diff --git a/include/libvirt/libvirt-domain.h b/include/libvirt/libvirt-domain.h
index 0b1a2d6dd4..3a835717ed 100644
--- a/include/libvirt/libvirt-domain.h
+++ b/include/libvirt/libvirt-domain.h
@@ -1422,6 +1422,10 @@ int                     virDomainMemoryPeek (virDomainPtr dom,
  */
 virDomainPtr            virDomainDefineXML      (virConnectPtr conn,
                                                  const char *xml);
+
+virDomainPtr            virDomainDefineXMLFlags (virConnectPtr conn,
+                                                 const char *xml,
+                                                 unsigned int flags);
 int                     virDomainUndefine       (virDomainPtr domain);
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/src/driver-hypervisor.h b/src/driver-hypervisor.h
index 9f26b13c5a..a1d2a0aec2 100644
--- a/src/driver-hypervisor.h
+++ b/src/driver-hypervisor.h
@@ -314,6 +314,10 @@ typedef int
 typedef virDomainPtr
 (*virDrvDomainDefineXML)(virConnectPtr conn,
                          const char *xml);
+typedef virDomainPtr
+(*virDrvDomainDefineXMLFlags)(virConnectPtr conn,
+                              const char *xml,
+                              unsigned int flags);
 
 typedef int
 (*virDrvDomainUndefine)(virDomainPtr dom);
@@ -1265,6 +1269,7 @@ struct _virHypervisorDriver {
     virDrvDomainCreateWithFlags domainCreateWithFlags;
     virDrvDomainCreateWithFiles domainCreateWithFiles;
     virDrvDomainDefineXML domainDefineXML;
+    virDrvDomainDefineXMLFlags domainDefineXMLFlags;
     virDrvDomainUndefine domainUndefine;
     virDrvDomainUndefineFlags domainUndefineFlags;
     virDrvDomainAttachDevice domainAttachDevice;
diff --git a/src/libvirt-domain.c b/src/libvirt-domain.c
index 6ec68aa717..0b4c09722b 100644
--- a/src/libvirt-domain.c
+++ b/src/libvirt-domain.c
@@ -6475,6 +6475,54 @@ virDomainDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * virDomainDefineXMLFlags:
+ * @conn: pointer to the hypervisor connection
+ * @xml: the XML description for the domain, preferably in UTF-8
+ * @flags: currently unused, pass 0
+ *
+ * Defines a domain, but does not start it.
+ * This definition is persistent, until explicitly undefined with
+ * virDomainUndefine(). A previous definition for this domain would be
+ * overridden if it already exists.
+ *
+ * Some hypervisors may prevent this operation if there is a current
+ * block copy operation on a transient domain with the same id as the
+ * domain being defined; in that case, use virDomainBlockJobAbort() to
+ * stop the block copy first.
+ *
+ * virDomainFree should be used to free the resources after the
+ * domain object is no longer needed.
+ *
+ * Returns NULL in case of error, a pointer to the domain otherwise
+ */
+virDomainPtr
+virDomainDefineXMLFlags(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml, unsigned int flags)
+{
+    VIR_DEBUG("conn=%p, xml=%s flags=%x", conn, xml, flags);
+
+    virResetLastError();
+
+    virCheckConnectReturn(conn, NULL);
+    virCheckReadOnlyGoto(conn->flags, error);
+    virCheckNonNullArgGoto(xml, error);
+
+    if (conn->driver->domainDefineXMLFlags) {
+        virDomainPtr ret;
+        ret = conn->driver->domainDefineXMLFlags(conn, xml, flags);
+        if (!ret)
+            goto error;
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    virReportUnsupportedError();
+
+ error:
+    virDispatchError(conn);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * virDomainUndefine:
  * @domain: pointer to a defined domain
diff --git a/src/libvirt_public.syms b/src/libvirt_public.syms
index e4c2df198f..4ea5cff655 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_public.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_public.syms
@@ -690,4 +690,9 @@ LIBVIRT_1.2.11 {
         virDomainGetFSInfo;
 } LIBVIRT_1.2.9;
 
+LIBVIRT_1.2.12 {
+    global:
+        virDomainDefineXMLFlags;
+} LIBVIRT_1.2.11;
+
 # .... define new API here using predicted next version number ....
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index 999f16d0e1..3cc603f973 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -8151,6 +8151,7 @@ static virHypervisorDriver hypervisor_driver = {
     .domainCreateWithFlags = remoteDomainCreateWithFlags, /* 0.8.2 */
     .domainCreateWithFiles = remoteDomainCreateWithFiles, /* 1.1.1 */
     .domainDefineXML = remoteDomainDefineXML, /* 0.3.0 */
+    .domainDefineXMLFlags = remoteDomainDefineXMLFlags, /* 1.2.12 */
     .domainUndefine = remoteDomainUndefine, /* 0.3.0 */
     .domainUndefineFlags = remoteDomainUndefineFlags, /* 0.9.4 */
     .domainAttachDevice = remoteDomainAttachDevice, /* 0.3.0 */
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_protocol.x b/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
index cbd3ec733e..d91fbe0ee4 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
+++ b/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
@@ -1062,6 +1062,15 @@ struct remote_domain_define_xml_ret {
     remote_nonnull_domain dom;
 };
 
+struct remote_domain_define_xml_flags_args {
+    remote_nonnull_string xml;
+    unsigned int flags;
+};
+
+struct remote_domain_define_xml_flags_ret {
+    remote_nonnull_domain dom;
+};
+
 struct remote_domain_undefine_args {
     remote_nonnull_domain dom;
 };
@@ -5550,5 +5559,13 @@ enum remote_procedure {
      * @generate: none
      * @acl: domain:fs_freeze
      */
-    REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_GET_FSINFO = 349
+    REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_GET_FSINFO = 349,
+
+    /**
+     * @priority: high
+     * @generate: both
+     * @acl: domain:write
+     * @acl: domain:save
+     */
+    REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_DEFINE_XML_FLAGS = 350
 };
diff --git a/src/remote_protocol-structs b/src/remote_protocol-structs
index 2907fd53bd..df6eaf3755 100644
--- a/src/remote_protocol-structs
+++ b/src/remote_protocol-structs
@@ -686,6 +686,13 @@ struct remote_domain_define_xml_args {
 struct remote_domain_define_xml_ret {
         remote_nonnull_domain      dom;
 };
+struct remote_domain_define_xml_flags_args {
+        remote_nonnull_string      xml;
+        u_int                      flags;
+};
+struct remote_domain_define_xml_flags_ret {
+        remote_nonnull_domain      dom;
+};
 struct remote_domain_undefine_args {
         remote_nonnull_domain      dom;
 };
@@ -2955,4 +2962,5 @@ enum remote_procedure {
         REMOTE_PROC_NODE_ALLOC_PAGES = 347,
         REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_EVENT_CALLBACK_AGENT_LIFECYCLE = 348,
         REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_GET_FSINFO = 349,
+        REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_DEFINE_XML_FLAGS = 350,
 };