diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 15a8576178..a1221ba693 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2652,6 +2652,8 @@ typedef enum {
     /* don't validate os.type and arch against capabilities. Prevents
      * VMs from disappearing when qemu is removed and libvirtd is restarted */
     VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_OSTYPE_CHECKS = 1 << 8,
+    /* allow updates in post parse callback that would break ABI otherwise */
+    VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE = 1 << 9,
 } virDomainDefParseFlags;
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index fc3b60d01c..3c959f6f51 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -1705,7 +1705,8 @@ static virDomainPtr qemuDomainCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn,
     unsigned int start_flags = VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_COLD;
     virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
     virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
-    unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE;
+    unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
+                               VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_START_PAUSED |
                   VIR_DOMAIN_START_AUTODESTROY |
@@ -7146,7 +7147,8 @@ static char *qemuConnectDomainXMLToNative(virConnectPtr conn,
         goto cleanup;
 
     def = virDomainDefParseString(xmlData, caps, driver->xmlopt,
-                                  VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE);
+                                  VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
+                                  VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE);
     if (!def)
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -7460,7 +7462,8 @@ static virDomainPtr qemuDomainDefineXMLFlags(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml
     virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg;
     virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
-    unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE;
+    unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
+                               VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_DEFINE_VALIDATE, NULL);
 
@@ -8430,7 +8433,8 @@ static int qemuDomainAttachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom, const char *xml,
     virDomainDefPtr vmdef = NULL;
     virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev = NULL, dev_copy = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
-    unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE;
+    unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
+                               VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE;
     virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = NULL;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 948ad3b604..3dd3718d09 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -1270,7 +1270,8 @@ qemuMigrationCookieXMLParse(qemuMigrationCookiePtr mig,
         }
         mig->persistent = virDomainDefParseNode(doc, nodes[0],
                                                 caps, driver->xmlopt,
-                                                VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE);
+                                                VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
+                                                VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE);
         if (!mig->persistent) {
             /* virDomainDefParseNode already reported
              * an error for us */