diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c
index 1d99ba6c96..8fbc554a0a 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_domain.c
@@ -170,6 +170,20 @@ bhyveDomainDeviceDefPostParse(virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
         dev->data.video->type = VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_TYPE_GOP;
     }
 
+    if (dev->type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_CHR &&
+        dev->data.chr->source->type == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_NMDM) {
+        virDomainChrDefPtr chr = dev->data.chr;
+
+        if (!chr->source->data.nmdm.master) {
+            char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
+
+            virUUIDFormat(def->uuid, uuidstr);
+
+            chr->source->data.nmdm.master = g_strdup_printf("/dev/nmdm%sA", uuidstr);
+            chr->source->data.nmdm.slave = g_strdup_printf("/dev/nmdm%sB", uuidstr);
+        }
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_validate.c b/src/conf/domain_validate.c
index 6b3e892332..b6f53886cd 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_validate.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_validate.c
@@ -559,17 +559,14 @@ virDomainChrSourceDefValidate(const virDomainChrSourceDef *src_def,
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_NMDM:
-        if (!src_def->data.nmdm.master) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                           _("Missing master path attribute for nmdm device"));
-            return -1;
+        if ((src_def->data.nmdm.master && !src_def->data.nmdm.slave) ||
+            (!src_def->data.nmdm.master && src_def->data.nmdm.slave)) {
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                               _("Should define both master and slave "
+                                 "path attributes for nmdm device"));
+                return -1;
         }
 
-        if (!src_def->data.nmdm.slave) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                           _("Missing slave path attribute for nmdm device"));
-            return -1;
-        }
         break;
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_TCP:
diff --git a/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.args b/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b24918e7eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.args
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+/usr/sbin/bhyve \
+-c 1 \
+-m 214 \
+-u \
+-H \
+-P \
+-s 0:0,hostbridge \
+-s 1:0,lpc \
+-s 2:0,ahci,hd:/tmp/freebsd.img \
+-s 3:0,virtio-net,faketapdev,mac=52:54:00:b1:42:eb \
+-l com1,/dev/nmdmdf3be7e7-a104-11e3-aeb0-50e5492bd3dcA bhyve
diff --git a/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.ldargs b/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.ldargs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..32538b558e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.ldargs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+/usr/sbin/bhyveload \
+-m 214 \
+-d /tmp/freebsd.img bhyve
diff --git a/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.xml b/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6e198a49d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bhyvexml2argvdata/bhyvexml2argv-console-master-slave-not-specified.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+<domain type='bhyve'>
+  <name>bhyve</name>
+  <uuid>df3be7e7-a104-11e3-aeb0-50e5492bd3dc</uuid>
+  <memory>219136</memory>
+  <vcpu>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type>hvm</type>
+  </os>
+  <devices>
+    <disk type='file'>
+      <driver name='file' type='raw'/>
+      <source file='/tmp/freebsd.img'/>
+      <target dev='hda' bus='sata'/>
+      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='2' unit='0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='52:54:00:b1:42:eb'/>
+      <model type='virtio'/>
+      <source bridge="virbr0"/>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x03' function='0x0'/>
+    </interface>
+    <console type='nmdm'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/bhyvexml2argvtest.c b/tests/bhyvexml2argvtest.c
index be816e554f..197334f9c4 100644
--- a/tests/bhyvexml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/bhyvexml2argvtest.c
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("macaddr");
     DO_TEST("serial");
     DO_TEST("console");
+    DO_TEST("console-master-slave-not-specified");
     DO_TEST("grub-defaults");
     DO_TEST("grub-bootorder");
     DO_TEST("grub-bootorder2");
diff --git a/tests/bhyvexml2xmloutdata/bhyvexml2xmlout-console-master-slave-not-specified.xml b/tests/bhyvexml2xmloutdata/bhyvexml2xmlout-console-master-slave-not-specified.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a2f58a947
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bhyvexml2xmloutdata/bhyvexml2xmlout-console-master-slave-not-specified.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<domain type='bhyve'>
+  <name>bhyve</name>
+  <uuid>df3be7e7-a104-11e3-aeb0-50e5492bd3dc</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219136</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219136</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>1</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='x86_64'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+  </os>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='file' type='raw'/>
+      <source file='/tmp/freebsd.img'/>
+      <target dev='hda' bus='sata'/>
+      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='2' unit='0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <controller type='isa' index='0'>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x01' function='0x0'/>
+    </controller>
+    <controller type='sata' index='0'>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x02' function='0x0'/>
+    </controller>
+    <interface type='bridge'>
+      <mac address='52:54:00:b1:42:eb'/>
+      <source bridge='virbr0'/>
+      <model type='virtio'/>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x03' function='0x0'/>
+    </interface>
+    <serial type='nmdm'>
+      <source master='/dev/nmdmdf3be7e7-a104-11e3-aeb0-50e5492bd3dcA' slave='/dev/nmdmdf3be7e7-a104-11e3-aeb0-50e5492bd3dcB'/>
+      <target port='0'/>
+    </serial>
+    <console type='nmdm'>
+      <source master='/dev/nmdmdf3be7e7-a104-11e3-aeb0-50e5492bd3dcA' slave='/dev/nmdmdf3be7e7-a104-11e3-aeb0-50e5492bd3dcB'/>
+      <target type='serial' port='0'/>
+    </console>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/bhyvexml2xmltest.c b/tests/bhyvexml2xmltest.c
index eb9b108704..428f1b47bb 100644
--- a/tests/bhyvexml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/bhyvexml2xmltest.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("bhyveload-bootorder4");
     DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("bhyveload-explicitargs");
     DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("console");
+    DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("console-master-slave-not-specified");
     DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("custom-loader");
     DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("disk-cdrom");
     DO_TEST_DIFFERENT("disk-cdrom-grub");