diff --git a/aio-posix.c b/aio-posix.c
index 0467f23a63..5bff3cd670 100644
--- a/aio-posix.c
+++ b/aio-posix.c
@@ -302,3 +302,7 @@ bool aio_poll(AioContext *ctx, bool blocking)
 
     return progress;
 }
+
+void aio_context_setup(AioContext *ctx, Error **errp)
+{
+}
diff --git a/aio-win32.c b/aio-win32.c
index 43c4c79a75..cdc445608b 100644
--- a/aio-win32.c
+++ b/aio-win32.c
@@ -369,3 +369,7 @@ bool aio_poll(AioContext *ctx, bool blocking)
     aio_context_release(ctx);
     return progress;
 }
+
+void aio_context_setup(AioContext *ctx, Error **errp)
+{
+}
diff --git a/async.c b/async.c
index 9589e4bb7d..e106072a44 100644
--- a/async.c
+++ b/async.c
@@ -325,12 +325,18 @@ AioContext *aio_context_new(Error **errp)
 {
     int ret;
     AioContext *ctx;
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
+
     ctx = (AioContext *) g_source_new(&aio_source_funcs, sizeof(AioContext));
+    aio_context_setup(ctx, &local_err);
+    if (local_err) {
+        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
+        goto fail;
+    }
     ret = event_notifier_init(&ctx->notifier, false);
     if (ret < 0) {
-        g_source_destroy(&ctx->source);
         error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Failed to initialize event notifier");
-        return NULL;
+        goto fail;
     }
     g_source_set_can_recurse(&ctx->source, true);
     aio_set_event_notifier(ctx, &ctx->notifier,
@@ -345,6 +351,9 @@ AioContext *aio_context_new(Error **errp)
     ctx->notify_dummy_bh = aio_bh_new(ctx, notify_dummy_bh, NULL);
 
     return ctx;
+fail:
+    g_source_destroy(&ctx->source);
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 void aio_context_ref(AioContext *ctx)
diff --git a/include/block/aio.h b/include/block/aio.h
index cab7c765e3..9ffecf7977 100644
--- a/include/block/aio.h
+++ b/include/block/aio.h
@@ -429,4 +429,12 @@ static inline bool aio_node_check(AioContext *ctx, bool is_external)
     return !is_external || !atomic_read(&ctx->external_disable_cnt);
 }
 
+/**
+ * aio_context_setup:
+ * @ctx: the aio context
+ *
+ * Initialize the aio context.
+ */
+void aio_context_setup(AioContext *ctx, Error **errp);
+
 #endif