diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter
index 116cc8a840..3f8ee3e5f7 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter
@@ -122,7 +122,13 @@ _filter_actual_image_size()
 # replace driver-specific options in the "Formatting..." line
 _filter_img_create()
 {
-    $SED -e "s#$REMOTE_TEST_DIR#TEST_DIR#g" \
+    data_file_filter=()
+    if data_file=$(_get_data_file "$TEST_IMG"); then
+        data_file_filter=(-e "s# data_file=$data_file##")
+    fi
+
+    $SED "${data_file_filter[@]}" \
+        -e "s#$REMOTE_TEST_DIR#TEST_DIR#g" \
         -e "s#$IMGPROTO:$TEST_DIR#TEST_DIR#g" \
         -e "s#$TEST_DIR#TEST_DIR#g" \
         -e "s#$SOCK_DIR#SOCK_DIR#g" \
@@ -209,9 +215,22 @@ _filter_img_info()
 # human and json output
 _filter_qemu_img_map()
 {
+    # Assuming the data_file value in $IMGOPTS contains a '$TEST_IMG',
+    # create a filter that replaces the data file name by $TEST_IMG.
+    # Example:
+    #   In $IMGOPTS: 'data_file=$TEST_IMG.data_file'
+    #   Then data_file_pattern == '\(.*\).data_file'
+    #   And  data_file_filter  == -e 's#\(.*\).data_file#\1#
+    data_file_filter=()
+    if data_file_pattern=$(_get_data_file '\\(.*\\)'); then
+        data_file_filter=(-e "s#$data_file_pattern#\\1#")
+    fi
+
     $SED -e 's/\([0-9a-fx]* *[0-9a-fx]* *\)[0-9a-fx]* */\1/g' \
         -e 's/"offset": [0-9]\+/"offset": OFFSET/g' \
-        -e 's/Mapped to *//' | _filter_testdir | _filter_imgfmt
+        -e 's/Mapped to *//' \
+        "${data_file_filter[@]}" \
+        | _filter_testdir | _filter_imgfmt
 }
 
 _filter_nbd()
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc
index 7d704f9573..d088392ab6 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.rc
@@ -298,6 +298,20 @@ _stop_nbd_server()
     fi
 }
 
+# Gets the data_file value from IMGOPTS and replaces the '$TEST_IMG'
+# pattern by '$1'
+# Caution: The replacement is done with sed, so $1 must be escaped
+#          properly.  (The delimiter is '#'.)
+_get_data_file()
+{
+    if ! echo "$IMGOPTS" | grep -q 'data_file='; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    echo "$IMGOPTS" | sed -e 's/.*data_file=\([^,]*\).*/\1/' \
+                    | sed -e "s#\\\$TEST_IMG#$1#"
+}
+
 _make_test_img()
 {
     # extra qemu-img options can be added by tests
@@ -318,7 +332,8 @@ _make_test_img()
     fi
 
     if [ -n "$IMGOPTS" ]; then
-        optstr=$(_optstr_add "$optstr" "$IMGOPTS")
+        imgopts_expanded=$(echo "$IMGOPTS" | sed -e "s#\\\$TEST_IMG#$img_name#")
+        optstr=$(_optstr_add "$optstr" "$imgopts_expanded")
     fi
     if [ -n "$IMGKEYSECRET" ]; then
         object_options="--object secret,id=keysec0,data=$IMGKEYSECRET"
@@ -400,6 +415,11 @@ _rm_test_img()
         # Remove all the extents for vmdk
         "$QEMU_IMG" info "$img" 2>/dev/null | grep 'filename:' | cut -f 2 -d: \
             | xargs -I {} rm -f "{}"
+    elif [ "$IMGFMT" = "qcow2" ]; then
+        # Remove external data file
+        if data_file=$(_get_data_file "$img"); then
+            rm -f "$data_file"
+        fi
     fi
     rm -f "$img"
 }