diff --git a/block/raw-posix.c b/block/raw-posix.c
index 91159c7887..87d888ed01 100644
--- a/block/raw-posix.c
+++ b/block/raw-posix.c
@@ -1776,6 +1776,40 @@ static BlockDriver bdrv_host_cdrom = {
 };
 #endif /* __FreeBSD__ */
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_LINUX_AIO
+/**
+ * Return the file descriptor for Linux AIO
+ *
+ * This function is a layering violation and should be removed when it becomes
+ * possible to call the block layer outside the global mutex.  It allows the
+ * caller to hijack the file descriptor so I/O can be performed outside the
+ * block layer.
+ */
+int raw_get_aio_fd(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    BDRVRawState *s;
+
+    if (!bs->drv) {
+        return -ENOMEDIUM;
+    }
+
+    if (bs->drv == bdrv_find_format("raw")) {
+        bs = bs->file;
+    }
+
+    /* raw-posix has several protocols so just check for raw_aio_readv */
+    if (bs->drv->bdrv_aio_readv != raw_aio_readv) {
+        return -ENOTSUP;
+    }
+
+    s = bs->opaque;
+    if (!s->use_aio) {
+        return -ENOTSUP;
+    }
+    return s->fd;
+}
+#endif /* CONFIG_LINUX_AIO */
+
 static void bdrv_file_init(void)
 {
     /*
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index b81d200b03..0719339231 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -365,6 +365,15 @@ void bdrv_disable_copy_on_read(BlockDriverState *bs);
 void bdrv_set_in_use(BlockDriverState *bs, int in_use);
 int bdrv_in_use(BlockDriverState *bs);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_LINUX_AIO
+int raw_get_aio_fd(BlockDriverState *bs);
+#else
+static inline int raw_get_aio_fd(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    return -ENOTSUP;
+}
+#endif
+
 enum BlockAcctType {
     BDRV_ACCT_READ,
     BDRV_ACCT_WRITE,