diff --git a/qemu-doc.texi b/qemu-doc.texi
index 589519a900..39e38c87ec 100644
--- a/qemu-doc.texi
+++ b/qemu-doc.texi
@@ -2707,6 +2707,11 @@ enabled via the ``-machine usb=on'' argument.
 
 The ``-nodefconfig`` argument is a synonym for ``-no-user-config``.
 
+@subsection -balloon (since 2.12.0)
+
+The @option{--balloon virtio} argument has been superseded by
+@option{--device virtio-balloon}.
+
 @subsection -machine s390-squash-mcss=on|off (since 2.12.0)
 
 The ``s390-squash-mcss=on`` property has been obsoleted by allowing the
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 2a22a62f74..6585058c6c 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -462,16 +462,13 @@ modprobe i810_audio clocking=48000
 ETEXI
 
 DEF("balloon", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_balloon,
-    "-balloon none   disable balloon device\n"
     "-balloon virtio[,addr=str]\n"
-    "                enable virtio balloon device (default)\n", QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
+    "                enable virtio balloon device (deprecated)\n", QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
 STEXI
-@item -balloon none
-@findex -balloon
-Disable balloon device.
 @item -balloon virtio[,addr=@var{addr}]
-Enable virtio balloon device (default), optionally with PCI address
-@var{addr}.
+@findex -balloon
+Enable virtio balloon device, optionally with PCI address @var{addr}. This
+option is deprecated, use @option{--device virtio-balloon} instead.
 ETEXI
 
 DEF("device", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_device,
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index e648bed0e1..dae986b352 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2209,6 +2209,9 @@ static int balloon_parse(const char *arg)
 {
     QemuOpts *opts;
 
+    warn_report("This option is deprecated. "
+                "Use '--device virtio-balloon' to enable the balloon device.");
+
     if (strcmp(arg, "none") == 0) {
         return 0;
     }