diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index 80c56f0cfcf1..fc225049ee30 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ static void failover_add_primary(VirtIONet *n, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    dev = qdev_device_add_from_qdict(n->primary_opts,
+    dev = qdev_device_add_from_qdict(n->primary_opts, NULL,
                                      n->primary_opts_from_json,
                                      &err);
     if (err) {
diff --git a/hw/usb/xen-usb.c b/hw/usb/xen-usb.c
index 09ec326aeae5..bc00d47ff021 100644
--- a/hw/usb/xen-usb.c
+++ b/hw/usb/xen-usb.c
@@ -766,7 +766,8 @@ static void usbback_portid_add(struct usbback_info *usbif, unsigned port,
     qdict_put_str(qdict, "hostport", portname);
     opts = qemu_opts_from_qdict(qemu_find_opts("device"), qdict,
                                 &error_abort);
-    usbif->ports[port - 1].dev = USB_DEVICE(qdev_device_add(opts, &local_err));
+    usbif->ports[port - 1].dev = USB_DEVICE(
+                                     qdev_device_add(opts, NULL, &local_err));
     if (!usbif->ports[port - 1].dev) {
         qobject_unref(qdict);
         xen_pv_printf(&usbif->xendev, 0,
diff --git a/include/monitor/qdev.h b/include/monitor/qdev.h
index 1d57bf657794..f5fd6e6c1ffc 100644
--- a/include/monitor/qdev.h
+++ b/include/monitor/qdev.h
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ void hmp_info_qdm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void qmp_device_add(QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data, Error **errp);
 
 int qdev_device_help(QemuOpts *opts);
-DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
-DeviceState *qdev_device_add_from_qdict(const QDict *opts,
+DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts, long *category, Error **errp);
+DeviceState *qdev_device_add_from_qdict(const QDict *opts, long *category,
                                         bool from_json, Error **errp);
 
 /**
diff --git a/system/qdev-monitor.c b/system/qdev-monitor.c
index 0f163b2d0310..7ee33a50142a 100644
--- a/system/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/system/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ const char *qdev_set_id(DeviceState *dev, char *id, Error **errp)
     return prop->name;
 }
 
-DeviceState *qdev_device_add_from_qdict(const QDict *opts,
+DeviceState *qdev_device_add_from_qdict(const QDict *opts, long *category,
                                         bool from_json, Error **errp)
 {
     ERRP_GUARD();
@@ -639,6 +639,10 @@ DeviceState *qdev_device_add_from_qdict(const QDict *opts,
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    if (category && !test_bit(*category, dc->categories)) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     /* find bus */
     path = qdict_get_try_str(opts, "bus");
     if (path != NULL) {
@@ -731,12 +735,12 @@ err_del_dev:
 }
 
 /* Takes ownership of @opts on success */
-DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
+DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts, long *category, Error **errp)
 {
     QDict *qdict = qemu_opts_to_qdict(opts, NULL);
     DeviceState *ret;
 
-    ret = qdev_device_add_from_qdict(qdict, false, errp);
+    ret = qdev_device_add_from_qdict(qdict, category, false, errp);
     if (ret) {
         qemu_opts_del(opts);
     }
@@ -858,7 +862,7 @@ void qmp_device_add(QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data, Error **errp)
         qemu_opts_del(opts);
         return;
     }
-    dev = qdev_device_add(opts, errp);
+    dev = qdev_device_add(opts, NULL, errp);
 
     /*
      * Drain all pending RCU callbacks. This is done because
diff --git a/system/vl.c b/system/vl.c
index 2bcd9efb9a64..0be155b530b4 100644
--- a/system/vl.c
+++ b/system/vl.c
@@ -1198,7 +1198,7 @@ static int device_init_func(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     DeviceState *dev;
 
-    dev = qdev_device_add(opts, errp);
+    dev = qdev_device_add(opts, NULL, errp);
     if (!dev && *errp) {
         error_report_err(*errp);
         return -1;
@@ -2646,7 +2646,7 @@ static void qemu_create_cli_devices(void)
          * from the start, so call qdev_device_add_from_qdict() directly for
          * now.
          */
-        dev = qdev_device_add_from_qdict(opt->opts, true, &error_fatal);
+        dev = qdev_device_add_from_qdict(opt->opts, NULL, true, &error_fatal);
         object_unref(OBJECT(dev));
         loc_pop(&opt->loc);
     }
