diff --git a/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/header.rs b/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/header.rs
index 1989f25e3..ece9acd4a 100644
--- a/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/header.rs
+++ b/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/header.rs
@@ -331,6 +331,11 @@ impl QcowHeader {
         if header.backing_file_size > MAX_BACKING_FILE_SIZE {
             return Err(Error::BackingFileTooLong(header.backing_file_size as usize));
         }
+        if header.backing_file_offset == 0 && header.backing_file_size != 0 {
+            return Err(Error::BackingFileSizeWithoutOffset(
+                header.backing_file_size,
+            ));
+        }
         if header.backing_file_offset != 0 {
             let cluster_size = 1u64
                 .checked_shl(header.cluster_bits)
diff --git a/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/mod.rs b/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/mod.rs
index 8e436d0ea..ab4e6776c 100644
--- a/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/mod.rs
+++ b/block/src/formats/qcow/internal/mod.rs
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ pub enum Error {
     BackingFileOutsideFirstCluster(u64, u32, u64),
     #[error("Backing file name at offset {0:#x} length {1:#x} overlaps header of size {2:#x}")]
     BackingFileOverlapsHeader(u64, u32, u32),
+    #[error("Backing file size {0:#x} with zero offset")]
+    BackingFileSizeWithoutOffset(u32),
     #[error("Backing file support is disabled")]
     BackingFilesDisabled,
     #[error("Backing file name is too long: {0} bytes over")]