diff --git a/blockdev-nbd.c b/blockdev-nbd.c
index 7f6531cba0..711e0e72bd 100644
--- a/blockdev-nbd.c
+++ b/blockdev-nbd.c
@@ -30,18 +30,18 @@ typedef struct NBDServerData {
 } NBDServerData;
 
 static NBDServerData *nbd_server;
-static bool is_qemu_nbd;
+static int qemu_nbd_connections = -1; /* Non-negative if this is qemu-nbd */
 
 static void nbd_update_server_watch(NBDServerData *s);
 
-void nbd_server_is_qemu_nbd(bool value)
+void nbd_server_is_qemu_nbd(int max_connections)
 {
-    is_qemu_nbd = value;
+    qemu_nbd_connections = max_connections;
 }
 
 bool nbd_server_is_running(void)
 {
-    return nbd_server || is_qemu_nbd;
+    return nbd_server || qemu_nbd_connections >= 0;
 }
 
 static void nbd_blockdev_client_closed(NBDClient *client, bool ignored)
diff --git a/include/block/nbd.h b/include/block/nbd.h
index a98eb665da..c5a29ce1c6 100644
--- a/include/block/nbd.h
+++ b/include/block/nbd.h
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ void nbd_client_new(QIOChannelSocket *sioc,
 void nbd_client_get(NBDClient *client);
 void nbd_client_put(NBDClient *client);
 
-void nbd_server_is_qemu_nbd(bool value);
+void nbd_server_is_qemu_nbd(int max_connections);
 bool nbd_server_is_running(void);
 void nbd_server_start(SocketAddress *addr, const char *tls_creds,
                       const char *tls_authz, uint32_t max_connections,
diff --git a/qemu-nbd.c b/qemu-nbd.c
index 2382b5042a..0cd5aa6f02 100644
--- a/qemu-nbd.c
+++ b/qemu-nbd.c
@@ -1095,7 +1095,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     bs->detect_zeroes = detect_zeroes;
 
-    nbd_server_is_qemu_nbd(true);
+    nbd_server_is_qemu_nbd(shared);
 
     export_opts = g_new(BlockExportOptions, 1);
     *export_opts = (BlockExportOptions) {