diff --git a/include/libvirt/libvirt-qemu.h b/include/libvirt/libvirt-qemu.h
index 9c191c7f1b..9257c2f1eb 100644
--- a/include/libvirt/libvirt-qemu.h
+++ b/include/libvirt/libvirt-qemu.h
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 extern "C" {
 # endif
 
+enum {
+    VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_MONITOR_COMMAND_DEFAULT = 0,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_MONITOR_COMMAND_HMP     = (1 << 0), /* cmd is in HMP */
+} virDomainQemuMonitorCommandFlags;
+
 int virDomainQemuMonitorCommand(virDomainPtr domain, const char *cmd,
                                 char **result, unsigned int flags);
 
diff --git a/src/internal.h b/src/internal.h
index 11ba45f899..e263684839 100644
--- a/src/internal.h
+++ b/src/internal.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 # define N_(str) str
 
 # include "libvirt/libvirt.h"
+# include "libvirt/libvirt-qemu.h"
 # include "libvirt/virterror.h"
 
 # include "libvirt_internal.h"
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index d16a4ab6a9..b9367355a4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -10242,8 +10242,9 @@ static int qemuDomainMonitorCommand(virDomainPtr domain, const char *cmd,
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
+    bool hmp;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_MONITOR_COMMAND_HMP, -1);
 
     qemuDriverLock(driver);
     vm = virDomainFindByUUID(&driver->domains, domain->uuid);
@@ -10269,10 +10270,12 @@ static int qemuDomainMonitorCommand(virDomainPtr domain, const char *cmd,
         priv->monitor_warned = 1;
     }
 
+    hmp = !!(flags & VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_MONITOR_COMMAND_HMP);
+
     if (qemuDomainObjBeginJobWithDriver(driver, vm) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
     qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
-    ret = qemuMonitorArbitraryCommand(priv->mon, cmd, result);
+    ret = qemuMonitorArbitraryCommand(priv->mon, cmd, result, hmp);
     qemuDomainObjExitMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
     if (qemuDomainObjEndJob(vm) == 0) {
         vm = NULL;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
index 0c142770d8..fdb6b79924 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
@@ -2007,14 +2007,17 @@ int qemuMonitorDeleteSnapshot(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *name)
     return ret;
 }
 
-int qemuMonitorArbitraryCommand(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *cmd, char **reply)
+int qemuMonitorArbitraryCommand(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
+                                const char *cmd,
+                                char **reply,
+                                bool hmp)
 {
     int ret;
 
-    DEBUG("mon=%p, cmd=%s, reply=%p", mon, cmd, reply);
+    DEBUG("mon=%p, cmd=%s, reply=%p, hmp=%d", mon, cmd, reply, hmp);
 
     if (mon->json)
-        ret = qemuMonitorJSONArbitraryCommand(mon, cmd, reply);
+        ret = qemuMonitorJSONArbitraryCommand(mon, cmd, reply, hmp);
     else
         ret = qemuMonitorTextArbitraryCommand(mon, cmd, reply);
     return ret;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
index 92c550bc18..0ea1330de0 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
@@ -397,7 +397,10 @@ int qemuMonitorCreateSnapshot(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *name);
 int qemuMonitorLoadSnapshot(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *name);
 int qemuMonitorDeleteSnapshot(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *name);
 
-int qemuMonitorArbitraryCommand(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *cmd, char **reply);
+int qemuMonitorArbitraryCommand(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
+                                const char *cmd,
+                                char **reply,
+                                bool hmp);
 
 /**
  * When running two dd process and using <> redirection, we need a
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
index ca06e7e8d2..d5e8d375e4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
@@ -2457,22 +2457,44 @@ int qemuMonitorJSONDeleteSnapshot(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *name)
 
 int qemuMonitorJSONArbitraryCommand(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                                     const char *cmd_str,
-                                    char **reply_str)
+                                    char **reply_str,
+                                    bool hmp)
 {
     virJSONValuePtr cmd = NULL;
     virJSONValuePtr reply = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
 
-    cmd = virJSONValueFromString(cmd_str);
+    if (!hmp) {
+        cmd = virJSONValueFromString(cmd_str);
+    } else {
+        cmd = qemuMonitorJSONMakeCommand("human-monitor-command",
+                                         "s:command-line", cmd_str,
+                                         NULL);
+    }
+
     if (!cmd)
         return -1;
 
     if (qemuMonitorJSONCommand(mon, cmd, &reply) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    *reply_str = virJSONValueToString(reply);
-    if (!(*reply_str))
+    if (!hmp) {
+        if (!(*reply_str = virJSONValueToString(reply)))
+            goto cleanup;
+    } else if (qemuMonitorJSONCheckError(cmd, reply)) {
         goto cleanup;
+    } else {
+        const char *data;
+        if (!(data = virJSONValueObjectGetString(reply, "return"))) {
+            qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                            _("human monitor command was missing return data"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        if (!(*reply_str = strdup(data))) {
+            virReportOOMError();
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+    }
 
     ret = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
index 4c47f109db..4ae472a720 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ int qemuMonitorJSONDeleteSnapshot(qemuMonitorPtr mon, const char *name);
 
 int qemuMonitorJSONArbitraryCommand(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                                     const char *cmd_str,
-                                    char **reply_str);
+                                    char **reply_str,
+                                    bool hmp);
 
 #endif /* QEMU_MONITOR_JSON_H */
diff --git a/tools/virsh.c b/tools/virsh.c
index 59d099e491..1f820e8b39 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.c
+++ b/tools/virsh.c
@@ -10176,6 +10176,7 @@ static const vshCmdInfo info_qemu_monitor_command[] = {
 static const vshCmdOptDef opts_qemu_monitor_command[] = {
     {"domain", VSH_OT_DATA, VSH_OFLAG_REQ, N_("domain name, id or uuid")},
     {"cmd", VSH_OT_DATA, VSH_OFLAG_REQ, N_("command")},
+    {"hmp", VSH_OT_BOOL, 0, N_("command is in human monitor protocol")},
     {NULL, 0, 0, NULL}
 };
 
@@ -10186,6 +10187,7 @@ cmdQemuMonitorCommand(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     int ret = FALSE;
     char *monitor_cmd;
     char *result = NULL;
+    unsigned int flags = 0;
 
     if (!vshConnectionUsability(ctl, ctl->conn))
         goto cleanup;
@@ -10200,7 +10202,10 @@ cmdQemuMonitorCommand(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (virDomainQemuMonitorCommand(dom, monitor_cmd, &result, 0) < 0)
+    if (vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "hmp"))
+        flags |= VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_MONITOR_COMMAND_HMP;
+
+    if (virDomainQemuMonitorCommand(dom, monitor_cmd, &result, flags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     printf("%s\n", result);
diff --git a/tools/virsh.pod b/tools/virsh.pod
index d6a16f2d4f..bfaa67ec45 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.pod
+++ b/tools/virsh.pod
@@ -1253,10 +1253,13 @@ problems to the libvirt developers; the reports will be ignored.
 
 =over 4
 
-=item B<qemu-monitor-command> I<domain> I<command>
+=item B<qemu-monitor-command> I<domain> I<command> optional I<--hmp>
 
 Send an arbitrary monitor command I<command> to domain I<domain> through the
-qemu monitor.  The results of the command will be printed on stdout.
+qemu monitor.  The results of the command will be printed on stdout.  If
+I<--hmp> is passed, the command is considered to be a human monitor command
+and libvirt will automatically convert it into QMP if needed.  In that case
+the result will also be converted back from QMP.
 
 =back