diff --git a/docs/formatdomain.html.in b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
index 6a3b976f6b..0574e68d53 100644
--- a/docs/formatdomain.html.in
+++ b/docs/formatdomain.html.in
@@ -1427,10 +1427,10 @@
         to the directory to use as the disk. If the disk <code>type</code>
         is "network", then the <code>protocol</code> attribute specifies
         the protocol to access to the requested image; possible values
-        are "nbd", "rbd", and "sheepdog".  If the <code>protocol</code>
-        attribute is "rbd" or "sheepdog", an additional
-        attribute <code>name</code> is mandatory to specify which
-        image will be used.  When the disk <code>type</code> is
+        are "nbd", "rbd", "sheepdog" or "gluster".  If the
+        <code>protocol</code> attribute is "rbd", "sheepdog" or "gluster", an
+        additional attribute <code>name</code> is mandatory to specify which
+        volume/image will be used.  When the disk <code>type</code> is
         "network", the <code>source</code> may have zero or
         more <code>host</code> sub-elements used to specify the hosts
         to connect.
@@ -1658,9 +1658,11 @@
         <span class='since'>Since 0.10.1</span>
       </dd>
       <dt><code>host</code></dt>
-      <dd>The <code>host</code> element has two attributes "name" and "port",
-        which specify the hostname and the port number. The meaning of this
-        element and the number of the elements depend on the protocol attribute.
+      <dd>The <code>host</code> element supports 4 attributes, viz.  "name",
+        "port", "transport" and "socket", which specify the hostname, the port
+         number, transport type and path to socket, respectively. The meaning
+         of this element and the number of the elements depend on the protocol
+         attribute.
         <table class="top_table">
           <tr>
             <th> Protocol </th>
@@ -1682,7 +1684,15 @@
             <td> one of the sheepdog servers (default is localhost:7000) </td>
             <td> zero or one </td>
           </tr>
+          <tr>
+            <td> gluster </td>
+            <td> a server running glusterd daemon </td>
+            <td> only one </td>
+          </tr>
         </table>
+        In case of gluster, valid values for transport attribute are tcp, rdma
+        or unix. If nothing is specified, tcp is assumed. If transport is unix,
+        socket attribute specifies path to unix socket.
       </dd>
       <dt><code>address</code></dt>
       <dd>If present, the <code>address</code> element ties the disk
diff --git a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
index 02ad47713b..0e85739989 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
+++ b/docs/schemas/domaincommon.rng
@@ -1048,6 +1048,7 @@
                     <value>nbd</value>
                     <value>rbd</value>
                     <value>sheepdog</value>
+                    <value>gluster</value>
                   </choice>
                 </attribute>
                 <optional>
@@ -1055,12 +1056,32 @@
                 </optional>
                 <zeroOrMore>
                   <element name="host">
-                    <attribute name="name">
-                      <ref name="dnsName"/>
-                    </attribute>
-                    <attribute name="port">
-                      <ref name="unsignedInt"/>
-                    </attribute>
+                    <choice>
+                      <group>
+                        <optional>
+                          <attribute name="transport">
+                            <choice>
+                              <value>tcp</value>
+                              <value>rdma</value>
+                            </choice>
+                          </attribute>
+                        </optional>
+                        <attribute name="name">
+                          <ref name="dnsName"/>
+                        </attribute>
+                        <attribute name="port">
+                          <ref name="unsignedInt"/>
+                        </attribute>
+                      </group>
+                      <group>
+                        <attribute name="transport">
+                          <value>unix</value>
+                        </attribute>
+                        <attribute name="socket">
+                          <ref name="absFilePath"/>
+                        </attribute>
+                      </group>
+                    </choice>
                   </element>
                 </zeroOrMore>
                 <empty/>
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index ed8b53f81e..2ca608f8d8 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -225,7 +225,13 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainDiskErrorPolicy, VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_ERROR_POLICY_LAST,
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainDiskProtocol, VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTOCOL_LAST,
               "nbd",
               "rbd",
-              "sheepdog")
+              "sheepdog",
+              "gluster")
+
+VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainDiskProtocolTransport, VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_LAST,
+              "tcp",
+              "unix",
+              "rdma")
 
