diff --git a/python/qemu/qmp.py b/python/qemu/qmp.py
index ef3c919b76..1ae36050a4 100644
--- a/python/qemu/qmp.py
+++ b/python/qemu/qmp.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import socket
 import logging
 from typing import (
     Any,
+    cast,
     Dict,
     Optional,
     TextIO,
@@ -130,7 +131,10 @@ class QEMUMonitorProtocol:
             data = self.__sockfile.readline()
             if not data:
                 return None
-            resp = json.loads(data)
+            # By definition, any JSON received from QMP is a QMPMessage,
+            # and we are asserting only at static analysis time that it
+            # has a particular shape.
+            resp: QMPMessage = json.loads(data)
             if 'event' in resp:
                 self.logger.debug("<<< %s", resp)
                 self.__events.append(resp)
@@ -262,7 +266,7 @@ class QEMUMonitorProtocol:
         ret = self.cmd(cmd, kwds)
         if 'error' in ret:
             raise QMPResponseError(ret)
-        return ret['return']
+        return cast(QMPReturnValue, ret['return'])
 
     def pull_event(self, wait=False):
         """