diff --git a/include/block/nbd.h b/include/block/nbd.h
index 80610ff31b..fd58390d5d 100644
--- a/include/block/nbd.h
+++ b/include/block/nbd.h
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ BlockBackend *nbd_export_get_blockdev(NBDExport *exp);
 
 NBDExport *nbd_export_find(const char *name);
 void nbd_export_set_name(NBDExport *exp, const char *name);
+void nbd_export_set_description(NBDExport *exp, const char *description);
 void nbd_export_close_all(void);
 
 void nbd_client_new(NBDExport *exp,
diff --git a/nbd/nbd-internal.h b/nbd/nbd-internal.h
index 93a6ca8549..7e78064021 100644
--- a/nbd/nbd-internal.h
+++ b/nbd/nbd-internal.h
@@ -104,9 +104,10 @@ static inline ssize_t read_sync(QIOChannel *ioc, void *buffer, size_t size)
     return nbd_wr_syncv(ioc, &iov, 1, size, true);
 }
 
-static inline ssize_t write_sync(QIOChannel *ioc, void *buffer, size_t size)
+static inline ssize_t write_sync(QIOChannel *ioc, const void *buffer,
+                                 size_t size)
 {
-    struct iovec iov = { .iov_base = buffer, .iov_len = size };
+    struct iovec iov = { .iov_base = (void *) buffer, .iov_len = size };
 
     return nbd_wr_syncv(ioc, &iov, 1, size, false);
 }
diff --git a/nbd/server.c b/nbd/server.c
index 36bcafcd50..ac42391b45 100644
--- a/nbd/server.c
+++ b/nbd/server.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct NBDExport {
 
     BlockBackend *blk;
     char *name;
+    char *description;
     off_t dev_offset;
     off_t size;
     uint16_t nbdflags;
@@ -129,7 +130,8 @@ static ssize_t nbd_negotiate_read(QIOChannel *ioc, void *buffer, size_t size)
 
 }
 
-static ssize_t nbd_negotiate_write(QIOChannel *ioc, void *buffer, size_t size)
+static ssize_t nbd_negotiate_write(QIOChannel *ioc, const void *buffer,
+                                   size_t size)
 {
     ssize_t ret;
     guint watch;
@@ -225,11 +227,15 @@ static int nbd_negotiate_send_rep(QIOChannel *ioc, uint32_t type, uint32_t opt)
 
 static int nbd_negotiate_send_rep_list(QIOChannel *ioc, NBDExport *exp)
 {
-    uint64_t magic, name_len;
+    uint64_t magic;
+    size_t name_len, desc_len;
     uint32_t opt, type, len;
+    const char *name = exp->name ? exp->name : "";
+    const char *desc = exp->description ? exp->description : "";
 
-    TRACE("Advertising export name '%s'", exp->name ? exp->name : "");
-    name_len = strlen(exp->name);
+    TRACE("Advertising export name '%s' description '%s'", name, desc);
+    name_len = strlen(name);
+    desc_len = strlen(desc);
     magic = cpu_to_be64(NBD_REP_MAGIC);
     if (nbd_negotiate_write(ioc, &magic, sizeof(magic)) != sizeof(magic)) {
         LOG("write failed (magic)");
@@ -245,18 +251,22 @@ static int nbd_negotiate_send_rep_list(QIOChannel *ioc, NBDExport *exp)
         LOG("write failed (reply type)");
         return -EINVAL;
     }
-    len = cpu_to_be32(name_len + sizeof(len));
+    len = cpu_to_be32(name_len + desc_len + sizeof(len));
     if (nbd_negotiate_write(ioc, &len, sizeof(len)) != sizeof(len)) {
         LOG("write failed (length)");
         return -EINVAL;
     }
     len = cpu_to_be32(name_len);
     if (nbd_negotiate_write(ioc, &len, sizeof(len)) != sizeof(len)) {
-        LOG("write failed (length)");
+        LOG("write failed (name length)");
         return -EINVAL;
     }
-    if (nbd_negotiate_write(ioc, exp->name, name_len) != name_len) {
-        LOG("write failed (buffer)");
+    if (nbd_negotiate_write(ioc, name, name_len) != name_len) {
+        LOG("write failed (name buffer)");
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+    if (nbd_negotiate_write(ioc, desc, desc_len) != desc_len) {
+        LOG("write failed (description buffer)");
         return -EINVAL;
     }
     return 0;
@@ -894,6 +904,12 @@ void nbd_export_set_name(NBDExport *exp, const char *name)
     nbd_export_put(exp);
 }
 
