diff --git a/docs/formatdomain.rst b/docs/formatdomain.rst
index db1ca5637a..a861f9f177 100644
--- a/docs/formatdomain.rst
+++ b/docs/formatdomain.rst
@@ -7365,6 +7365,14 @@ A video device.
    guest. The ``edid`` attribute is only valid for model types ``vga``, ``bochs``,
    and ``virtio``.
 
+   :since:`Since 12.5.0` the ``virtio`` video model has an additional attribute
+   ``device``, which records the specific virtio device model which was picked
+   for the configuration, to preserve guest ABI and migration compatibility.
+   Users do not need to set this attribute as aprropriate value is picked and
+   filled in automatically. Accepted values are ``virtio-vga``, ``virtio-gpu``,
+   ``virtio-vga-gl``, and ``virtio-gpu-gl``, but not all combinations of config
+   and this field make sense.
+
 ``acceleration``
    Configure if video acceleration should be enabled.
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 893027482d..17c4a57cd8 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -910,6 +910,17 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainVideoVGAConf,
               "off",
 );
 
+VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainVideoVirtioDevice,
+              VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_LAST,
+              "",
+              "virtio-vga",
+              "virtio-gpu",
+              "virtio-vga-gl",
+              "virtio-gpu-gl",
+              "vhost-user-vga",
+              "vhost-user-gpu",
+);
+
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainInput,
               VIR_DOMAIN_INPUT_TYPE_LAST,
               "mouse",
@@ -13816,6 +13827,14 @@ virDomainVideoModelDefParseXML(virDomainVideoDef *def,
                               VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_TYPE_DEFAULT) < 0)
         return -1;
 
+    if (def->type == VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_TYPE_VIRTIO) {
+        if (virXMLPropEnumDefault(node, "device",
+                                  virDomainVideoVirtioDeviceTypeFromString,
+                                  VIR_XML_PROP_NONZERO, &def->virtiodevice,
+                                  VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_DEFAULT) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
     if (virXMLPropUInt(node, "ram", 10, VIR_XML_PROP_NONE, &def->ram) < 0)
         return -1;
 
@@ -21694,6 +21713,18 @@ virDomainVideoDefCheckABIStability(virDomainVideoDef *src,
         return false;
     }
 
+    /* While 'src->virtiodevice' vs 'dst->virtiodevice' match is considered
+     * guest ABI (both the device looks different to the guest OS and qemu
+     * refuses to migrate into wrong device) we deliberately omit the check
+     * here due to historical reasons.
+     *
+     * The actual values were not recorded in the XML after picking a device
+     * based on capabilities and thus, if the host configuration changes
+     * different defaults can be picked. Users might want to fix their
+     * saveimage or migration by specifying the proper model which will differ
+     * from the one that will be auto-picked via post-parse callback when the
+     * XML is loaded for the first time */
+
     if (!virDomainVirtioOptionsCheckABIStability(src->virtio, dst->virtio))
         return false;
 
@@ -27395,6 +27426,10 @@ virDomainVideoDefFormat(virBuffer *buf,
     if (def->edid != VIR_TRISTATE_SWITCH_ABSENT)
         virBufferAsprintf(&modelAttrBuf, " edid='%s'", virTristateSwitchTypeToString(def->edid));
 
+    if (def->virtiodevice != VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_DEFAULT)
+        virBufferAsprintf(&modelAttrBuf, " device='%s'",
+                          virDomainVideoVirtioDeviceTypeToString(def->virtiodevice));
+
     virDomainVideoAccelDefFormat(&modelChildBuf, def->accel);
     virDomainVideoResolutionDefFormat(&modelChildBuf, def->res);
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index d17f6352bd..bd360cd4a3 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -1885,6 +1885,20 @@ typedef enum {
 
 VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainVideoVGAConf);
 
+typedef enum {
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_DEFAULT = 0,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_VGA,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_GPU,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_VGA_GL,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_GPU_GL,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_VHOST_USER_VGA,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_VHOST_USER_GPU,
+
+    VIR_DOMAIN_VIDEO_VIRTIO_DEVICE_LAST
+} virDomainVideoVirtioDevice;
+
+VIR_ENUM_DECL(virDomainVideoVirtioDevice);
+
 struct _virDomainVideoAccelDef {
     virTristateBool accel2d;
     virTristateBool accel3d;
@@ -1915,6 +1929,7 @@ struct _virDomainVideoDef {
     virDomainVideoResolutionDef *res;
     virTristateSwitch blob;
     virDomainVideoDriverDef *driver;
+    virDomainVideoVirtioDevice virtiodevice; /* virtio device frontend */
     virDomainDeviceInfo info;
     virDomainVirtioOptions *virtio;
     virDomainVideoBackendType backend;
diff --git a/src/conf/schemas/domaincommon.rng b/src/conf/schemas/domaincommon.rng
index eb365a83b5..121e4e06a6 100644
--- a/src/conf/schemas/domaincommon.rng
+++ b/src/conf/schemas/domaincommon.rng
@@ -4874,7 +4874,6 @@
                   <value>vmvga</value>
                   <value>xen</value>
                   <value>vbox</value>
-                  <value>virtio</value>
                   <value>gop</value>
                   <value>none</value>
                   <value>bochs</value>
@@ -4901,6 +4900,23 @@
                   </attribute>
                 </optional>
               </group>
+              <group>
+                <attribute name="type">
+                  <value>virtio</value>
+                </attribute>
+                <optional>
+                  <attribute name="device">
+                    <choice>
+                      <value>virtio-vga</value>
+                      <value>virtio-vga-gl</value>
+                      <value>virtio-gpu</value>
+                      <value>virtio-gpu-gl</value>
+                      <value>vhost-user-vga</value>
+                      <value>vhost-user-gpu</value>
+                    </choice>
+                  </attribute>
+                </optional>
+              </group>
             </choice>
             <optional>
               <attribute name="vram">
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 30c4564456..c76e5cb08a 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -731,6 +731,7 @@ virDomainVideoTypeFromString;
 virDomainVideoTypeToString;
 virDomainVideoVGAConfTypeFromString;
 virDomainVideoVGAConfTypeToString;
+virDomainVideoVirtioDeviceTypeToString;
 virDomainVirtTypeFromString;
 virDomainVirtTypeToString;
 virDomainVsockDefEquals;