diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend.c b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
index 8953068c3c..a8fff149ce 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
@@ -2072,6 +2072,47 @@ virStorageBackendStablePath(virStoragePoolObjPtr pool,
     return stablepath;
 }
 
+/*
+ *  Check whether the ploop image has snapshots.
+ *  return: -1 - failed to check
+ *           0 - no snapshots
+ *           1 - at least one snapshot
+ */
+static int
+virStorageBackendPloopHasSnapshots(char *path)
+{
+    virCommandPtr cmd = NULL;
+    char *output = NULL;
+    char *snap_tool = NULL;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    snap_tool = virFindFileInPath("ploop");
+    if (!snap_tool) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                       "%s", _("unable to find ploop, please install "
+                               "ploop tools"));
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    cmd = virCommandNewArgList(snap_tool, "snapshot-list", NULL);
+    virCommandAddArgFormat(cmd, "%s/DiskDescriptor.xml", path);
+    virCommandSetOutputBuffer(cmd, &output);
+
+    if ((ret = virCommandRun(cmd, NULL)) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (!strstr(output, "root.hds.")) {
+        ret = 1;
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+    ret = 0;
+
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(output);
+    virCommandFree(cmd);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 int
 virStorageBackendVolUploadLocal(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                                 virStoragePoolObjPtr pool ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
@@ -2081,12 +2122,41 @@ virStorageBackendVolUploadLocal(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                                 unsigned long long len,
                                 unsigned int flags)
 {
+    char *path = NULL;
+    char *target_path = vol->target.path;
+    int ret = -1;
+    int has_snap = 0;
+
     virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    /* if volume has target format VIR_STORAGE_FILE_PLOOP
+     * we need to restore DiskDescriptor.xml, according to
+     * new contents of volume. This operation will be perfomed
+     * when volUpload is fully finished. */
+    if (vol->target.format == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_PLOOP) {
+        /* Fail if the volume contains snapshots or we failed to check it.*/
+        has_snap = virStorageBackendPloopHasSnapshots(vol->target.path);
+        if (has_snap < 0) {
+            goto cleanup;
+        } else if (!has_snap) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                           _("can't upload volume, all existing snapshots"
+                             " will be lost"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+
+        if (virAsprintf(&path, "%s/root.hds", vol->target.path) < 0)
+            return -1;
+        target_path = path;
+    }
 
     /* Not using O_CREAT because the file is required to already exist at
      * this point */
-    return virFDStreamOpenBlockDevice(stream, vol->target.path,
-                                      offset, len, O_WRONLY);
+    ret = virFDStreamOpenBlockDevice(stream, target_path,
+                                     offset, len, O_WRONLY);
+
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(path);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int
@@ -2098,10 +2168,33 @@ virStorageBackendVolDownloadLocal(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                                   unsigned long long len,
                                   unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    char *path = NULL;
+    char *target_path = vol->target.path;
+    int ret = -1;
+    int has_snap = 0;
 
-    return virFDStreamOpenBlockDevice(stream, vol->target.path,
-                                      offset, len, O_RDONLY);
+    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    if (vol->target.format == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_PLOOP) {
+        has_snap = virStorageBackendPloopHasSnapshots(vol->target.path);
+        if (has_snap < 0) {
+            goto cleanup;
+        } else if (!has_snap) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                           _("can't download volume, all existing snapshots"
+                             " will be lost"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        if (virAsprintf(&path, "%s/root.hds", vol->target.path) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+        target_path = path;
+    }
+
+    ret = virFDStreamOpenBlockDevice(stream, target_path,
+                                     offset, len, O_RDONLY);
+
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(path);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_driver.c b/src/storage/storage_driver.c
index 1d96618b16..fcc0991a68 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_driver.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_driver.c
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ typedef struct _virStorageVolStreamInfo virStorageVolStreamInfo;
 typedef virStorageVolStreamInfo *virStorageVolStreamInfoPtr;
 struct _virStorageVolStreamInfo {
     char *pool_name;
+    char *vol_path;
 };
 
 static void storageDriverLock(void)
@@ -2204,6 +2205,48 @@ virStorageVolPoolRefreshDataFree(void *opaque)
     VIR_FREE(cbdata);
 }
 
+static int
+virStorageBackendPloopRestoreDesc(char *path)
+{
+    int ret = -1;
+    virCommandPtr cmd = NULL;
+    char *refresh_tool = NULL;
+    char *desc = NULL;
+
+    if (virAsprintf(&desc, "%s/DiskDescriptor.xml", path) < 0)
+        return ret;
+
+    if (virFileRemove(desc, 0, 0) < 0) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                       _("refresh ploop failed:"
+                         " unuble to delete DiskDescriptor.xml"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    refresh_tool = virFindFileInPath("ploop");
+    if (!refresh_tool) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                       _("unable to find ploop, please install ploop tools"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    cmd = virCommandNewArgList(refresh_tool, "restore-descriptor",
+                               path, NULL);
+    virCommandAddArgFormat(cmd, "%s/root.hds", path);
+    if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    ret = 0;
+
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(refresh_tool);
+    virCommandFree(cmd);
+    VIR_FREE(desc);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
+
 /**
  * Thread to handle the pool refresh
  *
@@ -2219,6 +2262,10 @@ virStorageVolPoolRefreshThread(void *opaque)
     virStorageBackendPtr backend;
 
     storageDriverLock();
+    if (cbdata->vol_path) {
+        if (virStorageBackendPloopRestoreDesc(cbdata->vol_path) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
     if (!(pool = virStoragePoolObjFindByName(&driver->pools,
                                              cbdata->pool_name)))
         goto cleanup;
@@ -2313,6 +2360,9 @@ storageVolUpload(virStorageVolPtr obj,
         if (VIR_ALLOC(cbdata) < 0 ||
             VIR_STRDUP(cbdata->pool_name, pool->def->name) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
+        if (vol->target.type == VIR_STORAGE_VOL_PLOOP &&
+            VIR_STRDUP(cbdata->vol_path, vol->target.path) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if ((ret = backend->uploadVol(obj->conn, pool, vol, stream,