diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 2ea9cc110d..68dfd822dd 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -5041,7 +5041,6 @@ static TransactionActionDrv bdrv_remove_filter_or_cow_child_drv = {
  * format nodes (always .backing) and filter child for filters (may be .file or
  * .backing)
  */
-__attribute__((unused))
 static void bdrv_remove_filter_or_cow_child(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                             Transaction *tran)
 {
@@ -5105,16 +5104,32 @@ static int bdrv_replace_node_noperm(BlockDriverState *from,
  *
  * With auto_skip=false the error is returned if from has a parent which should
  * not be updated.
+ *
+ * With @detach_subchain=true @to must be in a backing chain of @from. In this
+ * case backing link of the cow-parent of @to is removed.
  */
 static int bdrv_replace_node_common(BlockDriverState *from,
                                     BlockDriverState *to,
-                                    bool auto_skip, Error **errp)
+                                    bool auto_skip, bool detach_subchain,
+                                    Error **errp)
 {
     Transaction *tran = tran_new();
     g_autoptr(GHashTable) found = NULL;
     g_autoptr(GSList) refresh_list = NULL;
+    BlockDriverState *to_cow_parent;
     int ret;
 
+    if (detach_subchain) {
+        assert(bdrv_chain_contains(from, to));
+        assert(from != to);
+        for (to_cow_parent = from;
+             bdrv_filter_or_cow_bs(to_cow_parent) != to;
+             to_cow_parent = bdrv_filter_or_cow_bs(to_cow_parent))
+        {
+            ;
+        }
+    }
+
     /* Make sure that @from doesn't go away until we have successfully attached
      * all of its parents to @to. */
     bdrv_ref(from);
@@ -5134,6 +5149,10 @@ static int bdrv_replace_node_common(BlockDriverState *from,
         goto out;
     }
 
+    if (detach_subchain) {
+        bdrv_remove_filter_or_cow_child(to_cow_parent, tran);
+    }
+
     found = g_hash_table_new(NULL, NULL);
 
     refresh_list = bdrv_topological_dfs(refresh_list, found, to);
@@ -5158,7 +5177,13 @@ out:
 int bdrv_replace_node(BlockDriverState *from, BlockDriverState *to,
                       Error **errp)
 {
-    return bdrv_replace_node_common(from, to, true, errp);
+    return bdrv_replace_node_common(from, to, true, false, errp);
+}
+
+int bdrv_drop_filter(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp)
+{
+    return bdrv_replace_node_common(bs, bdrv_filter_or_cow_bs(bs), true, true,
+                                    errp);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -5493,7 +5518,17 @@ int bdrv_drop_intermediate(BlockDriverState *top, BlockDriverState *base,
         updated_children = g_slist_prepend(updated_children, c);
     }
 
-    bdrv_replace_node_common(top, base, false, &local_err);
+    /*
+     * It seems correct to pass detach_subchain=true here, but it triggers
+     * one more yet not fixed bug, when due to nested aio_poll loop we switch to
+     * another drained section, which modify the graph (for example, removing
+     * the child, which we keep in updated_children list). So, it's a TODO.
+     *
+     * Note, bug triggered if pass detach_subchain=true here and run
+     * test-bdrv-drain. test_drop_intermediate_poll() test-case will crash.
+     * That's a FIXME.
+     */
+    bdrv_replace_node_common(top, base, false, false, &local_err);
     if (local_err) {
         error_report_err(local_err);
         goto exit;
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 16e496a5c4..85481a05c6 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ int bdrv_replace_node(BlockDriverState *from, BlockDriverState *to,
                       Error **errp);
 BlockDriverState *bdrv_insert_node(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *node_options,
                                    int flags, Error **errp);
+int bdrv_drop_filter(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
 
 int bdrv_parse_aio(const char *mode, int *flags);
 int bdrv_parse_cache_mode(const char *mode, int *flags, bool *writethrough);