diff --git a/block/ssh.c b/block/ssh.c
index cf43bc0f8946c0b7f9deb89228e26741e09eb377..f466cbf396625e72ec33440ff92280d30145424a 100644
--- a/block/ssh.c
+++ b/block/ssh.c
@@ -517,6 +517,11 @@ static int connect_to_ssh(BDRVSSHState *s, QDict *options,
     const char *host, *user, *path, *host_key_check;
     int port;
 
+    if (!qdict_haskey(options, "host")) {
+        ret = -EINVAL;
+        error_setg(errp, "No hostname was specified");
+        goto err;
+    }
     host = qdict_get_str(options, "host");
 
     if (qdict_haskey(options, "port")) {
@@ -525,6 +530,11 @@ static int connect_to_ssh(BDRVSSHState *s, QDict *options,
         port = 22;
     }
 
+    if (!qdict_haskey(options, "path")) {
+        ret = -EINVAL;
+        error_setg(errp, "No path was specified");
+        goto err;
+    }
     path = qdict_get_str(options, "path");
 
     if (qdict_haskey(options, "user")) {