diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 9c709fb26a..97b23245fb 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -16692,36 +16692,49 @@ qemuDomainBlockCopyValidateMirror(virStorageSourcePtr mirror,
     int desttype = virStorageSourceGetActualType(mirror);
     struct stat st;
 
-    if (stat(mirror->path, &st) < 0) {
+    if (virStorageFileAccess(mirror, F_OK) < 0) {
         if (errno != ENOENT) {
-            virReportSystemError(errno, _("unable to stat for disk %s: %s"),
-                                 dst, mirror->path);
+            virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
+                                 _("unable to verify existance of "
+                                   "block copy target"));
             return -1;
-        } else if (*reuse || desttype == VIR_STORAGE_TYPE_BLOCK) {
+        }
+
+        if (*reuse || desttype == VIR_STORAGE_TYPE_BLOCK) {
             virReportSystemError(errno,
                                  _("missing destination file for disk %s: %s"),
                                  dst, mirror->path);
             return -1;
         }
-    } else if (!S_ISBLK(st.st_mode)) {
-        if (st.st_size && !(*reuse)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
-                           _("external destination file for disk %s already "
-                             "exists and is not a block device: %s"),
-                           dst, mirror->path);
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if (desttype == VIR_STORAGE_TYPE_BLOCK) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
-                           _("blockdev flag requested for disk %s, but file "
-                             "'%s' is not a block device"),
-                           dst, mirror->path);
-            return -1;
-        }
     } else {
-        /* if the target is a block device, assume that we are reusing it, so
-         * there are no attempts to create it */
-        *reuse = true;
+        if (virStorageFileStat(mirror, &st) < 0) {
+            virReportSystemError(errno,
+                                 _("unable to stat block copy target '%s'"),
+                                 mirror->path);
+            return -1;
+        }
+
+        if (S_ISBLK(st.st_mode)) {
+            /* if the target is a block device, assume that we are reusing it,
+             * so there are no attempts to create it */
+            *reuse = true;
+        } else {
+            if (st.st_size && !(*reuse)) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                               _("external destination file for disk %s already "
+                                 "exists and is not a block device: %s"),
+                               dst, mirror->path);
+                return -1;
+            }
+
+            if (desttype == VIR_STORAGE_TYPE_BLOCK) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
+                               _("blockdev flag requested for disk %s, but file "
+                                 "'%s' is not a block device"),
+                               dst, mirror->path);
+                return -1;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     return 0;