diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index f23eccccd6..52ffe1494a 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -882,6 +882,87 @@ void bdrv_make_anon(BlockDriverState *bs)
     bs->device_name[0] = '\0';
 }
 
+/*
+ * Add new bs contents at the top of an image chain while the chain is
+ * live, while keeping required fields on the top layer.
+ *
+ * This will modify the BlockDriverState fields, and swap contents
+ * between bs_new and bs_top. Both bs_new and bs_top are modified.
+ *
+ * This function does not create any image files.
+ */
+void bdrv_append(BlockDriverState *bs_new, BlockDriverState *bs_top)
+{
+    BlockDriverState tmp;
+
+    /* the new bs must not be in bdrv_states */
+    bdrv_make_anon(bs_new);
+
+    tmp = *bs_new;
+
+    /* there are some fields that need to stay on the top layer: */
+
+    /* dev info */
+    tmp.dev_ops           = bs_top->dev_ops;
+    tmp.dev_opaque        = bs_top->dev_opaque;
+    tmp.dev               = bs_top->dev;
+    tmp.buffer_alignment  = bs_top->buffer_alignment;
+    tmp.copy_on_read      = bs_top->copy_on_read;
+
+    /* i/o timing parameters */
+    tmp.slice_time        = bs_top->slice_time;
+    tmp.slice_start       = bs_top->slice_start;
+    tmp.slice_end         = bs_top->slice_end;
+    tmp.io_limits         = bs_top->io_limits;
+    tmp.io_base           = bs_top->io_base;
+    tmp.throttled_reqs    = bs_top->throttled_reqs;
+    tmp.block_timer       = bs_top->block_timer;
+    tmp.io_limits_enabled = bs_top->io_limits_enabled;
+
+    /* geometry */
+    tmp.cyls              = bs_top->cyls;
+    tmp.heads             = bs_top->heads;
+    tmp.secs              = bs_top->secs;
+    tmp.translation       = bs_top->translation;
+
+    /* r/w error */
+    tmp.on_read_error     = bs_top->on_read_error;
+    tmp.on_write_error    = bs_top->on_write_error;
+
+    /* i/o status */
+    tmp.iostatus_enabled  = bs_top->iostatus_enabled;
+    tmp.iostatus          = bs_top->iostatus;
+
+    /* keep the same entry in bdrv_states */
+    pstrcpy(tmp.device_name, sizeof(tmp.device_name), bs_top->device_name);
+    tmp.list = bs_top->list;
+
+    /* The contents of 'tmp' will become bs_top, as we are
+     * swapping bs_new and bs_top contents. */
+    tmp.backing_hd = bs_new;
+    pstrcpy(tmp.backing_file, sizeof(tmp.backing_file), bs_top->filename);
+
+    /* swap contents of the fixed new bs and the current top */
+    *bs_new = *bs_top;
+    *bs_top = tmp;
+
+    /* clear the copied fields in the new backing file */
+    bdrv_detach_dev(bs_new, bs_new->dev);
+
+    qemu_co_queue_init(&bs_new->throttled_reqs);
+    memset(&bs_new->io_base,   0, sizeof(bs_new->io_base));
+    memset(&bs_new->io_limits, 0, sizeof(bs_new->io_limits));
+    bdrv_iostatus_disable(bs_new);
+
+    /* we don't use bdrv_io_limits_disable() for this, because we don't want
+     * to affect or delete the block_timer, as it has been moved to bs_top */
+    bs_new->io_limits_enabled = false;
+    bs_new->block_timer       = NULL;
+    bs_new->slice_time        = 0;
+    bs_new->slice_start       = 0;
+    bs_new->slice_end         = 0;
+}
+
 void bdrv_delete(BlockDriverState *bs)
 {
     assert(!bs->dev);
diff --git a/block.h b/block.h
index bbc38300e1..48d0bf3592 100644
--- a/block.h
+++ b/block.h
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ int bdrv_create(BlockDriver *drv, const char* filename,
 int bdrv_create_file(const char* filename, QEMUOptionParameter *options);
 BlockDriverState *bdrv_new(const char *device_name);
 void bdrv_make_anon(BlockDriverState *bs);
+void bdrv_append(BlockDriverState *bs_new, BlockDriverState *bs_top);
 void bdrv_delete(BlockDriverState *bs);
 int bdrv_parse_cache_flags(const char *mode, int *flags);
 int bdrv_file_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename, int flags);
diff --git a/block_int.h b/block_int.h
index bd86af00a2..b460c369ca 100644
--- a/block_int.h
+++ b/block_int.h
@@ -221,6 +221,12 @@ struct BlockDriver {
     QLIST_ENTRY(BlockDriver) list;
 };
 
+/*
+ * Note: the function bdrv_append() copies and swaps contents of
+ * BlockDriverStates, so if you add new fields to this struct, please
+ * inspect bdrv_append() to determine if the new fields need to be
+ * copied as well.
+ */
 struct BlockDriverState {
     int64_t total_sectors; /* if we are reading a disk image, give its
                               size in sectors */
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 2c132a308b..d78aa51af5 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -714,6 +714,137 @@ void qmp_blockdev_snapshot_sync(const char *device, const char *snapshot_file,
     }
 }
 