+void nbd_export_set_description(NBDExport *exp, const char *description)
+{
+    g_free(exp->description);
+    exp->description = g_strdup(description);
+}
+
 void nbd_export_close(NBDExport *exp)
 {
     NBDClient *client, *next;
@@ -903,6 +919,7 @@ void nbd_export_close(NBDExport *exp)
         client_close(client);
     }
     nbd_export_set_name(exp, NULL);
+    nbd_export_set_description(exp, NULL);
     nbd_export_put(exp);
 }
 
@@ -921,6 +938,7 @@ void nbd_export_put(NBDExport *exp)
 
     if (--exp->refcount == 0) {
         assert(exp->name == NULL);
+        assert(exp->description == NULL);
 
         if (exp->close) {
             exp->close(exp);
diff --git a/qemu-nbd.c b/qemu-nbd.c
index b757dc7621..c734f627b4 100644
--- a/qemu-nbd.c
+++ b/qemu-nbd.c
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ static void usage(const char *name)
 "  -t, --persistent          don't exit on the last connection\n"
 "  -v, --verbose             display extra debugging information\n"
 "  -x, --export-name=NAME    expose export by name\n"
+"  -D, --description=TEXT    with -x, also export a human-readable description\n"
 "\n"
 "Exposing part of the image:\n"
 "  -o, --offset=OFFSET       offset into the image\n"
@@ -477,7 +478,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     off_t fd_size;
     QemuOpts *sn_opts = NULL;
     const char *sn_id_or_name = NULL;
-    const char *sopt = "hVb:o:p:rsnP:c:dvk:e:f:tl:x:T:";
+    const char *sopt = "hVb:o:p:rsnP:c:dvk:e:f:tl:x:T:D:";
     struct option lopt[] = {
         { "help", no_argument, NULL, 'h' },
         { "version", no_argument, NULL, 'V' },
@@ -503,6 +504,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         { "verbose", no_argument, NULL, 'v' },
         { "object", required_argument, NULL, QEMU_NBD_OPT_OBJECT },
         { "export-name", required_argument, NULL, 'x' },
+        { "description", required_argument, NULL, 'D' },
         { "tls-creds", required_argument, NULL, QEMU_NBD_OPT_TLSCREDS },
         { "image-opts", no_argument, NULL, QEMU_NBD_OPT_IMAGE_OPTS },
         { "trace", required_argument, NULL, 'T' },
@@ -524,6 +526,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     BlockdevDetectZeroesOptions detect_zeroes = BLOCKDEV_DETECT_ZEROES_OPTIONS_OFF;
     QDict *options = NULL;
     const char *export_name = NULL;
+    const char *export_description = NULL;
     const char *tlscredsid = NULL;
     bool imageOpts = false;
     bool writethrough = true;
@@ -689,6 +692,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         case 'x':
             export_name = optarg;
             break;
+        case 'D':
+            export_description = optarg;
+            break;
         case 'v':
             verbose = 1;
             break;
@@ -937,7 +943,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
     if (export_name) {
         nbd_export_set_name(exp, export_name);
+        nbd_export_set_description(exp, export_description);
         newproto = true;
+    } else if (export_description) {
+        error_report("Export description requires an export name");
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
     server_ioc = qio_channel_socket_new();
diff --git a/qemu-nbd.texi b/qemu-nbd.texi
index b7a9c6d02f..9a84e81eed 100644
--- a/qemu-nbd.texi
+++ b/qemu-nbd.texi
@@ -79,9 +79,12 @@ Disconnect the device @var{dev}
 Allow up to @var{num} clients to share the device (default @samp{1})
 @item -t, --persistent
 Don't exit on the last connection
-@item -x NAME, --export-name=NAME
+@item -x, --export-name=@var{name}
 Set the NBD volume export name. This switches the server to use
 the new style NBD protocol negotiation
+@item -D, --description=@var{description}
+Set the NBD volume export description, as a human-readable
+string. Requires the use of @option{-x}
 @item --tls-creds=ID
 Enable mandatory TLS encryption for the server by setting the ID
 of the TLS credentials object previously created with the --object