diff --git a/src/conf/device_conf.h b/src/conf/device_conf.h
index 18aa4125fa..1f7e066142 100644
--- a/src/conf/device_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/device_conf.h
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ typedef enum {
 
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName);
 
+struct _virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverInfo {
+    virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName name;
+};
+
 typedef enum {
     VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_NONE = 0,
     VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_PCI,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index d09a0af9a5..295238894f 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -6287,7 +6287,7 @@ virDomainHostdevDefParseXMLSubsys(xmlNodePtr node,
             if (virXMLPropEnum(driver_node, "name",
                                virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeFromString,
                                VIR_XML_PROP_NONZERO,
-                               &pcisrc->backend) < 0) {
+                               &pcisrc->driver.name) < 0) {
                 return -1;
             }
         }
@@ -23429,17 +23429,17 @@ virDomainHostdevDefFormatSubsysPCI(virBuffer *buf,
     g_auto(virBuffer) sourceChildBuf = VIR_BUFFER_INIT_CHILD(buf);
     virDomainHostdevSubsysPCI *pcisrc = &def->source.subsys.u.pci;
 
-    if (pcisrc->backend != VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT) {
-        const char *backend = virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(pcisrc->backend);
+    if (pcisrc->driver.name != VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT) {
+        const char *driverName = virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(pcisrc->driver.name);
 
-        if (!backend) {
+        if (!driverName) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                           _("unexpected pci hostdev driver name type %1$d"),
-                           pcisrc->backend);
+                           _("unexpected pci hostdev driver type %1$d"),
+                           pcisrc->driver.name);
             return -1;
         }
 
-        virBufferAsprintf(&driverAttrBuf, " name='%s'", backend);
+        virBufferAsprintf(&driverAttrBuf, " name='%s'", driverName);
     }
 
     virXMLFormatElement(buf, "driver", &driverAttrBuf, NULL);
@@ -29967,15 +29967,15 @@ virDomainNetDefActualFromNetworkPort(virDomainNetDef *iface,
         actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.addr = port->plug.hostdevpci.addr;
         switch ((virNetworkForwardDriverNameType)port->plug.hostdevpci.driver) {
         case VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT:
-            actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.backend = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT;
+            actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT;
             break;
 
         case VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_DRIVER_NAME_KVM:
-            actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.backend = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_KVM;
+            actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_KVM;
             break;
 
         case VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO:
-            actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.backend = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO;
+            actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO;
             break;
 
         case VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_DRIVER_NAME_LAST:
@@ -30085,7 +30085,7 @@ virDomainNetDefActualToNetworkPort(virDomainDef *dom,
         }
         port->plug.hostdevpci.managed = virTristateBoolFromBool(actual->data.hostdev.def.managed);
         port->plug.hostdevpci.addr = actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.addr;
-        switch (actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.backend) {
+        switch (actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name) {
         case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT:
             port->plug.hostdevpci.driver = VIR_NETWORK_FORWARD_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT;
             break;
@@ -30099,14 +30099,10 @@ virDomainNetDefActualToNetworkPort(virDomainDef *dom,
             break;
 
         case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN:
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                           _("Unexpected PCI backend 'xen'"));
-            break;
-
         case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_LAST:
         default:
             virReportEnumRangeError(virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName,
-                                    actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.backend);
+                                    actual->data.hostdev.def.source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name);
             return NULL;
         }
 
@@ -31050,7 +31046,7 @@ virHostdevIsVFIODevice(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev)
 {
     return hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS &&
         hostdev->source.subsys.type == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI &&
-        hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO;
+        hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 0c6a57c9a2..9d76dc7c7d 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ struct _virDomainHostdevSubsysUSB {
 
 struct _virDomainHostdevSubsysPCI {
     virPCIDeviceAddress addr; /* host address */
-    virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName backend;
+    virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverInfo driver;
 
     virBitmap *origstates;
 };
diff --git a/src/conf/virconftypes.h b/src/conf/virconftypes.h
index 26cb966194..0779bc224b 100644
--- a/src/conf/virconftypes.h
+++ b/src/conf/virconftypes.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ typedef struct _virCapsHostSecModelLabel virCapsHostSecModelLabel;
 
 typedef struct _virCapsStoragePool virCapsStoragePool;
 
