diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
index 1860b541d8..7d399ec418 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-backend.h
@@ -26,6 +26,18 @@ typedef enum VhostSetConfigType {
     VHOST_SET_CONFIG_TYPE_MIGRATION = 1,
 } VhostSetConfigType;
 
+typedef enum VhostDeviceStateDirection {
+    /* Transfer state from back-end (device) to front-end */
+    VHOST_TRANSFER_STATE_DIRECTION_SAVE = 0,
+    /* Transfer state from front-end to back-end (device) */
+    VHOST_TRANSFER_STATE_DIRECTION_LOAD = 1,
+} VhostDeviceStateDirection;
+
+typedef enum VhostDeviceStatePhase {
+    /* The device (and all its vrings) is stopped */
+    VHOST_TRANSFER_STATE_PHASE_STOPPED = 0,
+} VhostDeviceStatePhase;
+
 struct vhost_inflight;
 struct vhost_dev;
 struct vhost_log;
@@ -133,6 +145,15 @@ typedef int (*vhost_set_config_call_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev,
 
 typedef void (*vhost_reset_status_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev);
 
+typedef bool (*vhost_supports_device_state_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev);
+typedef int (*vhost_set_device_state_fd_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev,
+                                            VhostDeviceStateDirection direction,
+                                            VhostDeviceStatePhase phase,
+                                            int fd,
+                                            int *reply_fd,
+                                            Error **errp);
+typedef int (*vhost_check_device_state_op)(struct vhost_dev *dev, Error **errp);
+
 typedef struct VhostOps {
     VhostBackendType backend_type;
     vhost_backend_init vhost_backend_init;
@@ -181,6 +202,9 @@ typedef struct VhostOps {
     vhost_force_iommu_op vhost_force_iommu;
     vhost_set_config_call_op vhost_set_config_call;
     vhost_reset_status_op vhost_reset_status;
+    vhost_supports_device_state_op vhost_supports_device_state;
+    vhost_set_device_state_fd_op vhost_set_device_state_fd;
+    vhost_check_device_state_op vhost_check_device_state;
 } VhostOps;
 
 int vhost_backend_update_device_iotlb(struct vhost_dev *dev,
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user.h
index 1d4121431b..324cd8663a 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost-user.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ enum VhostUserProtocolFeature {
     VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_STATUS = 16,
     /* Feature 17 reserved for VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_XEN_MMAP. */
     VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_SHARED_OBJECT = 18,
+    VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_DEVICE_STATE = 19,
     VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_MAX
 };
 
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
index 14621f9e79..a0d03c9fdf 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
@@ -348,4 +348,82 @@ static inline int vhost_reset_device(struct vhost_dev *hdev)
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_VHOST */
 
