diff --git a/generator/actions_properties.ml b/generator/actions_properties.ml
index 61fca197a..c6474763f 100644
--- a/generator/actions_properties.ml
+++ b/generator/actions_properties.ml
@@ -59,8 +59,12 @@ the qemu binary at the same time as the handle is created.|} };
     longdesc = "\
 Return the current hypervisor binary.
 
-This is always non-NULL.  If it wasn't set already, then this will
-return the default qemu binary name." };
+If it wasn't set already, then this will return the default
+qemu binary name.
+
+For some backends this may return an error if called before
+launch since it may not be possible to get the default hypervisor
+before the appliance is launched." };
 
   { defaults with
     name = "set_path"; added = (0, 0, 3);
diff --git a/lib/handle.c b/lib/handle.c
index 12fbf800e..ab0e1289e 100644
--- a/lib/handle.c
+++ b/lib/handle.c
@@ -575,7 +575,21 @@ guestfs_impl_set_hv (guestfs_h *g, const char *hv)
 char *
 guestfs_impl_get_hv (guestfs_h *g)
 {
-  return safe_strdup (g, g->hv);
+  if (g->hv)
+    return safe_strdup (g, g->hv);
+  else {
+    /* Try to return the default hypervisor. */
+    const char *default_hv;
+
+    if (g->backend_ops && g->backend_data &&
+        (default_hv = g->backend_ops->get_default_hv (g, g->backend_data))
+        != NULL)
+      return safe_strdup (g, default_hv);
+    else {
+      error (g, _("cannot get default hypervisor"));
+      return NULL;
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 int