diff --git a/hw/vfio/user-pci.c b/hw/vfio/user-pci.c
index b1125f7403..8cd397b75a 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/user-pci.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/user-pci.c
@@ -100,6 +100,95 @@ static void vfio_user_msix_teardown(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
     vdev->msix->pba_region = NULL;
 }
 
+static void vfio_user_dma_read(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev, VFIOUserDMARW *msg)
+{
+    PCIDevice *pdev = &vdev->pdev;
+    VFIOUserProxy *proxy = vdev->vbasedev.proxy;
+    VFIOUserDMARW *res;
+    MemTxResult r;
+    size_t size;
+
+    if (msg->hdr.size < sizeof(*msg)) {
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &msg->hdr, EINVAL);
+        return;
+    }
+    if (msg->count > proxy->max_xfer_size) {
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &msg->hdr, E2BIG);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* switch to our own message buffer */
+    size = msg->count + sizeof(VFIOUserDMARW);
+    res = g_malloc0(size);
+    memcpy(res, msg, sizeof(*res));
+    g_free(msg);
+
+    r = pci_dma_read(pdev, res->offset, &res->data, res->count);
+
+    switch (r) {
+    case MEMTX_OK:
+        if (res->hdr.flags & VFIO_USER_NO_REPLY) {
+            g_free(res);
+            return;
+        }
+        vfio_user_send_reply(proxy, &res->hdr, size);
+        break;
+    case MEMTX_ERROR:
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &res->hdr, EFAULT);
+        break;
+    case MEMTX_DECODE_ERROR:
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &res->hdr, ENODEV);
+        break;
+    case MEMTX_ACCESS_ERROR:
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &res->hdr, EPERM);
+        break;
+    default:
+        error_printf("vfio_user_dma_read unknown error %d\n", r);
+        vfio_user_send_error(vdev->vbasedev.proxy, &res->hdr, EINVAL);
+    }
+}
+
+static void vfio_user_dma_write(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev, VFIOUserDMARW *msg)
+{
+    PCIDevice *pdev = &vdev->pdev;
+    VFIOUserProxy *proxy = vdev->vbasedev.proxy;
+    MemTxResult r;
+
+    if (msg->hdr.size < sizeof(*msg)) {
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &msg->hdr, EINVAL);
+        return;
+    }
+    /* make sure transfer count isn't larger than the message data */
+    if (msg->count > msg->hdr.size - sizeof(*msg)) {
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &msg->hdr, E2BIG);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    r = pci_dma_write(pdev, msg->offset, &msg->data, msg->count);
+
+    switch (r) {
+    case MEMTX_OK:
+        if ((msg->hdr.flags & VFIO_USER_NO_REPLY) == 0) {
+            vfio_user_send_reply(proxy, &msg->hdr, sizeof(msg->hdr));
+        } else {
+            g_free(msg);
+        }
+        break;
+    case MEMTX_ERROR:
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &msg->hdr, EFAULT);
+        break;
+    case MEMTX_DECODE_ERROR:
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &msg->hdr, ENODEV);
+        break;
+    case MEMTX_ACCESS_ERROR:
+        vfio_user_send_error(proxy, &msg->hdr, EPERM);
+        break;
+    default:
+        error_printf("vfio_user_dma_write unknown error %d\n", r);
+        vfio_user_send_error(vdev->vbasedev.proxy, &msg->hdr, EINVAL);
+    }
+}
+
 /*
  * Incoming request message callback.
  *
@@ -107,7 +196,28 @@ static void vfio_user_msix_teardown(VFIOPCIDevice *vdev)
  */
 static void vfio_user_pci_process_req(void *opaque, VFIOUserMsg *msg)
 {
+    VFIOPCIDevice *vdev = opaque;
+    VFIOUserHdr *hdr = msg->hdr;
+
+    /* no incoming PCI requests pass FDs */
+    if (msg->fds != NULL) {
+        vfio_user_send_error(vdev->vbasedev.proxy, hdr, EINVAL);
+        vfio_user_putfds(msg);
+        return;
+    }
 
