diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_block.c b/src/qemu/qemu_block.c
index 96db192269..77e48bed83 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_block.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_block.c
@@ -390,6 +390,65 @@ qemuBlockGetNodeData(virJSONValuePtr data)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * qemuBlockStorageSourceGetURI:
+ * @src: disk storage source
+ *
+ * Formats a URI from a virStorageSource.
+ */
+virURIPtr
+qemuBlockStorageSourceGetURI(virStorageSourcePtr src)
+{
+    virURIPtr uri = NULL;
+    virURIPtr ret = NULL;
+
+    if (src->nhosts != 1) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                       _("protocol '%s' accepts only one host"),
+                       virStorageNetProtocolTypeToString(src->protocol));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (VIR_ALLOC(uri) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (src->hosts->transport == VIR_STORAGE_NET_HOST_TRANS_TCP) {
+        uri->port = src->hosts->port;
+
+        if (VIR_STRDUP(uri->scheme,
+                       virStorageNetProtocolTypeToString(src->protocol)) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    } else {
+        if (virAsprintf(&uri->scheme, "%s+%s",
+                        virStorageNetProtocolTypeToString(src->protocol),
+                        virStorageNetHostTransportTypeToString(src->hosts->transport)) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (src->path) {
+        if (src->volume) {
+            if (virAsprintf(&uri->path, "/%s%s",
+                            src->volume, src->path) < 0)
+                goto cleanup;
+        } else {
+            if (virAsprintf(&uri->path, "%s%s",
+                            src->path[0] == '/' ? "" : "/",
+                            src->path) < 0)
+                goto cleanup;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (VIR_STRDUP(uri->server, src->hosts->name) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    VIR_STEAL_PTR(ret, uri);
+
+ cleanup:
+    virURIFree(uri);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * qemuBlockStorageSourceBuildJSONSocketAddress
  * @host: the virStorageNetHostDefPtr definition to build
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_block.h b/src/qemu/qemu_block.h
index f0a2c9aa7d..b9ee97f488 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_block.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_block.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 # include "virhash.h"
 # include "virjson.h"
+# include "viruri.h"
 
 typedef struct qemuBlockNodeNameBackingChainData qemuBlockNodeNameBackingChainData;
 typedef qemuBlockNodeNameBackingChainData *qemuBlockNodeNameBackingChainDataPtr;
@@ -56,4 +57,7 @@ qemuBlockGetNodeData(virJSONValuePtr data);
 virJSONValuePtr
 qemuBlockStorageSourceGetBackendProps(virStorageSourcePtr src);
 
+virURIPtr
+qemuBlockStorageSourceGetURI(virStorageSourcePtr src);
+
 #endif /* __QEMU_BLOCK_H__ */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 2fe4ae380a..429f1a2156 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -829,41 +829,8 @@ qemuBuildNetworkDriveURI(virStorageSourcePtr src,
     virURIPtr uri = NULL;
     char *ret = NULL;
 
-    if (src->nhosts != 1) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("protocol '%s' accepts only one host"),
-                       virStorageNetProtocolTypeToString(src->protocol));
+    if (!(uri = qemuBlockStorageSourceGetURI(src)))
         goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(uri) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    if (src->hosts->transport == VIR_STORAGE_NET_HOST_TRANS_TCP) {
-        uri->port = src->hosts->port;
-
-        if (VIR_STRDUP(uri->scheme,
-                       virStorageNetProtocolTypeToString(src->protocol)) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    } else {
-        if (virAsprintf(&uri->scheme, "%s+%s",
-                        virStorageNetProtocolTypeToString(src->protocol),
-                        virStorageNetHostTransportTypeToString(src->hosts->transport)) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (src->path) {
-        if (src->volume) {
-            if (virAsprintf(&uri->path, "/%s%s",
-                            src->volume, src->path) < 0)
-                goto cleanup;
-        } else {
-            if (virAsprintf(&uri->path, "%s%s",
-                            src->path[0] == '/' ? "" : "/",
-                            src->path) < 0)
-                goto cleanup;
-        }
-    }
 
     if (src->hosts->socket &&
         virAsprintf(&uri->query, "socket=%s", src->hosts->socket) < 0)
@@ -872,9 +839,6 @@ qemuBuildNetworkDriveURI(virStorageSourcePtr src,
     if (qemuBuildGeneralSecinfoURI(uri, secinfo) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (VIR_STRDUP(uri->server, src->hosts->name) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     ret = virURIFormat(uri);
 
  cleanup: