diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index ed4d1580fa..11b549b12b 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -4313,6 +4313,15 @@ qemuDomainRemoveDiskDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         qemuHotplugRemoveManagedPR(driver, vm, QEMU_ASYNC_JOB_NONE) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (disk->transient) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Removing transient overlay '%s' of disk '%s'",
+                  disk->src->path, disk->dst);
+        if (qemuDomainStorageFileInit(driver, vm, disk->src, NULL) >= 0) {
+            virStorageFileUnlink(disk->src);
+            virStorageFileDeinit(disk->src);
+        }
+    }
+
     ret = 0;
 
  cleanup: