diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 8eeccbbd35..24d409e6cc 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ LIBS += $(CONFIG_BLUEZ_LIBS)
 endif
 
 # xen backend driver support
-XEN_OBJS := xen_machine_pv.o xen_backend.o
+XEN_OBJS := xen_machine_pv.o xen_backend.o xen_devconfig.o
 XEN_OBJS += xen_console.o xenfb.o xen_disk.o xen_nic.o
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_XEN), yes)
   OBJS += $(XEN_OBJS)
diff --git a/hw/xen_backend.c b/hw/xen_backend.c
index c1e37288e1..2f2ec7ffe0 100644
--- a/hw/xen_backend.c
+++ b/hw/xen_backend.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 /* public */
 int xen_xc;
 struct xs_handle *xenstore = NULL;
+const char *xen_protocol;
 
 /* private */
 static TAILQ_HEAD(XenDeviceHead, XenDevice) xendevs = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(xendevs);
diff --git a/hw/xen_backend.h b/hw/xen_backend.h
index 4e4be14ed4..7f1804e9d5 100644
--- a/hw/xen_backend.h
+++ b/hw/xen_backend.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 #include "xen_common.h"
 #include "sysemu.h"
+#include "net.h"
+#include "block_int.h"
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ struct XenDevice {
 /* variables */
 extern int xen_xc;
 extern struct xs_handle *xenstore;
+extern const char *xen_protocol;
 
 /* xenstore helper functions */
 int xenstore_write_str(const char *base, const char *node, const char *val);
@@ -93,4 +96,9 @@ extern struct XenDevOps xen_netdev_ops;       /* xen_nic.c         */
 
 void xen_init_display(int domid);
 
