diff --git a/core-modules/000QubesVm.py b/core-modules/000QubesVm.py
index db1bfba2..2f0067f3 100644
--- a/core-modules/000QubesVm.py
+++ b/core-modules/000QubesVm.py
@@ -654,9 +654,8 @@ class QubesVm(object):
     @property
     def qdb(self):
         if self._qdb_connection is None:
-            if self.is_running():
-                from qubes.qdb import QubesDB
-                self._qdb_connection = QubesDB(self.name)
+            from qubes.qdb import QubesDB
+            self._qdb_connection = QubesDB(self.name)
         return self._qdb_connection
 
     @property
@@ -705,6 +704,10 @@ class QubesVm(object):
         # obsoleted
         return self.uuid
 
+    def refresh(self):
+        self._libvirt_domain = None
+        self._qdb_connection = None
+
     def get_mem(self):
         if dry_run:
             return 666
diff --git a/core/qubesutils.py b/core/qubesutils.py
index caba23dd..5c92d75c 100644
--- a/core/qubesutils.py
+++ b/core/qubesutils.py
@@ -244,8 +244,7 @@ def block_list_vm(vm, system_disks = False):
     try:
         untrusted_devices = vm.qdb.multiread('/qubes-block-devices/')
     except DisconnectedError:
-        # FIXME: find some better way to do that
-        vm._qdb_connection = None
+        vm.refresh()
         return {}
 
     def get_dev_item(dev, item):