diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 1d9eb17a86..1479db9402 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2244,6 +2244,7 @@ virJSONValueObjectGetValue;
 virJSONValueObjectHasKey;
 virJSONValueObjectIsNull;
 virJSONValueObjectKeysNumber;
+virJSONValueObjectPrependString;
 virJSONValueObjectRemoveKey;
 virJSONValueObjectStealArray;
 virJSONValueObjectStealObject;
diff --git a/src/util/virjson.c b/src/util/virjson.c
index d2664b9d57..1cf2fb1e5c 100644
--- a/src/util/virjson.c
+++ b/src/util/virjson.c
@@ -606,10 +606,11 @@ virJSONValueNewObject(void)
 }
 
 
-int
-virJSONValueObjectAppend(virJSONValuePtr object,
+static int
+virJSONValueObjectInsert(virJSONValuePtr object,
                          const char *key,
-                         virJSONValuePtr value)
+                         virJSONValuePtr value,
+                         bool prepend)
 {
     virJSONObjectPair pair = { NULL, value };
     int ret = -1;
@@ -628,27 +629,60 @@ virJSONValueObjectAppend(virJSONValuePtr object,
     if (VIR_STRDUP(pair.key, key) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    ret = VIR_APPEND_ELEMENT(object->data.object.pairs,
-                             object->data.object.npairs, pair);
+    if (prepend) {
+        ret = VIR_INSERT_ELEMENT(object->data.object.pairs, 0,
+                                 object->data.object.npairs, pair);
+    } else {
+        ret = VIR_APPEND_ELEMENT(object->data.object.pairs,
+                                 object->data.object.npairs, pair);
+    }
 
     VIR_FREE(pair.key);
     return ret;
 }
 
 
+int
+virJSONValueObjectAppend(virJSONValuePtr object,
+                         const char *key,
+                         virJSONValuePtr value)
+{
+    return virJSONValueObjectInsert(object, key, value, false);
+}
+
+
+static int
+virJSONValueObjectInsertString(virJSONValuePtr object,
+                               const char *key,
+                               const char *value,
+                               bool prepend)
+{
+    virJSONValuePtr jvalue = virJSONValueNewString(value);
+    if (!jvalue)
+        return -1;
+    if (virJSONValueObjectInsert(object, key, jvalue, prepend) < 0) {
+        virJSONValueFree(jvalue);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 int
 virJSONValueObjectAppendString(virJSONValuePtr object,
                                const char *key,
                                const char *value)
 {
-    virJSONValuePtr jvalue = virJSONValueNewString(value);
-    if (!jvalue)
-        return -1;
-    if (virJSONValueObjectAppend(object, key, jvalue) < 0) {
-        virJSONValueFree(jvalue);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
+    return virJSONValueObjectInsertString(object, key, value, false);
+}
+
+
+int
+virJSONValueObjectPrependString(virJSONValuePtr object,
+                                const char *key,
+                                const char *value)
+{
+    return virJSONValueObjectInsertString(object, key, value, true);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/util/virjson.h b/src/util/virjson.h
index 41404a9a3e..a5f959595f 100644
--- a/src/util/virjson.h
+++ b/src/util/virjson.h
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ int virJSONValueObjectGetBoolean(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, bool *
 int virJSONValueObjectIsNull(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key);
 
 int virJSONValueObjectAppendString(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, const char *value);
+int virJSONValueObjectPrependString(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, const char *value);
 int virJSONValueObjectAppendNumberInt(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, int number);
 int virJSONValueObjectAppendNumberUint(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, unsigned int number);
 int virJSONValueObjectAppendNumberLong(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, long long number);