+/**
+ * vhost_supports_device_state(): Checks whether the back-end supports
+ * transferring internal device state for the purpose of migration.
+ * Support for this feature is required for vhost_set_device_state_fd()
+ * and vhost_check_device_state().
+ *
+ * @dev: The vhost device
+ *
+ * Returns true if the device supports these commands, and false if it
+ * does not.
+ */
+bool vhost_supports_device_state(struct vhost_dev *dev);
+
+/**
+ * vhost_set_device_state_fd(): Begin transfer of internal state from/to
+ * the back-end for the purpose of migration.  Data is to be transferred
+ * over a pipe according to @direction and @phase.  The sending end must
+ * only write to the pipe, and the receiving end must only read from it.
+ * Once the sending end is done, it closes its FD.  The receiving end
+ * must take this as the end-of-transfer signal and close its FD, too.
+ *
+ * @fd is the back-end's end of the pipe: The write FD for SAVE, and the
+ * read FD for LOAD.  This function transfers ownership of @fd to the
+ * back-end, i.e. closes it in the front-end.
+ *
+ * The back-end may optionally reply with an FD of its own, if this
+ * improves efficiency on its end.  In this case, the returned FD is
+ * stored in *reply_fd.  The back-end will discard the FD sent to it,
+ * and the front-end must use *reply_fd for transferring state to/from
+ * the back-end.
+ *
+ * @dev: The vhost device
+ * @direction: The direction in which the state is to be transferred.
+ *             For outgoing migrations, this is SAVE, and data is read
+ *             from the back-end and stored by the front-end in the
+ *             migration stream.
+ *             For incoming migrations, this is LOAD, and data is read
+ *             by the front-end from the migration stream and sent to
+ *             the back-end to restore the saved state.
+ * @phase: Which migration phase we are in.  Currently, there is only
+ *         STOPPED (device and all vrings are stopped), in the future,
+ *         more phases such as PRE_COPY or POST_COPY may be added.
+ * @fd: Back-end's end of the pipe through which to transfer state; note
+ *      that ownership is transferred to the back-end, so this function
+ *      closes @fd in the front-end.
+ * @reply_fd: If the back-end wishes to use a different pipe for state
+ *            transfer, this will contain an FD for the front-end to
+ *            use.  Otherwise, -1 is stored here.
+ * @errp: Potential error description
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, and -errno on failure.
+ */
+int vhost_set_device_state_fd(struct vhost_dev *dev,
+                              VhostDeviceStateDirection direction,
+                              VhostDeviceStatePhase phase,
+                              int fd,
+                              int *reply_fd,
+                              Error **errp);
+
+/**
+ * vhost_set_device_state_fd(): After transferring state from/to the
+ * back-end via vhost_set_device_state_fd(), i.e. once the sending end
+ * has closed the pipe, inquire the back-end to report any potential
+ * errors that have occurred on its side.  This allows to sense errors
+ * like:
+ * - During outgoing migration, when the source side had already started
+ *   to produce its state, something went wrong and it failed to finish
+ * - During incoming migration, when the received state is somehow
+ *   invalid and cannot be processed by the back-end
+ *
+ * @dev: The vhost device
+ * @errp: Potential error description
+ *
+ * Returns 0 when the back-end reports successful state transfer and
+ * processing, and -errno when an error occurred somewhere.
+ */
+int vhost_check_device_state(struct vhost_dev *dev, Error **errp);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
index dc2258c4ab..c6f86a4b27 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ typedef enum VhostUserRequest {
     VHOST_USER_SET_STATUS = 39,
     VHOST_USER_GET_STATUS = 40,
     VHOST_USER_GET_SHARED_OBJECT = 41,
+    VHOST_USER_SET_DEVICE_STATE_FD = 42,
+    VHOST_USER_CHECK_DEVICE_STATE = 43,
     VHOST_USER_MAX
 } VhostUserRequest;
 
@@ -201,6 +203,12 @@ typedef struct {
     uint32_t size; /* the following payload size */
 } QEMU_PACKED VhostUserHeader;
 
+/* Request payload of VHOST_USER_SET_DEVICE_STATE_FD */
+typedef struct VhostUserTransferDeviceState {
+    uint32_t direction;
+    uint32_t phase;
+} VhostUserTransferDeviceState;
+
 typedef union {
 #define VHOST_USER_VRING_IDX_MASK   (0xff)
 #define VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK  (0x1 << 8)
@@ -216,6 +224,7 @@ typedef union {
         VhostUserVringArea area;
         VhostUserInflight inflight;
         VhostUserShared object;
+        VhostUserTransferDeviceState transfer_state;
 } VhostUserPayload;
 
 typedef struct VhostUserMsg {
@@ -2868,6 +2877,140 @@ static void vhost_user_reset_status(struct vhost_dev *dev)
     }
 }
 
