diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index dc94ad319a..48da1a7e0f 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -166,6 +166,27 @@ DriveInfo *drive_get(BlockInterfaceType type, int bus, int unit)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+bool drive_check_orphaned(void)
+{
+    DriveInfo *dinfo;
+    bool rs = false;
+
+    QTAILQ_FOREACH(dinfo, &drives, next) {
+        /* If dinfo->bdrv->dev is NULL, it has no device attached. */
+        /* Unless this is a default drive, this may be an oversight. */
+        if (!dinfo->bdrv->dev && !dinfo->is_default &&
+            dinfo->type != IF_NONE) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Warning: Orphaned drive without device: "
+                    "id=%s,file=%s,if=%s,bus=%d,unit=%d\n",
+                    dinfo->id, dinfo->bdrv->filename, if_name[dinfo->type],
+                    dinfo->bus, dinfo->unit);
+            rs = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return rs;
+}
+
 DriveInfo *drive_get_by_index(BlockInterfaceType type, int index)
 {
     return drive_get(type,
diff --git a/include/sysemu/blockdev.h b/include/sysemu/blockdev.h
index abec381049..30402867b9 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/blockdev.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/blockdev.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ struct DriveInfo {
     int unit;
     int auto_del;               /* see blockdev_mark_auto_del() */
     bool enable_auto_del;       /* Only for legacy drive_new() */
+    bool is_default;            /* Added by default_drive() ?  */
     int media_cd;
     int cyls, heads, secs, trans;
     QemuOpts *opts;
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ struct DriveInfo {
 };
 
 DriveInfo *drive_get(BlockInterfaceType type, int bus, int unit);
+bool drive_check_orphaned(void);
 DriveInfo *drive_get_by_index(BlockInterfaceType type, int index);
 int drive_get_max_bus(BlockInterfaceType type);
 DriveInfo *drive_get_next(BlockInterfaceType type);
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 9d2aaaf1dc..4bc8f97c25 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -1169,6 +1169,7 @@ static void default_drive(int enable, int snapshot, BlockInterfaceType type,
                           int index, const char *optstr)
 {
     QemuOpts *opts;
+    DriveInfo *dinfo;
 
     if (!enable || drive_get_by_index(type, index)) {
         return;
@@ -1178,9 +1179,13 @@ static void default_drive(int enable, int snapshot, BlockInterfaceType type,
     if (snapshot) {
         drive_enable_snapshot(opts, NULL);
     }
-    if (!drive_new(opts, type)) {
+
+    dinfo = drive_new(opts, type);
+    if (!dinfo) {
         exit(1);
     }
+    dinfo->is_default = true;
+
 }
 
 void qemu_register_boot_set(QEMUBootSetHandler *func, void *opaque)
@@ -4457,6 +4462,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     if (qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("device"), device_init_func, NULL, 1) != 0)
         exit(1);
 
+    /* Did we create any drives that we failed to create a device for? */
+    drive_check_orphaned();
+
     net_check_clients();
 
     ds = init_displaystate();