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainDiskSecretType, VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_SECRET_TYPE_LAST,
               "none",
@@ -1004,6 +1010,7 @@ void virDomainDiskHostDefFree(virDomainDiskHostDefPtr def)
 
     VIR_FREE(def->name);
     VIR_FREE(def->port);
+    VIR_FREE(def->socket);
 }
 
 void virDomainControllerDefFree(virDomainControllerDefPtr def)
@@ -3520,6 +3527,7 @@ virDomainDiskDefParseXML(virCapsPtr caps,
     char *source = NULL;
     char *target = NULL;
     char *protocol = NULL;
+    char *protocol_transport = NULL;
     char *trans = NULL;
     virDomainDiskHostDefPtr hosts = NULL;
     int nhosts = 0;
@@ -3626,20 +3634,50 @@ virDomainDiskDefParseXML(virCapsPtr caps,
                             }
                             hosts[nhosts].name = NULL;
                             hosts[nhosts].port = NULL;
+                            hosts[nhosts].transport = VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_TCP;
+                            hosts[nhosts].socket = NULL;
                             nhosts++;
 
-                            hosts[nhosts - 1].name = virXMLPropString(child, "name");
-                            if (!hosts[nhosts - 1].name) {
-                                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                                               "%s", _("missing name for host"));
+                            /* transport can be tcp (default), unix or rdma.  */
+                            protocol_transport = virXMLPropString(child, "transport");
+                            if (protocol_transport != NULL) {
+                                hosts[nhosts - 1].transport = virDomainDiskProtocolTransportTypeFromString(protocol_transport);
+                                if (hosts[nhosts - 1].transport < 0) {
+                                    virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                                                   _("unknown protocol transport type '%s'"),
+                                                   protocol_transport);
+                                    goto error;
+                                }
+                            }
+                            hosts[nhosts - 1].socket = virXMLPropString(child, "socket");
+                            if (hosts[nhosts - 1].transport == VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_UNIX &&
+                                hosts[nhosts - 1].socket == NULL) {
+                                virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                                               "%s", _("missing socket for unix transport"));
                                 goto error;
                             }
-                            hosts[nhosts - 1].port = virXMLPropString(child, "port");
-                            if (!hosts[nhosts - 1].port) {
-                                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                                               "%s", _("missing port for host"));
+                            if (hosts[nhosts - 1].transport != VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_UNIX &&
+                                hosts[nhosts - 1].socket != NULL) {
+                                virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                                               _("transport %s does not support socket attribute"),
+                                               protocol_transport);
                                 goto error;
                             }
+                            VIR_FREE(protocol_transport);
+                            if (hosts[nhosts - 1].transport != VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_UNIX) {
+                                hosts[nhosts - 1].name = virXMLPropString(child, "name");
+                                if (!hosts[nhosts - 1].name) {
+                                    virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                                                   "%s", _("missing name for host"));
+                                    goto error;
+                                }
+                                hosts[nhosts - 1].port = virXMLPropString(child, "port");
+                                if (!hosts[nhosts - 1].port) {
+                                    virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                                                   "%s", _("missing port for host"));
+                                    goto error;
+                                }
+                            }
                         }
                         child = child->next;
                     }
@@ -4230,6 +4268,7 @@ cleanup:
     }
     VIR_FREE(hosts);
     VIR_FREE(protocol);
+    VIR_FREE(protocol_transport);
     VIR_FREE(device);
     VIR_FREE(authUsername);
     VIR_FREE(usageType);
@@ -11997,10 +12036,22 @@ virDomainDiskDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
 
