diff --git a/include/qapi/opts-visitor.h b/include/qapi/opts-visitor.h
index 633aa71..fe37ed9 100644
--- a/include/qapi/opts-visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/opts-visitor.h
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ typedef struct OptsVisitor OptsVisitor;
  * - values above INT64_MAX or LLONG_MAX are rejected.
  *
  * The Opts input visitor does not implement support for visiting QAPI
- * alternates, numbers (other than integers), or arbitrary QTypes.
+ * alternates, numbers (other than integers), null, or arbitrary
+ * QTypes.
  */
 OptsVisitor *opts_visitor_new(const QemuOpts *opts);
 void opts_visitor_cleanup(OptsVisitor *nv);
diff --git a/include/qapi/string-input-visitor.h b/include/qapi/string-input-visitor.h
index fdf33ae..a8d8f67 100644
--- a/include/qapi/string-input-visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/string-input-visitor.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ typedef struct StringInputVisitor StringInputVisitor;
 
 /*
  * The string input visitor does not implement support for visiting
- * QAPI structs, alternates, or arbitrary QTypes.
+ * QAPI structs, alternates, null, or arbitrary QTypes.
  */
 StringInputVisitor *string_input_visitor_new(const char *str);
 void string_input_visitor_cleanup(StringInputVisitor *v);
diff --git a/include/qapi/string-output-visitor.h b/include/qapi/string-output-visitor.h
index 3bb09af..89b7e4b 100644
--- a/include/qapi/string-output-visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/string-output-visitor.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ typedef struct StringOutputVisitor StringOutputVisitor;
 
 /*
  * The string output visitor does not implement support for visiting
- * QAPI structs, alternates, or arbitrary QTypes.
+ * QAPI structs, alternates, null, or arbitrary QTypes.
  */
 StringOutputVisitor *string_output_visitor_new(bool human);
 void string_output_visitor_cleanup(StringOutputVisitor *v);
diff --git a/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h b/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
index 796d180..88d27d5 100644
--- a/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
+++ b/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ struct Visitor
     void (*type_any)(Visitor *v, const char *name, QObject **obj,
                      Error **errp);
 
+    /* Must be set to visit explicit null values.  */
+    void (*type_null)(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp);
+
     /* Must be set for input visitors, optional otherwise.  The core
      * takes care of the return type in the public interface. */
     void (*optional)(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *present);
diff --git a/include/qapi/visitor.h b/include/qapi/visitor.h
index 2211637..709cca0 100644
--- a/include/qapi/visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/visitor.h
@@ -522,4 +522,16 @@ void visit_type_number(Visitor *v, const char *name, double *obj,
  */
 void visit_type_any(Visitor *v, const char *name, QObject **obj, Error **errp);
 
+/*
+ * Visit a JSON null value.
+ *
+ * @name expresses the relationship of the null value to its parent
+ * container; see the general description of @name above.
+ *
+ * Unlike all other visit_type_* functions, no obj parameter is
+ * needed; rather, this is a witness that an explicit null value is
+ * expected rather than any other type.
+ */
+void visit_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/qapi/qapi-dealloc-visitor.c b/qapi/qapi-dealloc-visitor.c
index c19a459..413d525 100644
--- a/qapi/qapi-dealloc-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qapi-dealloc-visitor.c
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ static void qapi_dealloc_type_anything(Visitor *v, const char *name,
     }
 }
 
+static void qapi_dealloc_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp)
+{
+}
+
 Visitor *qapi_dealloc_get_visitor(QapiDeallocVisitor *v)
 {
     return &v->visitor;
@@ -193,6 +197,7 @@ QapiDeallocVisitor *qapi_dealloc_visitor_new(void)
     v->visitor.type_str = qapi_dealloc_type_str;
     v->visitor.type_number = qapi_dealloc_type_number;
     v->visitor.type_any = qapi_dealloc_type_anything;
+    v->visitor.type_null = qapi_dealloc_type_null;
 
     QTAILQ_INIT(&v->stack);
 
diff --git a/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c b/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
index 0f59a1d..fe6afe8 100644
--- a/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
+++ b/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
@@ -244,6 +244,11 @@ void visit_type_any(Visitor *v, const char *name, QObject **obj, Error **errp)
     error_propagate(errp, err);
 }
 
+void visit_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp)
+{
+    v->type_null(v, name, errp);
+}
+
 static void output_type_enum(Visitor *v, const char *name, int *obj,
                              const char *const strings[], Error **errp)
 {
diff --git a/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c b/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c
index 5159833..fa460a3 100644
--- a/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c
@@ -340,6 +340,11 @@ static void qmp_input_type_any(Visitor *v, const char *name, QObject **obj,
     *obj = qobj;
 }
 
+static void qmp_input_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp)
+{
+    abort();
+}
+
 static void qmp_input_optional(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *present)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
@@ -383,6 +388,7 @@ QmpInputVisitor *qmp_input_visitor_new(QObject *obj, bool strict)
     v->visitor.type_str = qmp_input_type_str;
     v->visitor.type_number = qmp_input_type_number;
     v->visitor.type_any = qmp_input_type_any;
+    v->visitor.type_null = qmp_input_type_null;
     v->visitor.optional = qmp_input_optional;
     v->strict = strict;
 
diff --git a/qapi/qmp-output-visitor.c b/qapi/qmp-output-visitor.c
index 1f2a7ba..adf7731 100644
--- a/qapi/qmp-output-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qmp-output-visitor.c
@@ -196,6 +196,11 @@ static void qmp_output_type_any(Visitor *v, const char *name, QObject **obj,
     qmp_output_add_obj(qov, name, *obj);
 }
 
+static void qmp_output_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp)
+{
+    abort();
+}
+
 /* Finish building, and return the root object. Will not be NULL. */
 QObject *qmp_output_get_qobject(QmpOutputVisitor *qov)
 {
@@ -246,6 +251,7 @@ QmpOutputVisitor *qmp_output_visitor_new(void)
     v->visitor.type_str = qmp_output_type_str;
     v->visitor.type_number = qmp_output_type_number;
     v->visitor.type_any = qmp_output_type_any;
+    v->visitor.type_null = qmp_output_type_null;
 
     QTAILQ_INIT(&v->stack);
 
