diff --git a/plugins/hypervisors/kvm/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/kvm/storage/LibvirtStorageAdaptor.java b/plugins/hypervisors/kvm/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/kvm/storage/LibvirtStorageAdaptor.java
index 8f58719e7be..e7e4bbf2c30 100644
--- a/plugins/hypervisors/kvm/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/kvm/storage/LibvirtStorageAdaptor.java
+++ b/plugins/hypervisors/kvm/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/kvm/storage/LibvirtStorageAdaptor.java
@@ -465,7 +465,8 @@ public class LibvirtStorageAdaptor implements StorageAdaptor {
                     StoragePool p = conn.storagePoolLookupByName(poolname);
                     LibvirtStoragePoolDef pdef = getStoragePoolDef(conn, p);
 
-                    if (pdef.getTargetPath().equals(path)) {
+                    String targetPath = pdef.getTargetPath();
+                    if (targetPath != null && targetPath.equals(path)) {
                         s_logger.debug("Storage pool utilizing path '" + path + "' already exists as pool "
                                        + poolname + ", undefining so we can re-define with correct name " + name);
                         if (p.isPersistent() == 1) {