diff --git a/PVE/QemuServer.pm b/PVE/QemuServer.pm
index 455f0fe1..f7212389 100644
--- a/PVE/QemuServer.pm
+++ b/PVE/QemuServer.pm
@@ -7203,6 +7203,15 @@ sub version_cmp {
     return 0;
 }
 
+sub runs_at_least_qemu_version {
+    my ($vmid, $major, $minor, $extra) = @_;
+
+    my $v = PVE::QemuServer::vm_qmp_command($vmid, { execute => 'query-version' });
+    $v = $v->{qemu};
+
+    return version_cmp($v->{major}, $major, $v->{minor}, $minor, $v->{micro}, $extra) >= 0;
+}
+
 sub qemu_machine_pxe {
     my ($vmid, $conf) = @_;
 
diff --git a/PVE/VZDump/QemuServer.pm b/PVE/VZDump/QemuServer.pm
index ad96b013..955339a2 100644
--- a/PVE/VZDump/QemuServer.pm
+++ b/PVE/VZDump/QemuServer.pm
@@ -77,7 +77,10 @@ sub prepare {
 	    $self->loginfo("exclude disk '$ds' '$volid' (backup=no)");
 	    return;
 	} elsif ($drive->{iothread}) {
-	    die "disk '$ds' '$volid' (iothread=on) can't use backup feature currently. Please set backup=no for this drive";
+	    if (!PVE::QemuServer::runs_at_least_qemu_version($vmid, 4, 0, 1)) {
+		die "disk '$ds' '$volid' (iothread=on) can't use backup feature with running QEMU " .
+		    "version < 4.0.1! Either set backup=no for this drive or upgrade QEMU and restart VM\n";
+	    }
 	} else {
 	    my $log = "include disk '$ds' '$volid'";
 	   if (defined $drive->{size}) {