diff --git a/backends/hostmem-file.c b/backends/hostmem-file.c
index be64020746..cb319a9157 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem-file.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem-file.c
@@ -18,13 +18,6 @@
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "qom/object_interfaces.h"
 
-/* hostmem-file.c */
-/**
- * @TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE:
- * name of backend that uses mmap on a file descriptor
- */
-#define TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE "memory-backend-file"
-
 #define MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE(obj) \
     OBJECT_CHECK(HostMemoryBackendFile, (obj), TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE)
 
diff --git a/backends/hostmem-ram.c b/backends/hostmem-ram.c
index 6aab8d3a73..5cc53e76c9 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem-ram.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem-ram.c
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 #include "qemu/module.h"
 #include "qom/object_interfaces.h"
 
-#define TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_RAM "memory-backend-ram"
-
 static void
 ram_backend_memory_alloc(HostMemoryBackend *backend, Error **errp)
 {
diff --git a/include/hw/boards.h b/include/hw/boards.h
index 7b4b6b79d7..8e536cafb2 100644
--- a/include/hw/boards.h
+++ b/include/hw/boards.h
@@ -170,6 +170,13 @@ typedef struct {
  *    false is returned, an error must be set to show the reason of
  *    the rejection.  If the hook is not provided, all hotplug will be
  *    allowed.
+ * @default_ram_id:
+ *    Specifies inital RAM MemoryRegion name to be used for default backend
+ *    creation if user explicitly hasn't specified backend with "memory-backend"
+ *    property.
+ *    It also will be used as a way to optin into "-m" option support.
+ *    If it's not set by board, '-m' will be ignored and generic code will
+ *    not create default RAM MemoryRegion.
  */
 struct MachineClass {
     /*< private >*/
@@ -226,6 +233,7 @@ struct MachineClass {
     bool nvdimm_supported;
     bool numa_mem_supported;
     bool auto_enable_numa;
+    const char *default_ram_id;
 
     HotplugHandler *(*get_hotplug_handler)(MachineState *machine,
                                            DeviceState *dev);
diff --git a/include/sysemu/hostmem.h b/include/sysemu/hostmem.h
index 4dbdadd39e..5db0d668ec 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/hostmem.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/hostmem.h
@@ -27,6 +27,22 @@
 #define MEMORY_BACKEND_CLASS(klass) \
     OBJECT_CLASS_CHECK(HostMemoryBackendClass, (klass), TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND)
 
+/* hostmem-ram.c */
+/**
+ * @TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_RAM:
+ * name of backend that uses mmap on the anonymous RAM
+ */
+
+#define TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_RAM "memory-backend-ram"
+
+/* hostmem-file.c */
+/**
+ * @TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE:
+ * name of backend that uses mmap on a file descriptor
+ */
+#define TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE "memory-backend-file"
+
+typedef struct HostMemoryBackend HostMemoryBackend;
 typedef struct HostMemoryBackendClass HostMemoryBackendClass;
 
 /**
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 794f2e5733..4dc4803611 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 #include "ui/input.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "sysemu/numa.h"
+#include "sysemu/hostmem.h"
 #include "exec/gdbstub.h"
 #include "qemu/timer.h"
 #include "chardev/char.h"
@@ -2805,6 +2806,26 @@ static void configure_accelerators(const char *progname)
     }
 }
 
+static void create_default_memdev(MachineState *ms, const char *path,
+                                  bool prealloc)
+{
+    Object *obj;
+    MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(ms);
+
+    obj = object_new(path ? TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE : TYPE_MEMORY_BACKEND_RAM);
+    if (path) {
+        object_property_set_str(obj, path, "mem-path", &error_fatal);
+    }
+    object_property_set_bool(obj, prealloc, "prealloc", &error_fatal);
+    object_property_set_int(obj, ms->ram_size, "size", &error_fatal);
+    object_property_add_child(object_get_objects_root(), mc->default_ram_id,
+                              obj, &error_fatal);
+    user_creatable_complete(USER_CREATABLE(obj), &error_fatal);
+    object_unref(obj);
+    object_property_set_str(OBJECT(ms), mc->default_ram_id, "memory-backend",
+                            &error_fatal);
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 {
     int i;
@@ -4268,6 +4289,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     }
     parse_numa_opts(current_machine);
 
+    if (machine_class->default_ram_id && current_machine->ram_size &&
+        !current_machine->ram_memdev_id) {
+        create_default_memdev(current_machine, mem_path, mem_prealloc);
+    }
     /* do monitor/qmp handling at preconfig state if requested */
     main_loop();