diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl.c b/tools/libxl/libxl.c
index 805c06de4a..c46c2ec1fd 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl.c
@@ -3069,8 +3069,9 @@ static char * libxl__alloc_vdev(libxl__gc *gc, void *get_vdev_user,
 
 /* Callbacks */
 
-static char *libxl__device_disk_find_local_path(libxl__gc *gc, 
-                                                const libxl_device_disk *disk)
+char *libxl__device_disk_find_local_path(libxl__gc *gc, 
+                                         const libxl_device_disk *disk,
+                                         bool qdisk_direct)
 {
     char *path = NULL;
 
@@ -3091,6 +3092,16 @@ static char *libxl__device_disk_find_local_path(libxl__gc *gc,
         goto out;
     } 
 
+    /*
+     * If we're being called for a qemu path, we can pass the target
+     * string directly as well
+     */
+    if (qdisk_direct && disk->backend == LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK) {
+        path = libxl__strdup(gc, disk->pdev_path);
+        LOG(DEBUG, "Directly accessing local QDISK target %s", path);
+        goto out;
+    }
+
  out:
     return path;
 }
@@ -3115,7 +3126,7 @@ void libxl__device_disk_local_initiate_attach(libxl__egc *egc,
 
     LOG(DEBUG, "Trying to find local path");
 
-    dls->diskpath = libxl__device_disk_find_local_path(gc, in_disk);
+    dls->diskpath = libxl__device_disk_find_local_path(gc, in_disk, false);
     if (dls->diskpath) {
         LOG(DEBUG, "Local path found, executing callback.");
         dls->callback(egc, dls, 0);
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
index c11e9b811e..2a3d0326b7 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
@@ -1327,23 +1327,42 @@ static int libxl__build_device_model_args_new(libxl__gc *gc,
 
             if (disks[i].format == LIBXL_DISK_FORMAT_EMPTY) {
                 if (!disks[i].is_cdrom) {
-                    LOG(WARN, "cannot support"" empty disk format for %s",
+                    LOG(WARN, "Cannot support empty disk format for %s",
                         disks[i].vdev);
                     continue;
                 }
             } else {
                 if (format == NULL) {
                     LOG(WARN,
-                        "unable to determine"" disk image format %s",
+                        "Unable to determine disk image format: %s\n"
+                        "Disk will be available via PV drivers but not as an"
+                        "emulated disk.",
                         disks[i].vdev);
                     continue;
                 }
 
+                /* 
+                 * We can't call libxl__blktap_devpath from
+                 * libxl__device_disk_find_local_path for now because
+                 * the bootloader is called before the disks are set
+                 * up, so this function would set up a blktap node,
+                 * but there's no TAP tear-down on error conditions in
+                 * the bootloader path.
+                 */
                 if (disks[i].backend == LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP)
                     target_path = libxl__blktap_devpath(gc, disks[i].pdev_path,
                                                         disks[i].format);
-                else     
-                    target_path = disks[i].pdev_path;
+                else
+                    target_path = libxl__device_disk_find_local_path(gc, 
+                                                            &disks[i], true);
+
+                if (!target_path) {
+                    LOG(WARN, "No way to get local access disk to image: %s\n"
+                        "Disk will be available via PV drivers but not as an"
+                        "emulated disk.",
+                        disks[i].vdev);
+                    continue;
+                }
             }
 
             if (disks[i].is_cdrom) {
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
index e3c919dfe6..c87c42ae6e 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
@@ -2716,6 +2716,14 @@ static inline void libxl__device_disk_local_init(libxl__disk_local_state *dls)
     dls->rc = 0;
 }
 
+/* 
+ * See if we can find a way to access a disk locally
+ */
+_hidden char * libxl__device_disk_find_local_path(libxl__gc *gc, 
+                                                  const libxl_device_disk *disk,
+                                                  bool qdisk_direct);
+
+
 /* Make a disk available in this (the control) domain. Always calls
  * dls->callback when finished.
  * State Idle -> Attaching