diff --git a/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_console.c b/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_console.c
index 75f50614e..d3b0fb857 100644
--- a/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_console.c
+++ b/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_console.c
@@ -392,7 +392,10 @@ virtio_console_notify_tx(void *vdev, struct virtio_vq_info *vq)
 	port = virtio_console_vq_to_port(console, vq);
 
 	while (vq_has_descs(vq)) {
-		vq_getchain(vq, &idx, iov, 1, flags);
+		if (vq_getchain(vq, &idx, iov, 1, flags) < 1) {
+			pr_err("%s: fail to getchain!\n", __func__);
+			break;
+		}
 		if ((port != NULL) && (port->cb != NULL))
 			port->cb(port, port->arg, iov, 1);
 
@@ -481,6 +484,10 @@ virtio_console_backend_read(int fd __attribute__((unused)),
 
 	do {
 		n = vq_getchain(vq, &idx, &iov, 1, NULL);
+		if (n < 1){
+			pr_err("%s: fail to getchain!\n", __func__);
+			break;
+		}
 		len = readv(be->fd, &iov, n);
 		if (len <= 0) {
 			vq_retchain(vq);
diff --git a/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_gpio.c b/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_gpio.c
index ed70e2444..110f6bacd 100644
--- a/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_gpio.c
+++ b/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_gpio.c
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ virtio_gpio_notify(void *vdev, struct virtio_vq_info *vq)
 	gpio = (struct virtio_gpio *)vdev;
 	if (vq_has_descs(vq)) {
 		n = vq_getchain(vq, &idx, iov, 2, NULL);
-		if (n >= 3) {
+		if (n < 1 || n >= 3) {
 			WPRINTF(("virtio gpio, invalid chain number %d\n", n));
 			virtio_gpio_abort(vq, idx);
 			return;
diff --git a/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_rnd.c b/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_rnd.c
index 247142320..2beec5016 100644
--- a/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_rnd.c
+++ b/devicemodel/hw/pci/virtio/virtio_rnd.c
@@ -322,7 +322,10 @@ virtio_rnd_get_entropy(void *param)
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&rnd->rx_mtx);
 
 		do {
-			vq_getchain(vq, &idx, &iov, 1, NULL);
+			if (vq_getchain(vq, &idx, &iov, 1, NULL) < 1) {
+				pr_err("%s: fail to getchain!\n", __func__);
+				break;
+			}
 			len = read(rnd->fd, iov.iov_base, iov.iov_len);
 			if (len <= 0) {
 				vq_retchain(vq);
diff --git a/devicemodel/include/virtio.h b/devicemodel/include/virtio.h
index 5793db382..6581b5cfd 100644
--- a/devicemodel/include/virtio.h
+++ b/devicemodel/include/virtio.h
@@ -477,8 +477,15 @@ vq_ring_ready(struct virtio_vq_info *vq)
 static inline bool
 vq_has_descs(struct virtio_vq_info *vq)
 {
-	return (vq_ring_ready(vq) && vq->last_avail !=
-	    vq->avail->idx);
+	bool ret = false;
+	if (vq_ring_ready(vq) && vq->last_avail != vq->avail->idx) {
+		if ((uint16_t)((u_int)vq->avail->idx - vq->last_avail) > vq->qsize)
+			pr_err ("%s: no valid descriptor\n", vq->base->vops->name);
+		else
+			ret = true;
+	}
+	return ret;
+
 }
 
 /**