diff --git a/src/devices/src/virtio/file_traits.rs b/src/devices/src/virtio/file_traits.rs
index cad0ff93..17246985 100644
--- a/src/devices/src/virtio/file_traits.rs
+++ b/src/devices/src/virtio/file_traits.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ use std::os::unix::io::AsRawFd;
 
 use vm_memory::VolatileSlice;
 
-use libc::{c_int, c_void, read, readv, size_t, write, writev};
-
 use super::bindings::{off64_t, pread64, preadv64, pwrite64, pwritev64};
+#[cfg(feature = "blk")]
+use crate::virtio::block::disk;
+use libc::{c_int, c_void, read, readv, size_t, write, writev};
 
 /// A trait for setting the size of a file.
 /// This is equivalent to File's `set_len` method, but
@@ -436,8 +437,27 @@ impl FileReadWriteAtVolatile for imago::SyncFormatAccess<imago::file::File> {
 
     fn write_at_volatile(&self, slice: VolatileSlice, offset: u64) -> Result<usize> {
         let slices = &[&slice];
-        let iovec = imago::io_buffers::IoVector::from_volatile_slice(slices);
-        self.writev(iovec.0, offset)?;
+
+        let (mut iovec, _guard) = imago::io_buffers::IoVector::from_volatile_slice(slices);
+        guard_header_bytes(&iovec, offset)?;
+
+        let mut _copied_head = None;
+        if offset == 0 {
+            let (head, tail) = iovec.split_at(std::cmp::max(self.mem_align(), 4) as u64);
+            _copied_head = Some(head.try_into_owned(self.mem_align())?);
+            let head_slice = _copied_head.as_ref().unwrap().as_ref().into_slice();
+            #[cfg(feature = "blk")]
+            if head_slice.get(0..4) == Some(&disk::QCOW_MAGIC.to_be_bytes()) {
+                return Err(Error::new(
+                    ErrorKind::InvalidData,
+                    "writing QCOW2 header to file",
+                ));
+            }
+
+            iovec = tail.with_inserted(0, head_slice);
+        }
+
+        self.writev(iovec, offset)?;
         Ok(slice.len())
     }
 
@@ -446,7 +466,25 @@ impl FileReadWriteAtVolatile for imago::SyncFormatAccess<imago::file::File> {
             return Ok(0);
         }
 
-        let (iovec, _guard) = imago::io_buffers::IoVector::from_volatile_slice(bufs);
+        let (mut iovec, _guard) = imago::io_buffers::IoVector::from_volatile_slice(bufs);
+        guard_header_bytes(&iovec, offset)?;
+
+        let mut _copied_head = None;
+        if offset == 0 {
+            let (head, tail) = iovec.split_at(std::cmp::max(self.mem_align(), 4) as u64);
+            _copied_head = Some(head.try_into_owned(self.mem_align())?);
+            let head_slice = _copied_head.as_ref().unwrap().as_ref().into_slice();
+            #[cfg(feature = "blk")]
+            if head_slice.get(0..4) == Some(&disk::QCOW_MAGIC.to_be_bytes()) {
+                return Err(Error::new(
+                    ErrorKind::InvalidData,
+                    "writing QCOW2 header to disk image",
+                ));
+            }
+
+            iovec = tail.with_inserted(0, head_slice);
+        }
+
         let full_length = iovec
             .len()
             .try_into()
@@ -455,3 +493,17 @@ impl FileReadWriteAtVolatile for imago::SyncFormatAccess<imago::file::File> {
         Ok(full_length)
     }
 }
+
+fn guard_header_bytes(iovec: &imago::io_buffers::IoVector, offset: u64) -> Result<()> {
+    if (1..4).contains(&offset) || (offset + iovec.len() < 4) {
+        // Make sure the guest writes to the first four bytes as a whole. This is done to prevent a
+        // Raw disk image byte-by-byte, and in any order, writing the header of a formatted disk
+        // image into the first sector of the disk image.
+        return Err(Error::new(
+            ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+            "partial write to first four bytes of disk image",
+        ));
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}