+typedef struct _virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverInfo virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverInfo;
+
 typedef struct _virDomainABIStability virDomainABIStability;
 
 typedef struct _virDomainActualNetDef virDomainActualNetDef;
diff --git a/src/hypervisor/virhostdev.c b/src/hypervisor/virhostdev.c
index 26c9ac3c28..27b0acdc91 100644
--- a/src/hypervisor/virhostdev.c
+++ b/src/hypervisor/virhostdev.c
@@ -243,14 +243,14 @@ virHostdevGetPCIHostDevice(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev,
 
     virPCIDeviceSetManaged(actual, hostdev->managed);
 
-    if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+    if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
         virPCIDeviceSetStubDriverType(actual, VIR_PCI_STUB_DRIVER_VFIO);
-    } else if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN) {
+    } else if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN) {
         virPCIDeviceSetStubDriverType(actual, VIR_PCI_STUB_DRIVER_XEN);
     } else {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                        _("pci backend driver type '%1$s' is not supported"),
-                       virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(pcisrc->backend));
+                       virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(pcisrc->driver.name));
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_domain.c b/src/libxl/libxl_domain.c
index 88d977e79b..1a7de00704 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_domain.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_domain.c
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ libxlDomainDeviceDefPostParse(virDomainDeviceDef *dev,
 
         if (hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS &&
             hostdev->source.subsys.type == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI &&
-            pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT)
-            pcisrc->backend = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN;
+            pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT)
+            pcisrc->driver.name = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN;
     }
 
     if (dev->type == VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_VIDEO) {
@@ -997,7 +997,7 @@ libxlNetworkPrepareDevices(virDomainDef *def)
 
             if (hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS &&
                 hostdev->source.subsys.type == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI)
-                pcisrc->backend = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN;
+                pcisrc->driver.name = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN;
 
             if (virDomainHostdevInsert(def, hostdev) < 0)
                 return -1;
diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index d7f79089c3..29fbc823dd 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -3397,13 +3397,13 @@ libxlDomainAttachNetDevice(libxlDriverPrivate *driver,
         virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev = virDomainNetGetActualHostdev(net);
         virDomainHostdevSubsysPCI *pcisrc = &hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci;
 
-        /* For those just allocated from a network pool whose backend is
+        /* For those just allocated from a network pool whose driver type is
          * still VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT, we need to set
-         * backend correctly.
+         * driver name correctly.
          */
         if (hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS &&
             hostdev->source.subsys.type == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI)
-            pcisrc->backend = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN;
+            pcisrc->driver.name = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_XEN;
 
         /* This is really a "smart hostdev", so it should be attached
          * as a hostdev (the hostdev code will reach over into the
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 73c80339c0..2148419d3f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -4707,8 +4707,8 @@ qemuBuildPCIHostdevDevProps(const virDomainDef *def,
     g_autofree char *host = virPCIDeviceAddressAsString(&pcisrc->addr);
     const char *failover_pair_id = NULL;
 
-    /* caller has to assign proper passthrough backend type */
-    switch (pcisrc->backend) {
+    /* caller has to assign proper passthrough driver name */
+    switch (pcisrc->driver.name) {
     case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO:
         break;
 
@@ -4718,7 +4718,7 @@ qemuBuildPCIHostdevDevProps(const virDomainDef *def,
     case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_LAST:
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("invalid PCI passthrough type '%1$s'"),
-                       virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(pcisrc->backend));
+                       virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(pcisrc->driver.name));
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 0bda1699d5..642ab78e6c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -10534,7 +10534,7 @@ qemuDomainGetHostdevPath(virDomainHostdevDef *dev,
     case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_SUBSYS:
         switch (dev->source.subsys.type) {
         case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI:
-            if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+            if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
                 if (!(tmpPath = virPCIDeviceAddressGetIOMMUGroupDev(&pcisrc->addr)))
                     return -1;
 
@@ -11305,7 +11305,7 @@ qemuDomainPrepareHostdevPCI(virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev,
                             virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps)
 {
     bool supportsPassthroughVFIO = qemuHostdevHostSupportsPassthroughVFIO();
-    virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName *driverName = &hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.backend;
+    virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName *driverName = &hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name;
 
     /* assign defaults for hostdev passthrough */
     switch (*driverName) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index a10ab03cb2..697abb8dc3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -2437,7 +2437,7 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefHostdev(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev,
                                    const virDomainDef *def,
                                    virQEMUCaps *qemuCaps)
 {
-    int backend;
+    virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName driverName;
 
     /* forbid capabilities mode hostdev in this kind of hypervisor */
     if (hostdev->mode == VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_MODE_CAPABILITIES) {
@@ -2462,9 +2462,9 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefHostdev(const virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev,
             break;
 
         case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI:
-            backend = hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.backend;
+            driverName = hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name;
 
