diff --git a/drivers/misc/vmw_vmci/vmci_host.c b/drivers/misc/vmw_vmci/vmci_host.c
index b64944367ac5..4804aa668e47 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/vmw_vmci/vmci_host.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/vmw_vmci/vmci_host.c
@@ -433,6 +433,9 @@ static int vmci_host_do_receive_datagram(struct vmci_host_dev *vmci_host_dev,
 	recv_info.result = vmci_ctx_dequeue_datagram(vmci_host_dev->context,
 						     &size, &dg);
 
+	if (!vmci_host_code_active())
+		return VMCI_ERROR_UNAVAILABLE;
+
 	if (recv_info.result >= VMCI_SUCCESS) {
 		void __user *ubuf = (void __user *)(uintptr_t)recv_info.addr;
 		retval = copy_to_user(ubuf, dg, VMCI_DG_SIZE(dg));