+/* configuration (aka xenbus setup) */
+void xen_config_cleanup(void);
+int xen_config_dev_blk(DriveInfo *disk);
+int xen_config_dev_nic(NICInfo *nic);
+
 #endif /* QEMU_HW_XEN_BACKEND_H */
diff --git a/hw/xen_devconfig.c b/hw/xen_devconfig.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4420561c89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hw/xen_devconfig.c
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+#include "xen_backend.h"
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+struct xs_dirs {
+    char *xs_dir;
+    TAILQ_ENTRY(xs_dirs) list;
+};
+static TAILQ_HEAD(xs_dirs_head, xs_dirs) xs_cleanup = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(xs_cleanup);
+
+static void xen_config_cleanup_dir(char *dir)
+{
+    struct xs_dirs *d;
+
+    d = qemu_malloc(sizeof(*d));
+    d->xs_dir = dir;
+    TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xs_cleanup, d, list);
+}
+
+void xen_config_cleanup(void)
+{
+    struct xs_dirs *d;
+
+    TAILQ_FOREACH(d, &xs_cleanup, list) {
+	xs_rm(xenstore, 0, d->xs_dir);
+    }
+}
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+static int xen_config_dev_mkdir(char *dev, int p)
+{
+    struct xs_permissions perms[2] = {{
+            .id    = 0, /* set owner: dom0 */
+        },{
+            .id    = xen_domid,
+            .perms = p,
+        }};
+
+    if (!xs_mkdir(xenstore, 0, dev)) {
+	xen_be_printf(NULL, 0, "xs_mkdir %s: failed\n", dev);
+	return -1;
+    }
+    xen_config_cleanup_dir(qemu_strdup(dev));
+
+    if (!xs_set_permissions(xenstore, 0, dev, perms, 2)) {
+	xen_be_printf(NULL, 0, "xs_set_permissions %s: failed\n", dev);
+	return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int xen_config_dev_dirs(const char *ftype, const char *btype, int vdev,
+			       char *fe, char *be, int len)
+{
+    char *dom;
+
+    dom = xs_get_domain_path(xenstore, xen_domid);
+    snprintf(fe, len, "%s/device/%s/%d", dom, ftype, vdev);
+    free(dom);
+
+    dom = xs_get_domain_path(xenstore, 0);
+    snprintf(be, len, "%s/backend/%s/%d/%d", dom, btype, xen_domid, vdev);
+    free(dom);
+
+    xen_config_dev_mkdir(fe, XS_PERM_READ | XS_PERM_WRITE);
+    xen_config_dev_mkdir(be, XS_PERM_READ);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int xen_config_dev_all(char *fe, char *be)
+{
+    /* frontend */
+    if (xen_protocol)
+        xenstore_write_str(fe, "protocol", xen_protocol);
+
+    xenstore_write_int(fe, "state",           XenbusStateInitialising);
+    xenstore_write_int(fe, "backend-id",      0);
+    xenstore_write_str(fe, "backend",         be);
+
+    /* backend */
+    xenstore_write_str(be, "domain",          qemu_name ? qemu_name : "no-name");
+    xenstore_write_int(be, "online",          1);
+    xenstore_write_int(be, "state",           XenbusStateInitialising);
+    xenstore_write_int(be, "frontend-id",     xen_domid);
+    xenstore_write_str(be, "frontend",        fe);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+int xen_config_dev_blk(DriveInfo *disk)
+{
+    char fe[256], be[256];
+    int vdev = 202 * 256 + 16 * disk->unit;
+    int cdrom = disk->bdrv->type == BDRV_TYPE_CDROM;
+    const char *devtype = cdrom ? "cdrom" : "disk";
+    const char *mode    = cdrom ? "r"     : "w";
+
+    snprintf(disk->bdrv->device_name, sizeof(disk->bdrv->device_name),
+	     "xvd%c", 'a' + disk->unit);
+    xen_be_printf(NULL, 1, "config disk %d [%s]: %s\n",
+                  disk->unit, disk->bdrv->device_name, disk->bdrv->filename);
+    xen_config_dev_dirs("vbd", "qdisk", vdev, fe, be, sizeof(fe));
+
+    /* frontend */
+    xenstore_write_int(fe, "virtual-device",  vdev);
+    xenstore_write_str(fe, "device-type",     devtype);
+
+    /* backend */
+    xenstore_write_str(be, "dev",             disk->bdrv->device_name);
+    xenstore_write_str(be, "type",            "file");
+    xenstore_write_str(be, "params",          disk->bdrv->filename);
+    xenstore_write_str(be, "mode",            mode);
+
+    /* common stuff */
+    return xen_config_dev_all(fe, be);
+}
+
+int xen_config_dev_nic(NICInfo *nic)
+{
+    char fe[256], be[256];
+    char mac[20];
+
+    snprintf(mac, sizeof(mac), "%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x",
+	     nic->macaddr[0], nic->macaddr[1], nic->macaddr[2],
+	     nic->macaddr[3], nic->macaddr[4], nic->macaddr[5]);
+    xen_be_printf(NULL, 1, "config nic %d: mac=\"%s\"\n", nic->vlan->id, mac);
+    xen_config_dev_dirs("vif", "qnic", nic->vlan->id, fe, be, sizeof(fe));
+
+    /* frontend */
+    xenstore_write_int(fe, "handle",     nic->vlan->id);
+    xenstore_write_str(fe, "mac",        mac);
+
+    /* backend */
+    xenstore_write_int(be, "handle",     nic->vlan->id);
+    xenstore_write_str(be, "mac",        mac);
+
+    /* common stuff */
+    return xen_config_dev_all(fe, be);
+}
diff --git a/hw/xen_machine_pv.c b/hw/xen_machine_pv.c
index c21617ab1f..154cf71584 100644
--- a/hw/xen_machine_pv.c
+++ b/hw/xen_machine_pv.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ static void xen_init_pv(ram_addr_t ram_size, int vga_ram_size,
 			const char *cpu_model)
 {
     CPUState *env;
+    int i, index;
 
     /* Initialize a dummy CPU */
     if (cpu_model == NULL) {
@@ -62,6 +63,24 @@ static void xen_init_pv(ram_addr_t ram_size, int vga_ram_size,
     xen_be_register("qdisk", &xen_blkdev_ops);
     xen_be_register("qnic", &xen_netdev_ops);
 
+    /* configure disks */
+    for (i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
+        index = drive_get_index(IF_XEN, 0, i);
+        if (index == -1)
+            continue;
+        xen_config_dev_blk(drives_table + index);
+    }
+
+    /* configure nics */
+    for (i = 0; i < nb_nics; i++) {
+        if (!nd_table[i].model || 0 != strcmp(nd_table[i].model, "xen"))
+            continue;
+        xen_config_dev_nic(nd_table + i);
+    }
+
+    /* config cleanup hook */
+    atexit(xen_config_cleanup);
+
     /* setup framebuffer */
     xen_init_display(xen_domid);
 }