+static bool vhost_user_supports_device_state(struct vhost_dev *dev)
+{
+    return virtio_has_feature(dev->protocol_features,
+                              VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_DEVICE_STATE);
+}
+
+static int vhost_user_set_device_state_fd(struct vhost_dev *dev,
+                                          VhostDeviceStateDirection direction,
+                                          VhostDeviceStatePhase phase,
+                                          int fd,
+                                          int *reply_fd,
+                                          Error **errp)
+{
+    int ret;
+    struct vhost_user *vu = dev->opaque;
+    VhostUserMsg msg = {
+        .hdr = {
+            .request = VHOST_USER_SET_DEVICE_STATE_FD,
+            .flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION,
+            .size = sizeof(msg.payload.transfer_state),
+        },
+        .payload.transfer_state = {
+            .direction = direction,
+            .phase = phase,
+        },
+    };
+
+    *reply_fd = -1;
+
+    if (!vhost_user_supports_device_state(dev)) {
+        close(fd);
+        error_setg(errp, "Back-end does not support migration state transfer");
+        return -ENOTSUP;
+    }
+
+    ret = vhost_user_write(dev, &msg, &fd, 1);
+    close(fd);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret,
+                         "Failed to send SET_DEVICE_STATE_FD message");
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    ret = vhost_user_read(dev, &msg);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret,
+                         "Failed to receive SET_DEVICE_STATE_FD reply");
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.hdr.request != VHOST_USER_SET_DEVICE_STATE_FD) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Received unexpected message type, expected %d, received %d",
+                   VHOST_USER_SET_DEVICE_STATE_FD, msg.hdr.request);
+        return -EPROTO;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.hdr.size != sizeof(msg.payload.u64)) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Received bad message size, expected %zu, received %" PRIu32,
+                   sizeof(msg.payload.u64), msg.hdr.size);
+        return -EPROTO;
+    }
+
+    if ((msg.payload.u64 & 0xff) != 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Back-end did not accept migration state transfer");
+        return -EIO;
+    }
+
+    if (!(msg.payload.u64 & VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK)) {
+        *reply_fd = qemu_chr_fe_get_msgfd(vu->user->chr);
+        if (*reply_fd < 0) {
+            error_setg(errp,
+                       "Failed to get back-end-provided transfer pipe FD");
+            *reply_fd = -1;
+            return -EIO;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int vhost_user_check_device_state(struct vhost_dev *dev, Error **errp)
+{
+    int ret;
+    VhostUserMsg msg = {
+        .hdr = {
+            .request = VHOST_USER_CHECK_DEVICE_STATE,
+            .flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION,
+            .size = 0,
+        },
+    };
+
+    if (!vhost_user_supports_device_state(dev)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Back-end does not support migration state transfer");
+        return -ENOTSUP;
+    }
+
+    ret = vhost_user_write(dev, &msg, NULL, 0);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret,
+                         "Failed to send CHECK_DEVICE_STATE message");
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    ret = vhost_user_read(dev, &msg);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret,
+                         "Failed to receive CHECK_DEVICE_STATE reply");
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.hdr.request != VHOST_USER_CHECK_DEVICE_STATE) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Received unexpected message type, expected %d, received %d",
+                   VHOST_USER_CHECK_DEVICE_STATE, msg.hdr.request);
+        return -EPROTO;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.hdr.size != sizeof(msg.payload.u64)) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Received bad message size, expected %zu, received %" PRIu32,
+                   sizeof(msg.payload.u64), msg.hdr.size);
+        return -EPROTO;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.payload.u64 != 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Back-end failed to process its internal state");
+        return -EIO;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 const VhostOps user_ops = {
         .backend_type = VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_USER,
         .vhost_backend_init = vhost_user_backend_init,
@@ -2904,4 +3047,7 @@ const VhostOps user_ops = {
         .vhost_set_inflight_fd = vhost_user_set_inflight_fd,
         .vhost_dev_start = vhost_user_dev_start,
         .vhost_reset_status = vhost_user_reset_status,
+        .vhost_supports_device_state = vhost_user_supports_device_state,
+        .vhost_set_device_state_fd = vhost_user_set_device_state_fd,
+        .vhost_check_device_state = vhost_user_check_device_state,
 };
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost.c b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
index bce97635df..ca4bdd9d66 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
@@ -2096,3 +2096,40 @@ int vhost_reset_device(struct vhost_dev *hdev)
 
     return -ENOSYS;
 }
+
+bool vhost_supports_device_state(struct vhost_dev *dev)
+{
+    if (dev->vhost_ops->vhost_supports_device_state) {
+        return dev->vhost_ops->vhost_supports_device_state(dev);
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+int vhost_set_device_state_fd(struct vhost_dev *dev,
+                              VhostDeviceStateDirection direction,
+                              VhostDeviceStatePhase phase,
+                              int fd,
+                              int *reply_fd,
+                              Error **errp)
+{
+    if (dev->vhost_ops->vhost_set_device_state_fd) {
+        return dev->vhost_ops->vhost_set_device_state_fd(dev, direction, phase,
+                                                         fd, reply_fd, errp);
+    }
+
+    error_setg(errp,
+               "vhost transport does not support migration state transfer");
+    return -ENOSYS;
+}
+
+int vhost_check_device_state(struct vhost_dev *dev, Error **errp)
+{
+    if (dev->vhost_ops->vhost_check_device_state) {
+        return dev->vhost_ops->vhost_check_device_state(dev, errp);
+    }
+
+    error_setg(errp,
+               "vhost transport does not support migration state transfer");
+    return -ENOSYS;
+}