+
+/* New and old BlockDriverState structs for group snapshots */
+typedef struct BlkGroupSnapshotStates {
+    BlockDriverState *old_bs;
+    BlockDriverState *new_bs;
+    QSIMPLEQ_ENTRY(BlkGroupSnapshotStates) entry;
+} BlkGroupSnapshotStates;
+
+/*
+ * 'Atomic' group snapshots.  The snapshots are taken as a set, and if any fail
+ *  then we do not pivot any of the devices in the group, and abandon the
+ *  snapshots
+ */
+void qmp_blockdev_group_snapshot_sync(SnapshotDevList *dev_list,
+                                      Error **errp)
+{
+    int ret = 0;
+    SnapshotDevList *dev_entry = dev_list;
+    SnapshotDev *dev_info = NULL;
+    BlkGroupSnapshotStates *states;
+    BlockDriver *proto_drv;
+    BlockDriver *drv;
+    int flags;
+    const char *format;
+    const char *snapshot_file;
+
+    QSIMPLEQ_HEAD(snap_bdrv_states, BlkGroupSnapshotStates) snap_bdrv_states;
+    QSIMPLEQ_INIT(&snap_bdrv_states);
+
+    /* drain all i/o before any snapshots */
+    bdrv_drain_all();
+
+    /* We don't do anything in this loop that commits us to the snapshot */
+    while (NULL != dev_entry) {
+        dev_info = dev_entry->value;
+        dev_entry = dev_entry->next;
+
+        states = g_malloc0(sizeof(BlkGroupSnapshotStates));
+        QSIMPLEQ_INSERT_TAIL(&snap_bdrv_states, states, entry);
+
+        states->old_bs = bdrv_find(dev_info->device);
+
+        if (!states->old_bs) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_DEVICE_NOT_FOUND, dev_info->device);
+            goto delete_and_fail;
+        }
+
+        if (bdrv_in_use(states->old_bs)) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_DEVICE_IN_USE, dev_info->device);
+            goto delete_and_fail;
+        }
+
+        if (!bdrv_is_read_only(states->old_bs) &&
+             bdrv_is_inserted(states->old_bs)) {
+
+            if (bdrv_flush(states->old_bs)) {
+                error_set(errp, QERR_IO_ERROR);
+                goto delete_and_fail;
+            }
+        }
+
+        snapshot_file = dev_info->snapshot_file;
+
+        flags = states->old_bs->open_flags;
+
+        if (!dev_info->has_format) {
+            format = "qcow2";
+        } else {
+            format = dev_info->format;
+        }
+
+        drv = bdrv_find_format(format);
+        if (!drv) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_BLOCK_FORMAT, format);
+            goto delete_and_fail;
+        }
+
+        proto_drv = bdrv_find_protocol(snapshot_file);
+        if (!proto_drv) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_BLOCK_FORMAT, format);
+            goto delete_and_fail;
+        }
+
+        /* create new image w/backing file */
+        ret = bdrv_img_create(snapshot_file, format,
+                              states->old_bs->filename,
+                              drv->format_name, NULL, -1, flags);
+        if (ret) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_OPEN_FILE_FAILED, snapshot_file);
+            goto delete_and_fail;
+        }
+
+        /* We will manually add the backing_hd field to the bs later */
+        states->new_bs = bdrv_new("");
+        ret = bdrv_open(states->new_bs, snapshot_file,
+                        flags | BDRV_O_NO_BACKING, drv);
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_OPEN_FILE_FAILED, snapshot_file);
+            goto delete_and_fail;
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    /* Now we are going to do the actual pivot.  Everything up to this point
+     * is reversible, but we are committed at this point */
+    QSIMPLEQ_FOREACH(states, &snap_bdrv_states, entry) {
+        /* This removes our old bs from the bdrv_states, and adds the new bs */
+        bdrv_append(states->new_bs, states->old_bs);
+    }
+
+    /* success */
+    goto exit;
+
+delete_and_fail:
+    /*
+    * failure, and it is all-or-none; abandon each new bs, and keep using
+    * the original bs for all images
+    */
+    QSIMPLEQ_FOREACH(states, &snap_bdrv_states, entry) {
+        if (states->new_bs) {
+             bdrv_delete(states->new_bs);
+        }
+    }
+exit:
+    QSIMPLEQ_FOREACH(states, &snap_bdrv_states, entry) {
+        g_free(states);
+    }
+    return;
+}
+
+
 static void eject_device(BlockDriverState *bs, int force, Error **errp)
 {
     if (bdrv_in_use(bs)) {
diff --git a/qapi-schema.json b/qapi-schema.json
index d0b6792e3c..5f293c4403 100644
--- a/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi-schema.json
@@ -1117,6 +1117,44 @@
 ##
 { 'command': 'block_resize', 'data': { 'device': 'str', 'size': 'int' }}
 
+##
+# @SnapshotDev
+#
+# @device:  the name of the device to generate the snapshot from.
+#
+# @snapshot-file: the target of the new image. A new file will be created.
+#
+# @format: #optional the format of the snapshot image, default is 'qcow2'.
+##
+{ 'type': 'SnapshotDev',
+  'data': {'device': 'str', 'snapshot-file': 'str', '*format': 'str' } }
+
+##
+# @blockdev-group-snapshot-sync
+#
+# Generates a synchronous snapshot of a group of one or more block devices,
+# as atomically as possible.  If the snapshot of any device in the group
+# fails, then the entire group snapshot will be abandoned and the
+# appropriate error returned.
+#
+#  List of:
+#  @SnapshotDev: information needed for the device snapshot
+#
+# Returns: nothing on success
+#          If @device is not a valid block device, DeviceNotFound
+#          If @device is busy, DeviceInUse will be returned
+#          If @snapshot-file can't be created, OpenFileFailed
+#          If @snapshot-file can't be opened, OpenFileFailed
+#          If @format is invalid, InvalidBlockFormat
+#
+# Note: The group snapshot attempt returns failure on the first snapshot
+# device failure.  Therefore, there will be only one device or snapshot file
+# returned in an error condition, and subsequent devices will not have been
+# attempted.
+##
+{ 'command': 'blockdev-group-snapshot-sync',
+  'data': { 'devlist': [ 'SnapshotDev' ] } }
+
 ##
 # @blockdev-snapshot-sync
 #