diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 13acb8ec82..2184caa9da 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -3674,6 +3674,39 @@ qemuBuildDriveStr(virConnectPtr conn,
     return NULL;
 }
 
+
+static bool
+qemuCheckIothreads(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                   virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
+                   virDomainDiskDefPtr disk)
+{
+    /* Have capability */
+    if (!virQEMUCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_OBJECT_IOTHREAD)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("IOThreads not supported for this QEMU"));
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /* Right "type" of disk" */
+    if (disk->bus != VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_VIRTIO &&
+        disk->info.type != VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_ADDRESS_TYPE_PCI) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("IOThreads only available for virtio pci disk"));
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /* Value larger than iothreads available? */
+    if (disk->iothread > def->iothreads) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                       _("Disk iothread '%u' invalid only %u IOThreads"),
+                       disk->iothread, def->iothreads);
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+
 char *
 qemuBuildDriveDevStr(virDomainDefPtr def,
                      virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
@@ -3698,6 +3731,9 @@ qemuBuildDriveDevStr(virDomainDefPtr def,
         }
     }
 
+    if (disk->iothread && !qemuCheckIothreads(def, qemuCaps, disk))
+        goto error;
+
     switch (disk->bus) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_IDE:
         if (disk->info.addr.drive.target != 0) {
@@ -3875,6 +3911,8 @@ qemuBuildDriveDevStr(virDomainDefPtr def,
             virBufferAddLit(&opt, "virtio-blk-device");
         } else {
             virBufferAddLit(&opt, "virtio-blk-pci");
+            if (disk->iothread)
+                virBufferAsprintf(&opt, ",iothread=iothread%u", disk->iothread);
         }
         qemuBuildIoEventFdStr(&opt, disk->ioeventfd, qemuCaps);
         if (disk->event_idx &&
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-iothreads-disk.args b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-iothreads-disk.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4d271ed1ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-iothreads-disk.args
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+LC_ALL=C PATH=/bin HOME=/home/test USER=test LOGNAME=test QEMU_AUDIO_DRV=none \
+/usr/bin/qemu -S -M \
+pc -m 214 -smp 2 \
+-object iothread,id=iothread1 \
+-object iothread,id=iothread2 \
+-nographic -nodefaults -monitor \
+unix:/tmp/test-monitor,server,nowait -no-acpi -boot c -usb \
+-drive file=/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1,if=none,id=drive-ide0-0-0 \
+-device ide-drive,bus=ide.0,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0-0-0,id=ide0-0-0 \
+-drive file=/var/lib/libvirt/images/iothrtest1.img,if=none,\
+id=drive-virtio-disk1 \
+-device virtio-blk-pci,iothread=iothread1,bus=pci.0,addr=0x4,\
+drive=drive-virtio-disk1,id=virtio-disk1 \
+-drive file=/var/lib/libvirt/images/iothrtest2.img,if=none,\
+id=drive-virtio-disk2 \
+-device virtio-blk-pci,iothread=iothread2,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3,\
+drive=drive-virtio-disk2,id=virtio-disk2
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-iothreads-disk.xml b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-iothreads-disk.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..72122fb103
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvdata/qemuxml2argv-iothreads-disk.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>QEMUGuest1</name>
+  <uuid>c7a5fdbd-edaf-9455-926a-d65c16db1809</uuid>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>219136</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>219136</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>2</vcpu>
+  <iothreads>2</iothreads>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='i686' machine='pc'>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>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu</emulator>
+    <disk type='block' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
+      <source dev='/dev/HostVG/QEMUGuest1'/>
+      <target dev='hda' bus='ide'/>
+      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='raw' iothread='1'/>
+      <source file='/var/lib/libvirt/images/iothrtest1.img'/>
+      <target dev='vdb' bus='virtio'/>
+      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x04' function='0x0'/>
+    </disk>
+    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='raw' iothread='2'/>
+      <source file='/var/lib/libvirt/images/iothrtest2.img'/>
+      <target dev='vdc' bus='virtio'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller type='usb' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='ide' index='0'/>
+    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'/>
+    <memballoon model='none'/>
+  </devices>
+</domain>
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index 64a4d3d752..3feb2fe259 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -1186,6 +1186,8 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("smp", QEMU_CAPS_SMP_TOPOLOGY);
 
     DO_TEST("iothreads", QEMU_CAPS_OBJECT_IOTHREAD);
+    DO_TEST("iothreads-disk", QEMU_CAPS_OBJECT_IOTHREAD, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DRIVE);
 
     DO_TEST("cpu-topology1", QEMU_CAPS_SMP_TOPOLOGY);
     DO_TEST("cpu-topology2", QEMU_CAPS_SMP_TOPOLOGY);
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
index 796977b1aa..b4ab67149b 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2xmltest.c
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ mymain(void)
 
     DO_TEST("smp");
     DO_TEST("iothreads");
+    DO_TEST("iothreads-disk");
     DO_TEST("lease");
     DO_TEST("event_idx");
     DO_TEST("vhost_queues");