diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index f197d7c7de..4ed82ed570 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -2164,6 +2164,12 @@ qemuBuildDisksCommandLine(virCommand *cmd,
     for (i = 0; i < def->ndisks; i++) {
         virDomainDiskDef *disk = def->disks[i];
 
+        /* transient disks with shared backing image will be hotplugged after
+         * the VM is started */
+        if (disk->transient &&
+            disk->transientShareBacking == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES)
+            continue;
+
         if (qemuBuildDiskCommandLine(cmd, def, disk, qemuCaps) < 0)
             return -1;
     }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 1b22bd1256..9b069fe7ce 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -7016,7 +7016,8 @@ qemuProcessSetupDisksTransientSnapshot(virDomainObj *vm,
         virDomainDiskDef *domdisk = vm->def->disks[i];
         g_autoptr(virDomainSnapshotDiskDef) snapdisk = NULL;
 
-        if (!domdisk->transient)
+        if (!domdisk->transient ||
+            domdisk->transientShareBacking == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES)
             continue;
 
         /* validation code makes sure that we do this only for local disks
@@ -7048,6 +7049,45 @@ qemuProcessSetupDisksTransientSnapshot(virDomainObj *vm,
 }
 
 
+static int
+qemuProcessSetupDisksTransientHotplug(virDomainObj *vm,
+                                      qemuDomainAsyncJob asyncJob)
+{
+    qemuDomainObjPrivate *priv = vm->privateData;
+    bool hasHotpluggedDisk = false;
+    size_t i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < vm->def->ndisks; i++) {
+        virDomainDiskDef *domdisk = vm->def->disks[i];
+
+        if (!domdisk->transient ||
+            domdisk->transientShareBacking != VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES)
+            continue;
+
+        if (qemuDomainAttachDiskGeneric(priv->driver, vm, domdisk, asyncJob) < 0)
+            return -1;
+
+        hasHotpluggedDisk = true;
+    }
+
+    /* in order to allow booting from such disks we need to issue a system-reset
+     * so that the firmware tables recording bootable devices are regerated */
+    if (hasHotpluggedDisk) {
+        int rc;
+
+        if (qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorAsync(priv->driver, vm, asyncJob) < 0)
+            return -1;
+
+        rc = qemuMonitorSystemReset(priv->mon);
+
+        if (qemuDomainObjExitMonitor(priv->driver, vm) < 0 || rc < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static int
 qemuProcessSetupDisksTransient(virDomainObj *vm,
                                qemuDomainAsyncJob asyncJob)
@@ -7060,6 +7100,9 @@ qemuProcessSetupDisksTransient(virDomainObj *vm,
     if (qemuProcessSetupDisksTransientSnapshot(vm, asyncJob) < 0)
         return -1;
 
+    if (qemuProcessSetupDisksTransientHotplug(vm, asyncJob) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
index fb8af31cc4..669c45b3c5 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_validate.c
@@ -2980,6 +2980,30 @@ qemuValidateDomainDeviceDefDiskTransient(const virDomainDiskDef *disk,
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (disk->transientShareBacking == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES) {
+        /* sharing the backing file requires hotplug of the disk in the qemu driver */
+        switch (disk->bus) {
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_USB:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_VIRTIO:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_SCSI:
+            break;
+
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_IDE:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_FDC:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_XEN:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_UML:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_SATA:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_SD:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_NONE:
+        case VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_LAST:
+        default:
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
+                           _("disk bus '%s' doesn't support transiend disk backing image sharing"),
+                           virDomainDiskBusTypeToString(disk->bus));
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }