diff --git a/qubes/app.py b/qubes/app.py
index 805a64f4..c87c073c 100644
--- a/qubes/app.py
+++ b/qubes/app.py
@@ -437,14 +437,17 @@ class VMCollection(object):
 
         raise KeyError(key)
 
-
     def __delitem__(self, key):
         vm = self[key]
+        if not vm.is_halted():
+            msg = "Can't remove, vm {!s}, beacuse it's in state {!s}."
+            msg = msg.format(vm, vm.get_power_state())
+            raise qubes.exc.QubesVMNotHaltedError(msg)
         self.app.fire_event_pre('domain-pre-delete', vm)
+        vm.libvirt_domain.undefine()
         del self._dict[vm.qid]
         self.app.fire_event('domain-delete', vm)
 
-
     def __contains__(self, key):
         return any((key == vm or key == vm.qid or key == vm.name)
                    for vm in self)
diff --git a/qubes/tools/qvm_remove.py b/qubes/tools/qvm_remove.py
index e2a813a1..b20bcbaf 100644
--- a/qubes/tools/qvm_remove.py
+++ b/qubes/tools/qvm_remove.py
@@ -40,12 +40,8 @@ parser.add_argument('--just-db',
 def main(args=None):  # pylint: disable=missing-docstring
     args = parser.parse_args(args)
     for vm in args.domains:
-        if not vm.is_halted():
-            parser.print_error('VM {!s} not halted'.format(vm))
-            return 1
         del args.app.domains[vm.qid]
         args.app.save()
-        vm.libvirt_domain.undefine()
         if not args.just_db:
             vm.remove_from_disk()
 
diff --git a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
index afe1a21e..0db875eb 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
@@ -1089,6 +1089,11 @@ class QubesVM(qubes.vm.mix.net.NetVMMixin, qubes.vm.BaseVM):
 
     def remove_from_disk(self):
         '''Remove domain remnants from disk.'''
+        if not self.is_halted():
+            msg = "Can't remove, vm {!s}, beacuse it's in state {!s}."
+            msg = msg.format(self, self.get_power_state())
+            raise qubes.exc.QubesVMNotHaltedError(msg)
+
         self.fire_event('domain-remove-from-disk')
         self.storage.remove()
         shutil.rmtree(self.dir_path)