diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 183fec8aa5..2df65c88bf 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ int bdrv_create_file(const char* filename, QEMUOptionParameter *options)
 {
     BlockDriver *drv;
 
-    drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename);
+    drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename, true);
     if (drv == NULL) {
         return -ENOENT;
     }
@@ -482,7 +482,8 @@ static BlockDriver *find_hdev_driver(const char *filename)
     return drv;
 }
 
-BlockDriver *bdrv_find_protocol(const char *filename)
+BlockDriver *bdrv_find_protocol(const char *filename,
+                                bool allow_protocol_prefix)
 {
     BlockDriver *drv1;
     char protocol[128];
@@ -503,9 +504,10 @@ BlockDriver *bdrv_find_protocol(const char *filename)
         return drv1;
     }
 
-    if (!path_has_protocol(filename)) {
+    if (!path_has_protocol(filename) || !allow_protocol_prefix) {
         return bdrv_find_format("file");
     }
+
     p = strchr(filename, ':');
     assert(p != NULL);
     len = p - filename;
@@ -784,6 +786,7 @@ int bdrv_file_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     BlockDriver *drv;
     const char *drvname;
+    bool allow_protocol_prefix = false;
     int ret;
 
     /* NULL means an empty set of options */
@@ -800,6 +803,7 @@ int bdrv_file_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
         filename = qdict_get_try_str(options, "filename");
     } else if (filename && !qdict_haskey(options, "filename")) {
         qdict_put(options, "filename", qstring_from_str(filename));
+        allow_protocol_prefix = true;
     } else {
         qerror_report(ERROR_CLASS_GENERIC_ERROR, "Can't specify 'file' and "
                       "'filename' options at the same time");
@@ -813,7 +817,10 @@ int bdrv_file_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
         drv = bdrv_find_whitelisted_format(drvname, !(flags & BDRV_O_RDWR));
         qdict_del(options, "driver");
     } else if (filename) {
-        drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename);
+        drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename, allow_protocol_prefix);
+        if (!drv) {
+            qerror_report(ERROR_CLASS_GENERIC_ERROR, "Unknown protocol");
+        }
     } else {
         qerror_report(ERROR_CLASS_GENERIC_ERROR,
                       "Must specify either driver or file");
@@ -4452,7 +4459,7 @@ void bdrv_img_create(const char *filename, const char *fmt,
         return;
     }
 
-    proto_drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename);
+    proto_drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename, true);
     if (!proto_drv) {
         error_setg(errp, "Unknown protocol '%s'", filename);
         return;
diff --git a/block/sheepdog.c b/block/sheepdog.c
index b397b5b4d3..6a41ad9b3c 100644
--- a/block/sheepdog.c
+++ b/block/sheepdog.c
@@ -1510,7 +1510,7 @@ static int sd_create(const char *filename, QEMUOptionParameter *options)
         BlockDriver *drv;
 
         /* Currently, only Sheepdog backing image is supported. */
-        drv = bdrv_find_protocol(backing_file);
+        drv = bdrv_find_protocol(backing_file, true);
         if (!drv || strcmp(drv->protocol_name, "sheepdog") != 0) {
             error_report("backing_file must be a sheepdog image");
             ret = -EINVAL;
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index dd8eca1be1..eeb48162af 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ bool bdrv_io_limits_enabled(BlockDriverState *bs);
 
 void bdrv_init(void);
 void bdrv_init_with_whitelist(void);
-BlockDriver *bdrv_find_protocol(const char *filename);
+BlockDriver *bdrv_find_protocol(const char *filename,
+                                bool allow_protocol_prefix);
 BlockDriver *bdrv_find_format(const char *format_name);
 BlockDriver *bdrv_find_whitelisted_format(const char *format_name,
                                           bool readonly);
diff --git a/qemu-img.c b/qemu-img.c
index f8c97d34d1..c55ca5c557 100644
--- a/qemu-img.c
+++ b/qemu-img.c
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ static int print_block_option_help(const char *filename, const char *fmt)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    proto_drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename);
+    proto_drv = bdrv_find_protocol(filename, true);
     if (!proto_drv) {
         error_report("Unknown protocol '%s'", filename);
         return 1;
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ static int img_convert(int argc, char **argv)
         goto out;
     }
 
-    proto_drv = bdrv_find_protocol(out_filename);
+    proto_drv = bdrv_find_protocol(out_filename, true);
     if (!proto_drv) {
         error_report("Unknown protocol '%s'", out_filename);
         ret = -1;
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/051 b/tests/qemu-iotests/051
index 8039e23ab3..1cf8bf79b6 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/051
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/051
@@ -149,6 +149,18 @@ echo
 run_qemu -drive file=$TEST_IMG,file.driver=file
 run_qemu -drive file=$TEST_IMG,file.driver=qcow2
 
+echo
+echo === Parsing protocol from file name ===
+echo
+
+# Protocol strings are supposed to be parsed from traditional option strings,
+# but not when using driver-specific options. We can distinguish them by the
+# error message for non-existing files.
+
+run_qemu -hda foo:bar
+run_qemu -drive file=foo:bar
+run_qemu -drive file.filename=foo:bar
+
 # success, all done
 echo "*** done"
 rm -f $seq.full
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/051.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/051.out
index 3d1ac7b7da..6b3d63612e 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/051.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/051.out
@@ -169,4 +169,18 @@ Testing: -drive file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2,file.driver=qcow2
 QEMU_PROG: -drive file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2,file.driver=qcow2: Can't use 'qcow2' as a block driver for the protocol level
 QEMU_PROG: -drive file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2,file.driver=qcow2: could not open disk image TEST_DIR/t.qcow2: Invalid argument
 
+
+=== Parsing protocol from file name ===
+
+Testing: -hda foo:bar
+QEMU_PROG: -hda foo:bar: Unknown protocol
+QEMU_PROG: -hda foo:bar: could not open disk image foo:bar: No such file or directory
+
+Testing: -drive file=foo:bar
+QEMU_PROG: -drive file=foo:bar: Unknown protocol
+QEMU_PROG: -drive file=foo:bar: could not open disk image foo:bar: No such file or directory
+
+Testing: -drive file.filename=foo:bar
+QEMU_PROG: -drive file.filename=foo:bar: could not open disk image ide0-hd0: No such file or directory
+
 *** done