diff --git a/chardev/char-pty.c b/chardev/char-pty.c
index cc2f7617fe..7cd5d34851 100644
--- a/chardev/char-pty.c
+++ b/chardev/char-pty.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "qemu/sockets.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
+#include "qemu/option.h"
 #include "qemu/qemu-print.h"
 
 #include "chardev/char-io.h"
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ struct PtyChardev {
 
     int connected;
     GSource *timer_src;
+    char *symlink_path;
 };
 typedef struct PtyChardev PtyChardev;
 
@@ -204,6 +206,12 @@ static void char_pty_finalize(Object *obj)
     Chardev *chr = CHARDEV(obj);
     PtyChardev *s = PTY_CHARDEV(obj);
 
+    /* unlink symlink */
+    if (s->symlink_path) {
+        unlink(s->symlink_path);
+        g_free(s->symlink_path);
+    }
+
     pty_chr_state(chr, 0);
     object_unref(OBJECT(s->ioc));
     pty_chr_timer_cancel(s);
@@ -330,6 +338,7 @@ static void char_pty_open(Chardev *chr,
     int master_fd, slave_fd;
     char pty_name[PATH_MAX];
     char *name;
+    char *symlink_path = backend->u.pty.data->device;
 
     master_fd = qemu_openpty_raw(&slave_fd, pty_name);
     if (master_fd < 0) {
@@ -354,12 +363,37 @@ static void char_pty_open(Chardev *chr,
     g_free(name);
     s->timer_src = NULL;
     *be_opened = false;
+
+    /* create symbolic link */
+    if (symlink_path) {
+        int res = symlink(pty_name, symlink_path);
+
+        if (res != 0) {
+            error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "Failed to create PTY symlink");
+            close(master_fd);
+        } else {
+            s->symlink_path = g_strdup(symlink_path);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static void char_pty_parse(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend,
+                           Error **errp)
+{
+    const char *path = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
+    ChardevHostdev *dev;
+
+    backend->type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_PTY;
+    dev = backend->u.pty.data = g_new0(ChardevHostdev, 1);
+    qemu_chr_parse_common(opts, qapi_ChardevHostdev_base(dev));
+    dev->device = path ? g_strdup(path) : NULL;
 }
 
 static void char_pty_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 {
     ChardevClass *cc = CHARDEV_CLASS(oc);
 
+    cc->parse = char_pty_parse;
     cc->open = char_pty_open;
     cc->chr_write = char_pty_chr_write;
     cc->chr_update_read_handler = pty_chr_update_read_handler;
diff --git a/chardev/char.c b/chardev/char.c
index 3c43fb1278..404c6b8a4f 100644
--- a/chardev/char.c
+++ b/chardev/char.c
@@ -428,6 +428,11 @@ QemuOpts *qemu_chr_parse_compat(const char *label, const char *filename,
         qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", p, &error_abort);
         return opts;
     }
+    if (strstart(filename, "pty:", &p)) {
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", "pty", &error_abort);
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", p, &error_abort);
+        return opts;
+    }
     if (strstart(filename, "tcp:", &p) ||
         strstart(filename, "telnet:", &p) ||
         strstart(filename, "tn3270:", &p) ||
diff --git a/qapi/char.json b/qapi/char.json
index 777dde55d9..4c74bfc437 100644
--- a/qapi/char.json
+++ b/qapi/char.json
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@
 ##
 # @ChardevHostdevWrapper:
 #
-# @data: Configuration info for device and pipe chardevs
+# @data: Configuration info for device, pty and pipe chardevs
 #
 # Since: 1.4
 ##
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@
             'pipe': 'ChardevHostdevWrapper',
             'socket': 'ChardevSocketWrapper',
             'udp': 'ChardevUdpWrapper',
-            'pty': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
+            'pty': 'ChardevHostdevWrapper',
             'null': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
             'mux': 'ChardevMuxWrapper',
             'msmouse': 'ChardevCommonWrapper',
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 8ca7f34ef0..5eec194242 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -3569,7 +3569,7 @@ DEF("chardev", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_chardev,
     "-chardev console,id=id[,mux=on|off][,logfile=PATH][,logappend=on|off]\n"
     "-chardev serial,id=id,path=path[,mux=on|off][,logfile=PATH][,logappend=on|off]\n"
 #else
-    "-chardev pty,id=id[,mux=on|off][,logfile=PATH][,logappend=on|off]\n"
+    "-chardev pty,id=id[,path=path][,mux=on|off][,logfile=PATH][,logappend=on|off]\n"
     "-chardev stdio,id=id[,mux=on|off][,signal=on|off][,logfile=PATH][,logappend=on|off]\n"
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_BRLAPI
@@ -3808,12 +3808,16 @@ The available backends are:
 
     ``path`` specifies the name of the serial device to open.
 
-``-chardev pty,id=id``
+``-chardev pty,id=id[,path=path]``
     Create a new pseudo-terminal on the host and connect to it. ``pty``
     does not take any options.
 
     ``pty`` is not available on Windows hosts.
 
+    ``path`` specifies the symbolic link path to be created that
+    points to the pty device.
+
+
 ``-chardev stdio,id=id[,signal=on|off]``
     Connect to standard input and standard output of the QEMU process.
 
@@ -4171,8 +4175,10 @@ SRST
 
             vc:80Cx24C
 
-    ``pty``
-        [Linux only] Pseudo TTY (a new PTY is automatically allocated)
+    ``pty[:path]``
+        [Linux only] Pseudo TTY (a new PTY is automatically allocated).
+        Optionally a path can be given to create a symbolic link to
+        the allocated PTY.
 
     ``none``
         No device is allocated. Note that for machine types which