                 virBufferAddLit(buf, ">\n");
                 for (i = 0; i < def->nhosts; i++) {
-                    virBufferEscapeString(buf, "        <host name='%s'",
-                                          def->hosts[i].name);
-                    virBufferEscapeString(buf, " port='%s'/>\n",
-                                          def->hosts[i].port);
+                    virBufferAddLit(buf, "        <host");
+                    if (def->hosts[i].name) {
+                        virBufferEscapeString(buf, " name='%s'", def->hosts[i].name);
+                    }
+                    if (def->hosts[i].port) {
+                        virBufferEscapeString(buf, " port='%s'",
+                                              def->hosts[i].port);
+                    }
+                    if (def->hosts[i].transport) {
+                        virBufferAsprintf(buf, " transport='%s'",
+                                          virDomainDiskProtocolTransportTypeToString(def->hosts[i].transport));
+                    }
+                    if (def->hosts[i].socket) {
+                        virBufferEscapeString(buf, " socket='%s'", def->hosts[i].socket);
+                    }
+                    virBufferAddLit(buf, "/>\n");
                 }
                 virBufferAddLit(buf, "      </source>\n");
             }
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index c3e8c1604e..4ab15e9c23 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -461,10 +461,19 @@ enum virDomainDiskProtocol {
     VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTOCOL_NBD,
     VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTOCOL_RBD,
     VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTOCOL_SHEEPDOG,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTOCOL_GLUSTER,
 
     VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTOCOL_LAST
 };
 
+enum virDomainDiskProtocolTransport {
+    VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_TCP,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_UNIX,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_RDMA,
+
+    VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_LAST
+};
+
 enum virDomainDiskTray {
     VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_TRAY_CLOSED,
     VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_TRAY_OPEN,
@@ -486,6 +495,8 @@ typedef virDomainDiskHostDef *virDomainDiskHostDefPtr;
 struct _virDomainDiskHostDef {
     char *name;
     char *port;
+    int transport; /* enum virDomainDiskProtocolTransport */
+    char *socket;  /* path to unix socket */
 };
 
 enum  virDomainDiskIo {
@@ -2196,6 +2207,7 @@ VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskBus)
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskCache)
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskErrorPolicy)
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskProtocol)
+VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskProtocolTransport)
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskIo)
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskSecretType)
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainDiskTray)
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 0115db184a..886347cfa3 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -352,6 +352,8 @@ virDomainDiskInsertPreAlloced;
 virDomainDiskIoTypeFromString;
 virDomainDiskIoTypeToString;
 virDomainDiskPathByName;
+virDomainDiskProtocolTransportTypeFromString;
+virDomainDiskProtocolTransportTypeToString;
 virDomainDiskRemove;
 virDomainDiskRemoveByName;
 virDomainDiskTypeFromString;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 03716d42ea..8af42256cf 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -1955,6 +1955,10 @@ static int qemuAddRBDHost(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk, char *hostport)
     disk->hosts[disk->nhosts-1].name = strdup(hostport);
     if (!disk->hosts[disk->nhosts-1].name)
         goto no_memory;
+
+    disk->hosts[disk->nhosts-1].transport = VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_TCP;
+    disk->hosts[disk->nhosts-1].socket = NULL;
+
     return 0;
 
 no_memory:
@@ -7050,6 +7054,8 @@ qemuParseCommandLineDisk(virCapsPtr caps,
                         virReportOOMError();
                         goto cleanup;
                     }
+                    def->hosts->transport = VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_TCP;
+                    def->hosts->socket = NULL;
 
                     VIR_FREE(def->src);
                     def->src = NULL;
@@ -7103,6 +7109,8 @@ qemuParseCommandLineDisk(virCapsPtr caps,
                             virReportOOMError();
                             goto cleanup;
                         }
+                        def->hosts->transport = VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_TCP;
+                        def->hosts->socket = NULL;
                         def->src = strdup(vdi);
                         if (!def->src) {
                             virReportOOMError();
@@ -8835,6 +8843,9 @@ virDomainDefPtr qemuParseCommandLine(virCapsPtr caps,
                 VIR_FREE(hosts);
                 goto no_memory;
             }
+            first_rbd_disk->hosts[first_rbd_disk->nhosts].transport = VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_PROTO_TRANS_TCP;
+            first_rbd_disk->hosts[first_rbd_disk->nhosts].socket = NULL;
+
             first_rbd_disk->nhosts++;
             token = strtok_r(NULL, ",", &saveptr);
         }