diff --git a/hw/fdc.c b/hw/fdc.c
index bea5af2e5e..589bf06ded 100644
--- a/hw/fdc.c
+++ b/hw/fdc.c
@@ -2042,6 +2042,7 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_isa_fdc ={
 static ISADeviceInfo isa_fdc_info = {
     .init = isabus_fdc_init1,
     .qdev.name  = "isa-fdc",
+    .qdev.fw_name  = "fdc",
     .qdev.size  = sizeof(FDCtrlISABus),
     .qdev.no_user = 1,
     .qdev.vmsd  = &vmstate_isa_fdc,
diff --git a/hw/ide/isa.c b/hw/ide/isa.c
index 6b57e0d301..98564356d4 100644
--- a/hw/ide/isa.c
+++ b/hw/ide/isa.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ ISADevice *isa_ide_init(int iobase, int iobase2, int isairq,
 
 static ISADeviceInfo isa_ide_info = {
     .qdev.name  = "isa-ide",
+    .qdev.fw_name  = "ide",
     .qdev.size  = sizeof(ISAIDEState),
     .init       = isa_ide_initfn,
     .qdev.reset = isa_ide_reset,
diff --git a/hw/ide/qdev.c b/hw/ide/qdev.c
index 080876035f..6d27b60740 100644
--- a/hw/ide/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/ide/qdev.c
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ static int ide_drive_initfn(IDEDevice *dev)
 
 static IDEDeviceInfo ide_drive_info = {
     .qdev.name  = "ide-drive",
+    .qdev.fw_name  = "drive",
     .qdev.size  = sizeof(IDEDrive),
     .init       = ide_drive_initfn,
     .qdev.props = (Property[]) {
diff --git a/hw/isa-bus.c b/hw/isa-bus.c
index 3a6c961343..f9c7ec098f 100644
--- a/hw/isa-bus.c
+++ b/hw/isa-bus.c
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ static int isabus_bridge_init(SysBusDevice *dev)
 static SysBusDeviceInfo isabus_bridge_info = {
     .init = isabus_bridge_init,
     .qdev.name  = "isabus-bridge",
+    .qdev.fw_name  = "isa",
     .qdev.size  = sizeof(SysBusDevice),
     .qdev.no_user = 1,
 };
diff --git a/hw/lance.c b/hw/lance.c
index 8c5185817b..ddb1cbb7a4 100644
--- a/hw/lance.c
+++ b/hw/lance.c
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ static void lance_reset(DeviceState *dev)
 static SysBusDeviceInfo lance_info = {
     .init       = lance_init,
     .qdev.name  = "lance",
+    .qdev.fw_name  = "ethernet",
     .qdev.size  = sizeof(SysBusPCNetState),
     .qdev.reset = lance_reset,
     .qdev.vmsd  = &vmstate_lance,
diff --git a/hw/piix_pci.c b/hw/piix_pci.c
index b5589b9035..38f9d9eea4 100644
--- a/hw/piix_pci.c
+++ b/hw/piix_pci.c
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ static PCIDeviceInfo i440fx_info[] = {
 static SysBusDeviceInfo i440fx_pcihost_info = {
     .init         = i440fx_pcihost_initfn,
     .qdev.name    = "i440FX-pcihost",
+    .qdev.fw_name = "pci",
     .qdev.size    = sizeof(I440FXState),
     .qdev.no_user = 1,
 };
diff --git a/hw/qdev.h b/hw/qdev.h
index 3fac364c6b..bc7111089e 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.h
+++ b/hw/qdev.h
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ typedef void (*qdev_resetfn)(DeviceState *dev);
 
 struct DeviceInfo {
     const char *name;
+    const char *fw_name;
     const char *alias;
     const char *desc;
     size_t size;
@@ -306,6 +307,11 @@ void qdev_prop_set_defaults(DeviceState *dev, Property *props);
 void qdev_prop_register_global_list(GlobalProperty *props);
 void qdev_prop_set_globals(DeviceState *dev);
 
+static inline const char *qdev_fw_name(DeviceState *dev)
+{
+    return dev->info->fw_name ? : dev->info->alias ? : dev->info->name;
+}
+
 /* This is a nasty hack to allow passing a NULL bus to qdev_create.  */
 extern struct BusInfo system_bus_info;
 
diff --git a/hw/scsi-disk.c b/hw/scsi-disk.c
index 6e49404d87..851046fd55 100644
--- a/hw/scsi-disk.c
+++ b/hw/scsi-disk.c
@@ -1230,6 +1230,7 @@ static int scsi_disk_initfn(SCSIDevice *dev)
 
 static SCSIDeviceInfo scsi_disk_info = {
     .qdev.name    = "scsi-disk",
+    .qdev.fw_name = "disk",
     .qdev.desc    = "virtual scsi disk or cdrom",
     .qdev.size    = sizeof(SCSIDiskState),
     .qdev.reset   = scsi_disk_reset,
diff --git a/hw/usb-hub.c b/hw/usb-hub.c
index 2a1edfc956..8e3a96b816 100644
--- a/hw/usb-hub.c
+++ b/hw/usb-hub.c
@@ -545,6 +545,7 @@ static int usb_hub_initfn(USBDevice *dev)
 static struct USBDeviceInfo hub_info = {
     .product_desc   = "QEMU USB Hub",
     .qdev.name      = "usb-hub",
+    .qdev.fw_name    = "hub",
     .qdev.size      = sizeof(USBHubState),
     .init           = usb_hub_initfn,
     .handle_packet  = usb_hub_handle_packet,
diff --git a/hw/usb-net.c b/hw/usb-net.c
index 58c672f426..f6bed2184e 100644
--- a/hw/usb-net.c
+++ b/hw/usb-net.c
@@ -1496,6 +1496,7 @@ static USBDevice *usb_net_init(const char *cmdline)
 static struct USBDeviceInfo net_info = {
     .product_desc   = "QEMU USB Network Interface",
     .qdev.name      = "usb-net",
+    .qdev.fw_name    = "network",
     .qdev.size      = sizeof(USBNetState),
     .init           = usb_net_initfn,
     .handle_packet  = usb_generic_handle_packet,
diff --git a/hw/virtio-pci.c b/hw/virtio-pci.c
index c65765a273..6186142b2b 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-pci.c
@@ -699,6 +699,7 @@ static int virtio_9p_init_pci(PCIDevice *pci_dev)
 static PCIDeviceInfo virtio_info[] = {
     {
         .qdev.name = "virtio-blk-pci",
+        .qdev.alias = "virtio-blk",
         .qdev.size = sizeof(VirtIOPCIProxy),
         .init      = virtio_blk_init_pci,
         .exit      = virtio_blk_exit_pci,