)\n",
+		    s->fat_type,
+		    s->fat_type == 12 ? s->sector_count == 2880 ? "1.44 MB"
+								: "2.88 MB"
+				      : "504MB");
+	    return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	/* fix fat for entry */
 	if (fix_fat) {
+	    int j;
 	    for(j = mapping->begin; j < mapping->end - 1; j++)
 		fat_set(s, j, j+1);
 	    fat_set(s, mapping->end - 1, s->max_fat_value);
 	}
-
-	/* next free cluster */
-	cluster = mapping->end;
-
-	if(cluster > s->cluster_count) {
-	    fprintf(stderr,"Directory does not fit in FAT%d\n",s->fat_type);
-	    return -1;
-	}
     }
 
     mapping = array_get(&(s->mapping), 0);