diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 6ba1eea99b..5f7ef1952d 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -10099,7 +10099,7 @@ virDomainLeaseRemove(virDomainDefPtr def,
     return virDomainLeaseRemoveAt(def, idx);
 }
 
-static bool
+bool
 virDomainChrEquals(virDomainChrDefPtr src,
                    virDomainChrDefPtr tgt)
 {
@@ -18036,9 +18036,11 @@ virDomainDeviceDefCopy(virDomainDeviceDefPtr src,
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_RNG:
         rc = virDomainRNGDefFormat(&buf, src->data.rng, flags);
         break;
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_CHR:
+        rc = virDomainChrDefFormat(&buf, src->data.chr, flags);
+        break;
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NONE:
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_SMARTCARD:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_CHR:
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_MEMBALLOON:
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_NVRAM:
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_LAST:
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index ef72d24830..c26f4e2a44 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2399,6 +2399,9 @@ virDomainChrGetDomainPtrs(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 virDomainChrDefPtr
 virDomainChrFind(virDomainDefPtr def,
                  virDomainChrDefPtr target);
+bool
+virDomainChrEquals(virDomainChrDefPtr src,
+                   virDomainChrDefPtr tgt);
 int
 virDomainChrInsert(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
                    virDomainChrDefPtr chr);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 3c27041ed1..fc4e750b53 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ virDomainChrConsoleTargetTypeToString;
 virDomainChrDefForeach;
 virDomainChrDefFree;
 virDomainChrDefNew;
+virDomainChrEquals;
 virDomainChrFind;
 virDomainChrGetDomainPtrs;
 virDomainChrInsert;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 495867a50c..852db8ba0e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -6686,6 +6686,12 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceConfig(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
             return -1;
         break;
 
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_CHR:
+        if (qemuDomainChrInsert(vmdef, dev->data.chr) < 0)
+            return -1;
+        dev->data.chr = NULL;
+        break;
+
     default:
          virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED,
                         _("persistent attach of device '%s' is not supported"),
@@ -6705,6 +6711,7 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
     virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev, det_hostdev;
     virDomainLeaseDefPtr lease, det_lease;
     virDomainControllerDefPtr cont, det_cont;
+    virDomainChrDefPtr chr;
     int idx;
     char mac[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
@@ -6772,6 +6779,15 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
 
         break;
 
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_CHR:
+        if (!(chr = qemuDomainChrRemove(vmdef, dev->data.chr)))
+            return -1;
+
+        virDomainChrDefFree(chr);
+        virDomainChrDefFree(dev->data.chr);
+        dev->data.chr = NULL;
+        break;
+
     default:
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED,
                        _("persistent detach of device '%s' is not supported"),
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index ac9350b0cf..dc24ea4485 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1172,6 +1172,78 @@ error:
 
 }
 
+int
+qemuDomainChrInsert(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
+                    virDomainChrDefPtr chr)
+{
+    if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE &&
+        chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_SERIAL) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("attaching serial console is not supported"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (virDomainChrFind(vmdef, chr)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID, "%s",
+                       _("chardev already exists"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (virDomainChrInsert(vmdef, chr) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    /* Due to some crazy backcompat stuff, the first serial device is an alias
+     * to the first console too. If this is the case, the definition must be
+     * duplicated as first console device. */
+    if (vmdef->nserials == 1 && vmdef->nconsoles == 0) {
+        if ((!vmdef->consoles && VIR_ALLOC(vmdef->consoles) < 0) ||
+            VIR_ALLOC(vmdef->consoles[0]) < 0) {
+            virDomainChrRemove(vmdef, chr);
+            return -1;
+        }
+        vmdef->nconsoles = 1;
+
+        /* Create an console alias for the serial port */
+        vmdef->consoles[0]->deviceType = VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE;
+        vmdef->consoles[0]->targetType = VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_SERIAL;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+virDomainChrDefPtr
+qemuDomainChrRemove(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
+                    virDomainChrDefPtr chr)
+{
+    virDomainChrDefPtr ret;
+    bool removeCompat;
+
+    if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE &&
+        chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_SERIAL) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID, "%s",
+                       _("detaching serial console is not supported"));
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    /* Due to some crazy backcompat stuff, the first serial device is an alias
+     * to the first console too. If this is the case, the definition must be
+     * duplicated as first console device. */
+    removeCompat = vmdef->nserials && vmdef->nconsoles &&
+        vmdef->consoles[0]->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE &&
+        vmdef->consoles[0]->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_SERIAL &&
+        virDomainChrEquals(vmdef->serials[0], chr);
+
+    if (!(ret = virDomainChrRemove(vmdef, chr))) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s",
+                       _("device not present in domain configuration"));
+            return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (removeCompat)
+        VIR_DELETE_ELEMENT(vmdef->consoles, 0, vmdef->nconsoles);
+
+    return ret;
+}
 int qemuDomainAttachHostUsbDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                   virDomainObjPtr vm,
                                   virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev)
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.h b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.h
index da20eb1fe9..c947d56258 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.h
@@ -106,4 +106,11 @@ int qemuDomainDetachLease(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                           virDomainLeaseDefPtr lease);
 
 
+int
+qemuDomainChrInsert(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
+                    virDomainChrDefPtr chr);
+virDomainChrDefPtr
+qemuDomainChrRemove(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
+                    virDomainChrDefPtr chr);
+
 #endif /* __QEMU_HOTPLUG_H__ */