diff --git a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/StorageVMSnapshotStrategy.java b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/StorageVMSnapshotStrategy.java
index 31b13fc279e3..e439ca182d13 100644
--- a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/StorageVMSnapshotStrategy.java
+++ b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/StorageVMSnapshotStrategy.java
@@ -338,7 +338,9 @@ public boolean revertVMSnapshot(VMSnapshot vmSnapshot) {
     @Override
     public StrategyPriority canHandle(VMSnapshot vmSnapshot) {
        UserVmVO userVm = userVmDao.findById(vmSnapshot.getVmId());
-       if (!VMSnapshot.State.Allocated.equals(vmSnapshot.getState())) {
+       // A snapshot that failed before any disk snapshot was taken (e.g. freeze failed) is in Error state
+       // without STORAGE_SNAPSHOT details. Still handle it, as the default strategy needs a libvirt domain.
+       if (!VMSnapshot.State.Allocated.equals(vmSnapshot.getState()) && !VMSnapshot.State.Error.equals(vmSnapshot.getState())) {
            List<VMSnapshotDetailsVO> vmSnapshotDetails = vmSnapshotDetailsDao.findDetails(vmSnapshot.getId(), STORAGE_SNAPSHOT);
            if (CollectionUtils.isEmpty(vmSnapshotDetails)) {
                return StrategyPriority.CANT_HANDLE;
diff --git a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/test/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/VMSnapshotStrategyKVMTest.java b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/test/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/VMSnapshotStrategyKVMTest.java
index 46ea36eea7e3..cdda21c9be7a 100644
--- a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/test/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/VMSnapshotStrategyKVMTest.java
+++ b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/test/java/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/vmsnapshot/VMSnapshotStrategyKVMTest.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 import org.apache.cloudstack.engine.subsystem.api.storage.SnapshotStrategy;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.engine.subsystem.api.storage.SnapshotStrategy.SnapshotOperation;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.engine.subsystem.api.storage.StorageStrategyFactory;
+import org.apache.cloudstack.engine.subsystem.api.storage.StrategyPriority;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.engine.subsystem.api.storage.VMSnapshotOptions;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.engine.subsystem.api.storage.VolumeDataFactory;
 import org.apache.cloudstack.engine.subsystem.api.storage.VolumeInfo;
@@ -297,6 +298,45 @@ public void testDeleteVMsnapshot() throws AgentUnavailableException, OperationTi
         assertTrue(result);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testCanHandleErrorStateWithNoDiskSnapshots() {
+        // Simulates a failed Instance Snapshot (e.g. freeze failed before any disk snapshot was taken):
+        // no vm_snapshot_details/STORAGE_SNAPSHOT rows exist, but the strategy must still claim it so
+        // delete/cleanup does not fall back to DefaultVMSnapshotStrategy (which needs a live libvirt domain).
+        VMSnapshotVO vmSnapshot = Mockito.mock(VMSnapshotVO.class);
+        Long vmId = 1L;
+        UserVmVO userVmVO = Mockito.mock(UserVmVO.class);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshot.getVmId()).thenReturn(vmId);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshot.getId()).thenReturn(1L);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshot.getState()).thenReturn(VMSnapshot.State.Error);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshot.getType()).thenReturn(VMSnapshot.Type.Disk);
+        Mockito.when(userVmDao.findById(vmId)).thenReturn(userVmVO);
+        Mockito.when(userVmVO.getHypervisorType()).thenReturn(HypervisorType.KVM);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshotDetailsDao.findDetails(ArgumentMatchers.anyLong(), ArgumentMatchers.anyString()))
+                .thenReturn(new ArrayList<>());
+
+        StrategyPriority priority = vmStrategy.canHandle(vmSnapshot);
+        assertEquals(StrategyPriority.HYPERVISOR, priority);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCanHandleReadyStateWithNoDiskSnapshotsCantHandle() {
+        // A Ready snapshot with no persisted disk snapshots is inconsistent state, unrelated to the
+        // Error-before-any-snapshot scenario above, so the existing CANT_HANDLE behaviour is preserved.
+        VMSnapshotVO vmSnapshot = Mockito.mock(VMSnapshotVO.class);
+        Long vmId = 1L;
+        UserVmVO userVmVO = Mockito.mock(UserVmVO.class);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshot.getVmId()).thenReturn(vmId);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshot.getId()).thenReturn(1L);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshot.getState()).thenReturn(VMSnapshot.State.Ready);
+        Mockito.when(userVmDao.findById(vmId)).thenReturn(userVmVO);
+        Mockito.when(vmSnapshotDetailsDao.findDetails(ArgumentMatchers.anyLong(), ArgumentMatchers.anyString()))
+                .thenReturn(new ArrayList<>());
+
+        StrategyPriority priority = vmStrategy.canHandle(vmSnapshot);
+        assertEquals(StrategyPriority.CANT_HANDLE, priority);
+    }
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private SnapshotVO testFindSnapshotByName(String snapshotName) {
         SearchBuilder<SnapshotVO> sb = Mockito.mock(SearchBuilder.class);