+    switch (hdr->command) {
+    case VFIO_USER_DMA_READ:
+        vfio_user_dma_read(vdev, (VFIOUserDMARW *)hdr);
+        break;
+    case VFIO_USER_DMA_WRITE:
+        vfio_user_dma_write(vdev, (VFIOUserDMARW *)hdr);
+        break;
+    default:
+        error_printf("vfio_user_pci_process_req unknown cmd %d\n",
+                     hdr->command);
+        vfio_user_send_error(vdev->vbasedev.proxy, hdr, ENOSYS);
+    }
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h b/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h
index 9b569156fa..607e0f4b7f 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h
+++ b/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h
@@ -203,7 +203,18 @@ typedef struct {
     char data[];
 } VFIOUserRegionRW;
 
-/*imported from struct vfio_bitmap */
+/*
+ * VFIO_USER_DMA_READ
+ * VFIO_USER_DMA_WRITE
+ */
+typedef struct {
+    VFIOUserHdr hdr;
+    uint64_t offset;
+    uint32_t count;
+    char data[];
+} VFIOUserDMARW;
+
+/* imported from struct vfio_bitmap */
 typedef struct {
     uint64_t pgsize;
     uint64_t size;
diff --git a/hw/vfio/user.c b/hw/vfio/user.c
index ef644848ed..6f0358bd8f 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/user.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/user.c
@@ -380,6 +380,10 @@ static int vfio_user_recv_one(VFIOUserProxy *proxy)
         *msg->hdr = hdr;
         data = (char *)msg->hdr + sizeof(hdr);
     } else {
+        if (hdr.size > proxy->max_xfer_size + sizeof(VFIOUserDMARW)) {
+            error_setg(&local_err, "vfio_user_recv request larger than max");
+            goto err;
+        }
         buf = g_malloc0(hdr.size);
         memcpy(buf, &hdr, sizeof(hdr));
         data = buf + sizeof(hdr);
@@ -765,6 +769,59 @@ void vfio_user_wait_reqs(VFIOUserProxy *proxy)
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&proxy->lock);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Reply to an incoming request.
+ */
+void vfio_user_send_reply(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr, int size)
+{
+
+    if (size < sizeof(VFIOUserHdr)) {
+        error_printf("vfio_user_send_reply - size too small\n");
+        g_free(hdr);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * convert header to associated reply
+     */
+    hdr->flags = VFIO_USER_REPLY;
+    hdr->size = size;
+
+    vfio_user_send_async(proxy, hdr, NULL);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Send an error reply to an incoming request.
+ */
+void vfio_user_send_error(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr, int error)
+{
+
+    /*
+     * convert header to associated reply
+     */
+    hdr->flags = VFIO_USER_REPLY;
+    hdr->flags |= VFIO_USER_ERROR;
+    hdr->error_reply = error;
+    hdr->size = sizeof(*hdr);
+
+    vfio_user_send_async(proxy, hdr, NULL);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Close FDs erroneously received in an incoming request.
+ */
+void vfio_user_putfds(VFIOUserMsg *msg)
+{
+    VFIOUserFDs *fds = msg->fds;
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < fds->recv_fds; i++) {
+        close(fds->fds[i]);
+    }
+    g_free(fds);
+    msg->fds = NULL;
+}
+
 static QLIST_HEAD(, VFIOUserProxy) vfio_user_sockets =
     QLIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER(vfio_user_sockets);
 
diff --git a/hw/vfio/user.h b/hw/vfio/user.h
index fe24a881f2..fa6bc9a9d6 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/user.h
+++ b/hw/vfio/user.h
@@ -116,5 +116,8 @@ void vfio_user_send_nowait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
                            VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize);
 void vfio_user_send_wait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
                          VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize);
+void vfio_user_send_reply(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr, int size);
+void vfio_user_send_error(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr, int error);
+void vfio_user_putfds(VFIOUserMsg *msg);
 
 #endif /* VFIO_USER_H */
