diff --git a/docs/tools/virtiofsd.rst b/docs/tools/virtiofsd.rst
index 866b7db3ee..55f3bb8753 100644
--- a/docs/tools/virtiofsd.rst
+++ b/docs/tools/virtiofsd.rst
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ Options
     Enable/disable extended attributes (xattr) on files and directories.  The
     default is ``no_xattr``.
 
+  * posix_acl|no_posix_acl -
+    Enable/disable posix acl support.  Posix ACLs are disabled by default`.
+
 .. option:: --socket-path=PATH
 
   Listen on vhost-user UNIX domain socket at PATH.
diff --git a/tools/virtiofsd/helper.c b/tools/virtiofsd/helper.c
index 28243b51b2..800a1a6801 100644
--- a/tools/virtiofsd/helper.c
+++ b/tools/virtiofsd/helper.c
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ void fuse_cmdline_help(void)
            "                               to virtiofsd from guest applications.\n"
            "                               default: no_allow_direct_io\n"
            "    -o announce_submounts      Announce sub-mount points to the guest\n"
+           "    -o posix_acl/no_posix_acl  Enable/Disable posix_acl. (default: disabled)\n"
            );
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c b/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c
index 050142e568..7931b8af32 100644
--- a/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c
+++ b/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ struct lo_data {
     int user_killpriv_v2, killpriv_v2;
     /* If set, virtiofsd is responsible for setting umask during creation */
     bool change_umask;
+    int user_posix_acl;
 };
 
 static const struct fuse_opt lo_opts[] = {
@@ -204,6 +205,8 @@ static const struct fuse_opt lo_opts[] = {
     { "announce_submounts", offsetof(struct lo_data, announce_submounts), 1 },
     { "killpriv_v2", offsetof(struct lo_data, user_killpriv_v2), 1 },
     { "no_killpriv_v2", offsetof(struct lo_data, user_killpriv_v2), 0 },
+    { "posix_acl", offsetof(struct lo_data, user_posix_acl), 1 },
+    { "no_posix_acl", offsetof(struct lo_data, user_posix_acl), 0 },
     FUSE_OPT_END
 };
 static bool use_syslog = false;
@@ -664,6 +667,21 @@ static void lo_init(void *userdata, struct fuse_conn_info *conn)
         conn->want &= ~FUSE_CAP_HANDLE_KILLPRIV_V2;
         lo->killpriv_v2 = 0;
     }
+
+    if (lo->user_posix_acl == 1) {
+        /*
+         * User explicitly asked for this option. Enable it unconditionally.
+         * If connection does not have this capability, it should fail
+         * in fuse_lowlevel.c
+         */
+        fuse_log(FUSE_LOG_DEBUG, "lo_init: enabling posix acl\n");
+        conn->want |= FUSE_CAP_POSIX_ACL | FUSE_CAP_DONT_MASK;
+        lo->change_umask = true;
+    } else {
+        /* User either did not specify anything or wants it disabled */
+        fuse_log(FUSE_LOG_DEBUG, "lo_init: disabling posix_acl\n");
+        conn->want &= ~FUSE_CAP_POSIX_ACL;
+    }
 }
 
 static void lo_getattr(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t ino,
@@ -2622,6 +2640,63 @@ static int xattr_map_server(const struct lo_data *lo, const char *server_name,
     return -ENODATA;
 }
 
+static bool block_xattr(struct lo_data *lo, const char *name)
+{
+    /*
+     * If user explicitly enabled posix_acl or did not provide any option,
+     * do not block acl. Otherwise block system.posix_acl_access and
+     * system.posix_acl_default xattrs.
+     */
+    if (lo->user_posix_acl) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (!strcmp(name, "system.posix_acl_access") ||
+        !strcmp(name, "system.posix_acl_default"))
+            return true;
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Returns number of bytes in xattr_list after filtering on success. This
+ * could be zero as well if nothing is left after filtering.
+ *
+ * Returns negative error code on failure.
+ * xattr_list is modified in place.
+ */
+static int remove_blocked_xattrs(struct lo_data *lo, char *xattr_list,
+                                 unsigned in_size)
+{
+    size_t out_index, in_index;
+
+    /*
+     * As of now we only filter out acl xattrs. If acls are enabled or
+     * they have not been explicitly disabled, there is nothing to
+     * filter.
+     */
+    if (lo->user_posix_acl) {
+        return in_size;
+    }
+
+    out_index = 0;
+    in_index = 0;
+    while (in_index < in_size) {
+        char *in_ptr = xattr_list + in_index;
+
+        /* Length of current attribute name */
+        size_t in_len = strlen(xattr_list + in_index) + 1;
+
+        if (!block_xattr(lo, in_ptr)) {
+            if (in_index != out_index) {
+                memmove(xattr_list + out_index, xattr_list + in_index, in_len);
+            }
+            out_index += in_len;
+        }
+        in_index += in_len;
+     }
+    return out_index;
+}
+
 static void lo_getxattr(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t ino, const char *in_name,
                         size_t size)
 {
@@ -2635,6 +2710,11 @@ static void lo_getxattr(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t ino, const char *in_name,
     int saverr;
     int fd = -1;
 
+    if (block_xattr(lo, in_name)) {
+        fuse_reply_err(req, EOPNOTSUPP);
+        return;
+    }
+
     mapped_name = NULL;
     name = in_name;
     if (lo->xattrmap) {
@@ -2776,7 +2856,6 @@ static void lo_listxattr(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t ino, size_t size)
         if (ret == 0) {
             goto out;
         }
-
         if (lo->xattr_map_list) {
             /*
              * Map the names back, some attributes might be dropped,
@@ -2823,6 +2902,12 @@ static void lo_listxattr(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t ino, size_t size)
                 goto out;
             }
         }
+
+        ret = remove_blocked_xattrs(lo, value, ret);
+        if (ret <= 0) {
+            saverr = -ret;
+            goto out;
+        }
         fuse_reply_buf(req, value, ret);
     } else {
         /*
@@ -2861,6 +2946,11 @@ static void lo_setxattr(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t ino, const char *in_name,
     int saverr;
     int fd = -1;
 
+    if (block_xattr(lo, in_name)) {
+        fuse_reply_err(req, EOPNOTSUPP);
+        return;
+    }
+
     mapped_name = NULL;
     name = in_name;
     if (lo->xattrmap) {
@@ -2927,6 +3017,11 @@ static void lo_removexattr(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t ino, const char *in_name)
     int saverr;
     int fd = -1;
 
+    if (block_xattr(lo, in_name)) {
+        fuse_reply_err(req, EOPNOTSUPP);
+        return;
+    }
+
     mapped_name = NULL;
     name = in_name;
     if (lo->xattrmap) {
@@ -3614,6 +3709,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         .allow_direct_io = 0,
         .proc_self_fd = -1,
         .user_killpriv_v2 = -1,
+        .user_posix_acl = -1,
     };
     struct lo_map_elem *root_elem;
     struct lo_map_elem *reserve_elem;
@@ -3740,6 +3836,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         exit(1);
     }
 
+    if (lo.user_posix_acl == 1 && !lo.xattr) {
+        fuse_log(FUSE_LOG_ERR, "Can't enable posix ACLs. xattrs are disabled.\n");
+        exit(1);
+    }
+
     lo.use_statx = true;
 
     se = fuse_session_new(&args, &lo_oper, sizeof(lo_oper), &lo);
