diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index d14ce1c98c..9f655c0fd6 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -5715,6 +5715,33 @@ void bdrv_refresh_filename(BlockDriverState *bs)
     }
 }
 
+char *bdrv_dirname(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp)
+{
+    BlockDriver *drv = bs->drv;
+
+    if (!drv) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Node '%s' is ejected", bs->node_name);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (drv->bdrv_dirname) {
+        return drv->bdrv_dirname(bs, errp);
+    }
+
+    if (bs->file) {
+        return bdrv_dirname(bs->file->bs, errp);
+    }
+
+    bdrv_refresh_filename(bs);
+    if (bs->exact_filename[0] != '\0') {
+        return path_combine(bs->exact_filename, "");
+    }
+
+    error_setg(errp, "Cannot generate a base directory for %s nodes",
+               drv->format_name);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * Hot add/remove a BDS's child. So the user can take a child offline when
  * it is broken and take a new child online
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 42cc38f598..5b5cf868df 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -491,6 +491,7 @@ char *bdrv_get_full_backing_filename(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
 char *bdrv_get_full_backing_filename_from_filename(const char *backed,
                                                    const char *backing,
                                                    Error **errp);
+char *bdrv_dirname(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
 
 int path_has_protocol(const char *path);
 int path_is_absolute(const char *path);
diff --git a/include/block/block_int.h b/include/block/block_int.h
index dd7276cde2..e4d4817ea6 100644
--- a/include/block/block_int.h
+++ b/include/block/block_int.h
@@ -141,6 +141,13 @@ struct BlockDriver {
 
     void (*bdrv_refresh_filename)(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *options);
 
+    /*
+     * Returns an allocated string which is the directory name of this BDS: It
+     * will be used to make relative filenames absolute by prepending this
+     * function's return value to them.
+     */
+    char *(*bdrv_dirname)(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
+
     /* aio */
     BlockAIOCB *(*bdrv_aio_preadv)(BlockDriverState *bs,
         uint64_t offset, uint64_t bytes, QEMUIOVector *qiov, int flags,