-            if (backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+            if (driverName == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
                 if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VFIO_PCI)) {
                     virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
                                    _("VFIO PCI device assignment is not supported by this version of qemu"));
diff --git a/src/security/security_apparmor.c b/src/security/security_apparmor.c
index a1cbbc77e9..c1dc859751 100644
--- a/src/security/security_apparmor.c
+++ b/src/security/security_apparmor.c
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ AppArmorSetSecurityHostdevLabel(virSecurityManager *mgr,
         if (!pci)
             goto done;
 
-        if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+        if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
             char *vfioGroupDev = virPCIDeviceGetIOMMUGroupDev(pci);
 
             if (!vfioGroupDev) {
diff --git a/src/security/security_dac.c b/src/security/security_dac.c
index cb8b72b289..4b8130630f 100644
--- a/src/security/security_dac.c
+++ b/src/security/security_dac.c
@@ -1257,7 +1257,7 @@ virSecurityDACSetHostdevLabel(virSecurityManager *mgr,
         if (!pci)
             return -1;
 
-        if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+        if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
             g_autofree char *vfioGroupDev = virPCIDeviceGetIOMMUGroupDev(pci);
 
             if (!vfioGroupDev)
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ virSecurityDACRestoreHostdevLabel(virSecurityManager *mgr,
         if (!pci)
             return -1;
 
-        if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+        if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
             g_autofree char *vfioGroupDev = virPCIDeviceGetIOMMUGroupDev(pci);
 
             if (!vfioGroupDev)
diff --git a/src/security/security_selinux.c b/src/security/security_selinux.c
index 2ee542f6a4..ffad058d9a 100644
--- a/src/security/security_selinux.c
+++ b/src/security/security_selinux.c
@@ -2201,7 +2201,7 @@ virSecuritySELinuxSetHostdevSubsysLabel(virSecurityManager *mgr,
         if (!pci)
             return -1;
 
-        if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+        if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
             g_autofree char *vfioGroupDev = virPCIDeviceGetIOMMUGroupDev(pci);
 
             if (!vfioGroupDev)
@@ -2437,7 +2437,7 @@ virSecuritySELinuxRestoreHostdevSubsysLabel(virSecurityManager *mgr,
         if (!pci)
             return -1;
 
-        if (pcisrc->backend == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
+        if (pcisrc->driver.name == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO) {
             g_autofree char *vfioGroupDev = virPCIDeviceGetIOMMUGroupDev(pci);
 
             if (!vfioGroupDev)
diff --git a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
index d01df8710d..0374581f07 100644
--- a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
+++ b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
@@ -1092,7 +1092,7 @@ get_files(vahControl * ctl)
             case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI: {
                 virPCIDevice *pci = virPCIDeviceNew(&dev->source.subsys.u.pci.addr);
 
-                virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName driverName = dev->source.subsys.u.pci.backend;
+                virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverName driverName = dev->source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name;
 
                 if (driverName == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO ||
                     driverName == VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT) {
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 63e1f743c3..ed545848af 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -10042,9 +10042,9 @@ testDomainAttachHostPCIDevice(testDriver *driver G_GNUC_UNUSED,
                               virDomainObj *vm,
                               virDomainHostdevDef *hostdev)
 {
-    int backend = hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.backend;
+    int driverName = hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.driver.name;
 
-    switch (backend) {
+    switch (driverName) {
     case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO:
     case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_DEFAULT:
     case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_KVM:
@@ -10054,7 +10054,7 @@ testDomainAttachHostPCIDevice(testDriver *driver G_GNUC_UNUSED,
     case VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_LAST:
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                        _("test hypervisor does not support device assignment mode '%1$s'"),
-                       virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(backend));
+                       virDeviceHostdevPCIDriverNameTypeToString(driverName));
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/virhostdevtest.c b/tests/virhostdevtest.c
index 89b4fb5e7c..aec474a148 100644
--- a/tests/virhostdevtest.c
+++ b/tests/virhostdevtest.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ myInit(void)
         subsys->u.pci.addr.bus = 0;
         subsys->u.pci.addr.slot = i + 1;
         subsys->u.pci.addr.function = 0;
-        subsys->u.pci.backend = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO;
+        subsys->u.pci.driver.name = VIR_DEVICE_HOSTDEV_PCI_DRIVER_NAME_VFIO;
     }
 
     for (i = 0; i < nhostdevs; i++) {