diff --git a/backends/hostmem-file.c b/backends/hostmem-file.c
index b4335a80e6..ef2d5533af 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem-file.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem-file.c
@@ -55,13 +55,13 @@ file_backend_memory_alloc(HostMemoryBackend *backend, Error **errp)
 
     name = host_memory_backend_get_name(backend);
     ram_flags = backend->share ? RAM_SHARED : 0;
+    ram_flags |= fb->readonly ? RAM_READONLY | RAM_READONLY_FD : 0;
     ram_flags |= backend->reserve ? 0 : RAM_NORESERVE;
     ram_flags |= fb->is_pmem ? RAM_PMEM : 0;
     ram_flags |= RAM_NAMED_FILE;
     memory_region_init_ram_from_file(&backend->mr, OBJECT(backend), name,
                                      backend->size, fb->align, ram_flags,
-                                     fb->mem_path, fb->offset, fb->readonly,
-                                     errp);
+                                     fb->mem_path, fb->offset, errp);
     g_free(name);
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/include/exec/memory.h b/include/exec/memory.h
index 68284428f8..cc68249eda 100644
--- a/include/exec/memory.h
+++ b/include/exec/memory.h
@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ typedef struct IOMMUTLBEvent {
 /* RAM is an mmap-ed named file */
 #define RAM_NAMED_FILE (1 << 9)
 
+/* RAM is mmap-ed read-only */
+#define RAM_READONLY (1 << 10)
+
+/* RAM FD is opened read-only */
+#define RAM_READONLY_FD (1 << 11)
+
 static inline void iommu_notifier_init(IOMMUNotifier *n, IOMMUNotify fn,
                                        IOMMUNotifierFlag flags,
                                        hwaddr start, hwaddr end,
@@ -1331,10 +1337,10 @@ void memory_region_init_resizeable_ram(MemoryRegion *mr,
  * @align: alignment of the region base address; if 0, the default alignment
  *         (getpagesize()) will be used.
  * @ram_flags: RamBlock flags. Supported flags: RAM_SHARED, RAM_PMEM,
- *             RAM_NORESERVE,
+ *             RAM_NORESERVE, RAM_PROTECTED, RAM_NAMED_FILE, RAM_READONLY,
+ *             RAM_READONLY_FD
  * @path: the path in which to allocate the RAM.
  * @offset: offset within the file referenced by path
- * @readonly: true to open @path for reading, false for read/write.
  * @errp: pointer to Error*, to store an error if it happens.
  *
  * Note that this function does not do anything to cause the data in the
@@ -1348,7 +1354,6 @@ void memory_region_init_ram_from_file(MemoryRegion *mr,
                                       uint32_t ram_flags,
                                       const char *path,
                                       ram_addr_t offset,
-                                      bool readonly,
                                       Error **errp);
 
 /**
@@ -1360,7 +1365,8 @@ void memory_region_init_ram_from_file(MemoryRegion *mr,
  * @name: the name of the region.
  * @size: size of the region.
  * @ram_flags: RamBlock flags. Supported flags: RAM_SHARED, RAM_PMEM,
- *             RAM_NORESERVE, RAM_PROTECTED.
+ *             RAM_NORESERVE, RAM_PROTECTED, RAM_NAMED_FILE, RAM_READONLY,
+ *             RAM_READONLY_FD
  * @fd: the fd to mmap.
  * @offset: offset within the file referenced by fd
  * @errp: pointer to Error*, to store an error if it happens.
diff --git a/include/exec/ram_addr.h b/include/exec/ram_addr.h
index 9f2e3893f5..90676093f5 100644
--- a/include/exec/ram_addr.h
+++ b/include/exec/ram_addr.h
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ long qemu_maxrampagesize(void);
  *  @size: the size in bytes of the ram block
  *  @mr: the memory region where the ram block is
  *  @ram_flags: RamBlock flags. Supported flags: RAM_SHARED, RAM_PMEM,
- *              RAM_NORESERVE.
+ *              RAM_NORESERVE, RAM_PROTECTED, RAM_NAMED_FILE, RAM_READONLY,
+ *              RAM_READONLY_FD
  *  @mem_path or @fd: specify the backing file or device
  *  @offset: Offset into target file
- *  @readonly: true to open @path for reading, false for read/write.
  *  @errp: pointer to Error*, to store an error if it happens
  *
  * Return:
@@ -120,10 +120,10 @@ long qemu_maxrampagesize(void);
  */
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_file(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
                                    uint32_t ram_flags, const char *mem_path,
-                                   off_t offset, bool readonly, Error **errp);
+                                   off_t offset, Error **errp);
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
                                  uint32_t ram_flags, int fd, off_t offset,
-                                 bool readonly, Error **errp);
+                                 Error **errp);
 
