diff --git a/docs/formatdomain.html.in b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
index 71b2f76a52..a622131837 100644
--- a/docs/formatdomain.html.in
+++ b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
@@ -2081,7 +2081,7 @@
   ...
   <devices>
     <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='usb'>
-      <source>
+      <source startupPolicy='optional'>
         <vendor id='0x1234'/>
         <product id='0xbeef'/>
       </source>
@@ -2125,9 +2125,29 @@
       <dd>The source element describes the device as seen from the host.
       The USB device can either be addressed by vendor / product id using the
       <code>vendor</code> and <code>product</code> elements or by the device's
-      address on the hosts using the <code>address</code> element.
-      PCI devices on the other hand can only be described by their
-      <code>address</code></dd>
+      address on the hosts using the <code>address</code> element. PCI devices
+      on the other hand can only be described by their <code>address</code>.
+
+      <span class="since">Since 0.10.3</span>, the <code>source</code> element
+      of USB devices may contain <code>startupPolicy</code> attribute which can
+      be used to define policy what to do if the specified host USB device is
+      not found. The attribute accepts the following values:
+        <table class="top_table">
+          <tr>
+            <td> mandatory </td>
+            <td> fail if missing for any reason (the default) </td>
+          </tr>
+          <tr>
+            <td> requisite </td>
+            <td> fail if missing on boot up,
+                 drop if missing on migrate/restore/revert </td>
+          </tr>
+          <tr>
+            <td> optional </td>
+            <td> drop if missing at any start attempt </td>
+          </tr>
+        </table>
+      </dd>
       <dt><code>vendor</code>, <code>product</code></dt>
       <dd>The <code>vendor</code> and <code>product</code> elements each have an
       <code>id</code> attribute that specifies the USB vendor and product id.
diff --git a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
index 2df2efa701..b142716adc 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
+++ b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
@@ -2785,6 +2785,9 @@
       </optional>
       <group>
         <element name="source">
+          <optional>
+            <ref name="startupPolicy"/>
+          </optional>
           <choice>
             <group>
               <ref name="usbproduct"/>
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 120d82f543..3b07cdf64c 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -2701,6 +2701,20 @@ virDomainHostdevSubsysUsbDefParseXML(const xmlNodePtr node,
     int ret = -1;
     int got_product, got_vendor;
     xmlNodePtr cur;
+    char *startupPolicy = NULL;
+
+    if ((startupPolicy = virXMLPropString(node, "startupPolicy"))) {
+        def->startupPolicy =
+            virDomainStartupPolicyTypeFromString(startupPolicy);
+        if (def->startupPolicy <= 0) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                           _("Unknown startup policy '%s'"),
+                           startupPolicy);
+            VIR_FREE(startupPolicy);
+            goto out;
+        }
+        VIR_FREE(startupPolicy);
+    }
 
     /* Product can validly be 0, so we need some extra help to determine
      * if it is uninitialized*/
@@ -2964,6 +2978,15 @@ virDomainHostdevPartsParse(xmlNodePtr node,
                        _("Missing <source> element in hostdev device"));
         goto error;
     }
+
+    if (def->source.subsys.type != VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_USB &&
+        virXPathBoolean("boolean(./source/@startupPolicy)", ctxt)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("Setting startupPolicy is only allowed for USB"
+                         " devices"));
+        goto error;
+    }
+
     switch (def->source.subsys.type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_HOSTDEV_SUBSYS_TYPE_PCI:
         if (virDomainHostdevSubsysPciDefParseXML(sourcenode, def, flags) < 0)
@@ -12063,7 +12086,14 @@ virDomainHostdevSourceFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
                              unsigned int flags,
                              bool includeTypeInAddr)
 {
-    virBufferAddLit(buf, "<source>\n");
+    virBufferAddLit(buf, "<source");
+    if (def->startupPolicy) {
+        const char *policy;
+        policy = virDomainStartupPolicyTypeToString(def->startupPolicy);
+        virBufferAsprintf(buf, " startupPolicy='%s'", policy);
+    }
+    virBufferAddLit(buf, ">\n");
+
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
     switch (def->source.subsys.type)
     {
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index c41e0cfc28..381860c0a9 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ struct _virDomainHostdevSubsys {
 struct _virDomainHostdevDef {
     virDomainDeviceDef parent; /* higher level Def containing this */
     int mode; /* enum virDomainHostdevMode */
+    int startupPolicy; /* enum virDomainStartupPolicy */
     unsigned int managed : 1;
     union {
         virDomainHostdevSubsys subsys;