diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/check b/tests/qemu-iotests/check
index 588c453a94..150fb71cf9 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/check
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/check
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ sortme=false
 expunge=true
 have_test_arg=false
 cachemode=false
+aiomode=false
 
 tmp="${TEST_DIR}"/$$
 rm -f $tmp.list $tmp.tmp $tmp.sed
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ export IMGFMT_GENERIC=true
 export IMGPROTO=file
 export IMGOPTS=""
 export CACHEMODE="writeback"
+export AIOMODE="threads"
 export QEMU_IO_OPTIONS=""
 export QEMU_IO_OPTIONS_NO_FMT=""
 export CACHEMODE_IS_DEFAULT=true
@@ -225,6 +227,11 @@ s/ .*//p
         CACHEMODE_IS_DEFAULT=false
         cachemode=false
         continue
+    elif $aiomode
+    then
+        AIOMODE="$r"
+        aiomode=false
+        continue
     fi
 
     xpand=true
@@ -269,6 +276,7 @@ other options
     -n                  show me, do not run tests
     -o options          -o options to pass to qemu-img create/convert
     -c mode             cache mode
+    -i mode             AIO mode
     -makecheck          pretty print output for make check
 
 testlist options
@@ -433,10 +441,13 @@ testlist options
             cachemode=true
             xpand=false
             ;;
+        -i)
+            aiomode=true
+            xpand=false
+            ;;
         -T)        # deprecated timestamp option
             xpand=false
             ;;
-
         -v)
             verbose=true
             xpand=false
@@ -515,6 +526,8 @@ done
 
 # Set qemu-io cache mode with $CACHEMODE we have
 QEMU_IO_OPTIONS="$QEMU_IO_OPTIONS --cache $CACHEMODE"
+# Set qemu-io aio mode with $AIOMODE we have
+QEMU_IO_OPTIONS="$QEMU_IO_OPTIONS --aio $AIOMODE"
 
 QEMU_IO_OPTIONS_NO_FMT="$QEMU_IO_OPTIONS"
 if [ "$IMGOPTSSYNTAX" != "true" ]; then
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc
index 12b4751848..13f934f79b 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc
@@ -576,6 +576,20 @@ _default_cache_mode()
         return
     fi
 }
+_supported_aio_modes()
+{
+    for mode; do
+        if [ "$mode" = "$AIOMODE" ]; then
+            return
+        fi
+    done
+    _notrun "not suitable for aio mode: $AIOMODE"
+}
+_default_aio_mode()
+{
+    AIOMODE="$1"
+    QEMU_IO="$QEMU_IO --aio $1"
+}
 
 _unsupported_imgopts()
 {
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/iotests.py b/tests/qemu-iotests/iotests.py
index 693fde155a..0d4ef6b3e6 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/iotests.py
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/iotests.py
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ imgproto = os.environ.get('IMGPROTO', 'file')
 test_dir = os.environ.get('TEST_DIR')
 output_dir = os.environ.get('OUTPUT_DIR', '.')
 cachemode = os.environ.get('CACHEMODE')
+aiomode = os.environ.get('AIOMODE')
 qemu_default_machine = os.environ.get('QEMU_DEFAULT_MACHINE')
 
 socket_scm_helper = os.environ.get('SOCKET_SCM_HELPER', 'socket_scm_helper')
@@ -483,6 +484,7 @@ class VM(qtest.QEMUQtestMachine):
             options.append('file=%s' % path)
             options.append('format=%s' % format)
             options.append('cache=%s' % cachemode)
+            options.append('aio=%s' % aiomode)
 
         if opts:
             options.append(opts)
@@ -888,6 +890,10 @@ def verify_cache_mode(supported_cache_modes=[]):
     if supported_cache_modes and (cachemode not in supported_cache_modes):
         notrun('not suitable for this cache mode: %s' % cachemode)
 
+def verify_aio_mode(supported_aio_modes=[]):
+    if supported_aio_modes and (aiomode not in supported_aio_modes):
+        notrun('not suitable for this aio mode: %s' % aiomode)
+
 def supports_quorum():
     return 'quorum' in qemu_img_pipe('--help')
 
@@ -945,8 +951,9 @@ def execute_unittest(output, verbosity, debug):
 
 def execute_test(test_function=None,
                  supported_fmts=[], supported_oses=['linux'],
-                 supported_cache_modes=[], unsupported_fmts=[],
-                 supported_protocols=[], unsupported_protocols=[]):
+                 supported_cache_modes=[], supported_aio_modes={},
+                 unsupported_fmts=[], supported_protocols=[],
+                 unsupported_protocols=[]):
     """Run either unittest or script-style tests."""
 
     # We are using TEST_DIR and QEMU_DEFAULT_MACHINE as proxies to
@@ -963,6 +970,7 @@ def execute_test(test_function=None,
     verify_protocol(supported_protocols, unsupported_protocols)
     verify_platform(supported_oses)
     verify_cache_mode(supported_cache_modes)
+    verify_aio_mode(supported_aio_modes)
 
     if debug:
         output = sys.stdout