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_ptr(ram_addr_t size, void *host,
                                   MemoryRegion *mr, Error **errp);
diff --git a/softmmu/memory.c b/softmmu/memory.c
index 7d9494ce70..2cb60ec9b8 100644
--- a/softmmu/memory.c
+++ b/softmmu/memory.c
@@ -1620,18 +1620,17 @@ void memory_region_init_ram_from_file(MemoryRegion *mr,
                                       uint32_t ram_flags,
                                       const char *path,
                                       ram_addr_t offset,
-                                      bool readonly,
                                       Error **errp)
 {
     Error *err = NULL;
     memory_region_init(mr, owner, name, size);
     mr->ram = true;
-    mr->readonly = readonly;
+    mr->readonly = !!(ram_flags & RAM_READONLY);
     mr->terminates = true;
     mr->destructor = memory_region_destructor_ram;
     mr->align = align;
     mr->ram_block = qemu_ram_alloc_from_file(size, mr, ram_flags, path,
-                                             offset, readonly, &err);
+                                             offset, &err);
     if (err) {
         mr->size = int128_zero();
         object_unparent(OBJECT(mr));
@@ -1651,10 +1650,11 @@ void memory_region_init_ram_from_fd(MemoryRegion *mr,
     Error *err = NULL;
     memory_region_init(mr, owner, name, size);
     mr->ram = true;
+    mr->readonly = !!(ram_flags & RAM_READONLY);
     mr->terminates = true;
     mr->destructor = memory_region_destructor_ram;
     mr->ram_block = qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(size, mr, ram_flags, fd, offset,
-                                           false, &err);
+                                           &err);
     if (err) {
         mr->size = int128_zero();
         object_unparent(OBJECT(mr));
diff --git a/softmmu/physmem.c b/softmmu/physmem.c
index 3df73542e1..6add537b2a 100644
--- a/softmmu/physmem.c
+++ b/softmmu/physmem.c
@@ -1351,7 +1351,6 @@ static int file_ram_open(const char *path,
 static void *file_ram_alloc(RAMBlock *block,
                             ram_addr_t memory,
                             int fd,
-                            bool readonly,
                             bool truncate,
                             off_t offset,
                             Error **errp)
@@ -1409,7 +1408,7 @@ static void *file_ram_alloc(RAMBlock *block,
         perror("ftruncate");
     }
 
-    qemu_map_flags = readonly ? QEMU_MAP_READONLY : 0;
+    qemu_map_flags = (block->flags & RAM_READONLY) ? QEMU_MAP_READONLY : 0;
     qemu_map_flags |= (block->flags & RAM_SHARED) ? QEMU_MAP_SHARED : 0;
     qemu_map_flags |= (block->flags & RAM_PMEM) ? QEMU_MAP_SYNC : 0;
     qemu_map_flags |= (block->flags & RAM_NORESERVE) ? QEMU_MAP_NORESERVE : 0;
@@ -1877,7 +1876,7 @@ static void ram_block_add(RAMBlock *new_block, Error **errp)
 #ifdef CONFIG_POSIX
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
                                  uint32_t ram_flags, int fd, off_t offset,
-                                 bool readonly, Error **errp)
+                                 Error **errp)
 {
     RAMBlock *new_block;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
@@ -1885,7 +1884,8 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
 
     /* Just support these ram flags by now. */
     assert((ram_flags & ~(RAM_SHARED | RAM_PMEM | RAM_NORESERVE |
-                          RAM_PROTECTED | RAM_NAMED_FILE)) == 0);
+                          RAM_PROTECTED | RAM_NAMED_FILE | RAM_READONLY |
+                          RAM_READONLY_FD)) == 0);
 
     if (xen_enabled()) {
         error_setg(errp, "-mem-path not supported with Xen");
@@ -1920,8 +1920,8 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
     new_block->used_length = size;
     new_block->max_length = size;
     new_block->flags = ram_flags;
-    new_block->host = file_ram_alloc(new_block, size, fd, readonly,
-                                     !file_size, offset, errp);
+    new_block->host = file_ram_alloc(new_block, size, fd, !file_size, offset,
+                                     errp);
     if (!new_block->host) {
         g_free(new_block);
         return NULL;
@@ -1940,20 +1940,19 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
 
 RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_file(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
                                    uint32_t ram_flags, const char *mem_path,
-                                   off_t offset, bool readonly, Error **errp)
+                                   off_t offset, Error **errp)
 {
     int fd;
     bool created;
     RAMBlock *block;
 
-    fd = file_ram_open(mem_path, memory_region_name(mr), readonly, &created,
-                       errp);
+    fd = file_ram_open(mem_path, memory_region_name(mr),
+                       !!(ram_flags & RAM_READONLY_FD), &created, errp);
     if (fd < 0) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    block = qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(size, mr, ram_flags, fd, offset, readonly,
-                                   errp);
+    block = qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(size, mr, ram_flags, fd, offset, errp);
     if (!block) {
         if (created) {
             unlink(mem_path);
