diff --git a/rust/qemu-api/src/callbacks.rs b/rust/qemu-api/src/callbacks.rs
index 314f9dce962..a59878bfb74 100644
--- a/rust/qemu-api/src/callbacks.rs
+++ b/rust/qemu-api/src/callbacks.rs
@@ -79,6 +79,31 @@
 /// call_it(&move |_| String::from(x), "hello workd");
 /// ```
 ///
+/// `()` can be used to indicate "no function":
+///
+/// ```
+/// # use qemu_api::callbacks::FnCall;
+/// fn optional<F: for<'a> FnCall<(&'a str,), String>>(_f: &F, s: &str) -> Option<String> {
+///     if F::IS_SOME {
+///         Some(F::call((s,)))
+///     } else {
+///         None
+///     }
+/// }
+///
+/// assert!(optional(&(), "hello world").is_none());
+/// ```
+///
+/// Invoking `F::call` will then be a run-time error.
+///
+/// ```should_panic
+/// # use qemu_api::callbacks::FnCall;
+/// # fn call_it<F: for<'a> FnCall<(&'a str,), String>>(_f: &F, s: &str) -> String {
+/// #     F::call((s,))
+/// # }
+/// let s: String = call_it(&(), "hello world"); // panics
+/// ```
+///
 /// # Safety
 ///
 /// Because `Self` is a zero-sized type, all instances of the type are
@@ -93,10 +118,70 @@ pub unsafe trait FnCall<Args, R = ()>: 'static + Sync + Sized {
     /// Rust 1.79.0+.
     const ASSERT_ZERO_SIZED: () = { assert!(mem::size_of::<Self>() == 0) };
 
+    /// Referring to this constant asserts that the `Self` type is an actual
+    /// function type, which can be used to catch incorrect use of `()`
+    /// at  compile time.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```compile_fail
+    /// # use qemu_api::callbacks::FnCall;
+    /// fn call_it<F: for<'a> FnCall<(&'a str,), String>>(_f: &F, s: &str) -> String {
+    ///     let _: () = F::ASSERT_IS_SOME;
+    ///     F::call((s,))
+    /// }
+    ///
+    /// let s: String = call_it((), "hello world"); // does not compile
+    /// ```
+    ///
+    /// Note that this use more simply `const { assert!(F::IS_SOME) }` in
+    /// Rust 1.79.0 or newer.
+    const ASSERT_IS_SOME: () = { assert!(Self::IS_SOME) };
+
+    /// `true` if `Self` is an actual function type and not `()`.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// You can use `IS_SOME` to catch this at compile time:
+    ///
+    /// ```compile_fail
+    /// # use qemu_api::callbacks::FnCall;
+    /// fn call_it<F: for<'a> FnCall<(&'a str,), String>>(_f: &F, s: &str) -> String {
+    ///     const { assert!(F::IS_SOME) }
+    ///     F::call((s,))
+    /// }
+    ///
+    /// let s: String = call_it((), "hello world"); // does not compile
+    /// ```
+    const IS_SOME: bool;
+
+    /// `false` if `Self` is an actual function type, `true` if it is `()`.
+    fn is_none() -> bool {
+        !Self::IS_SOME
+    }
+
+    /// `true` if `Self` is an actual function type, `false` if it is `()`.
+    fn is_some() -> bool {
+        Self::IS_SOME
+    }
+
     /// Call the function with the arguments in args.
     fn call(a: Args) -> R;
 }
 
+/// `()` acts as a "null" callback.  Using `()` and `function` is nicer
+/// than `None` and `Some(function)`, because the compiler is unable to
+/// infer the type of just `None`.  Therefore, the trait itself acts as the
+/// option type, with functions [`FnCall::is_some`] and [`FnCall::is_none`].
+unsafe impl<Args, R> FnCall<Args, R> for () {
+    const IS_SOME: bool = false;
+
+    /// Call the function with the arguments in args.
+    fn call(_a: Args) -> R {
+        panic!("callback not specified")
+    }
+}
+
 macro_rules! impl_call {
     ($($args:ident,)* ) => (
         // SAFETY: because each function is treated as a separate type,
@@ -106,6 +191,8 @@ unsafe impl<F, $($args,)* R> FnCall<($($args,)*), R> for F
         where
             F: 'static + Sync + Sized + Fn($($args, )*) -> R,
         {
+            const IS_SOME: bool = true;
+
             #[inline(always)]
             fn call(a: ($($args,)*)) -> R {
                 let _: () = Self::ASSERT_ZERO_SIZED;
@@ -141,4 +228,14 @@ fn do_test_call<'a, F: FnCall<(&'a str,), String>>(_f: &F) -> String {
     fn test_call() {
         assert_eq!(do_test_call(&str::to_owned), "hello world")
     }
+
+    // The `_f` parameter is unused but it helps the compiler infer `F`.
+    fn do_test_is_some<'a, F: FnCall<(&'a str,), String>>(_f: &F) {
+        assert!(F::is_some());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_is_some() {
+        do_test_is_some(&str::to_owned);
+    }
 }
