diff --git a/hw/usb/host-linux.c b/hw/usb/host-linux.c
index a382f0ad98..061a1b7825 100644
--- a/hw/usb/host-linux.c
+++ b/hw/usb/host-linux.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <linux/usbdevice_fs.h>
 #include <linux/version.h>
 #include "hw/usb.h"
+#include "hw/usb/desc.h"
 
 /* We redefine it to avoid version problems */
 struct usb_ctrltransfer {
@@ -1108,121 +1109,128 @@ static int usb_host_handle_control(USBDevice *dev, USBPacket *p,
     return USB_RET_ASYNC;
 }
 
-static uint8_t usb_linux_get_alt_setting(USBHostDevice *s,
-    uint8_t configuration, uint8_t interface)
-{
-    char device_name[64], line[1024];
-    int alt_setting;
-
-    sprintf(device_name, "%d-%s:%d.%d", s->bus_num, s->port,
-            (int)configuration, (int)interface);
-
-    if (!usb_host_read_file(line, sizeof(line), "bAlternateSetting",
-                            device_name)) {
-        /* Assume alt 0 on error */
-        return 0;
-    }
-    if (sscanf(line, "%d", &alt_setting) != 1) {
-        /* Assume alt 0 on error */
-        return 0;
-    }
-    return alt_setting;
-}
-
 /* returns 1 on problem encountered or 0 for success */
 static int usb_linux_update_endp_table(USBHostDevice *s)
 {
-    uint8_t *descriptors;
-    uint8_t devep, type, alt_interface;
-    uint16_t raw;
-    int interface, length, i, ep, pid;
+    static const char *tname[] = {
+        [USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_CONTROL] = "control",
+        [USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_ISOC]    = "isoc",
+        [USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_BULK]    = "bulk",
+        [USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_INT]     = "int",
+    };
+    uint8_t devep, type;
+    uint16_t mps, v, p;
+    int ep, pid;
+    unsigned int i, configuration = -1, interface = -1, altsetting = -1;
     struct endp_data *epd;
+    USBDescriptor *d;
+    bool active = false;
 
     usb_ep_init(&s->dev);
 
-    if (s->dev.configuration == 0) {
-        /* not configured yet -- leave all endpoints disabled */
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    /* get the desired configuration, interface, and endpoint descriptors
-     * from device description */
-    descriptors = &s->descr[18];
-    length = s->descr_len - 18;
-    i = 0;
-
-    while (i < length) {
-        if (descriptors[i + 1] != USB_DT_CONFIG) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "invalid descriptor data\n");
-            return 1;
-        } else if (descriptors[i + 5] != s->dev.configuration) {
-            DPRINTF("not requested configuration %d\n", s->dev.configuration);
-            i += (descriptors[i + 3] << 8) + descriptors[i + 2];
-            continue;
-        }
-        i += descriptors[i];
-
-        if (descriptors[i + 1] != USB_DT_INTERFACE ||
-            (descriptors[i + 1] == USB_DT_INTERFACE &&
-             descriptors[i + 4] == 0)) {
-            i += descriptors[i];
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        interface = descriptors[i + 2];
-        alt_interface = usb_linux_get_alt_setting(s, s->dev.configuration,
-                                                  interface);
-
-        /* the current interface descriptor is the active interface
-         * and has endpoints */
-        if (descriptors[i + 3] != alt_interface) {
-            i += descriptors[i];
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        /* advance to the endpoints */
-        while (i < length && descriptors[i +1] != USB_DT_ENDPOINT) {
-            i += descriptors[i];
-        }
-
-        if (i >= length)
+    for (i = 0;; i += d->bLength) {
+        if (i+2 >= s->descr_len) {
             break;
-
-        while (i < length) {
-            if (descriptors[i + 1] != USB_DT_ENDPOINT) {
-                break;
+        }
+        d = (void *)(s->descr + i);
+        if (d->bLength < 2) {
+            trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                       "descriptor too short");
+            goto error;
+        }
+        if (i + d->bLength > s->descr_len) {
+            trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                       "descriptor too long");
+            goto error;
+        }
+        switch (d->bDescriptorType) {
+        case 0:
+            trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                       "invalid descriptor type");
+            goto error;
+        case USB_DT_DEVICE:
+            if (d->bLength < 0x12) {
+                trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                           "device descriptor too short");
+                goto error;
             }
-
-            devep = descriptors[i + 2];
+            v = (d->u.device.idVendor_hi << 8) | d->u.device.idVendor_lo;
+            p = (d->u.device.idProduct_hi << 8) | d->u.device.idProduct_lo;
+            trace_usb_host_parse_device(s->bus_num, s->addr, v, p);
+            break;
+        case USB_DT_CONFIG:
+            if (d->bLength < 0x09) {
+                trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                           "config descriptor too short");
+                goto error;
+            }
+            configuration = d->u.config.bConfigurationValue;
+            active = (configuration == s->dev.configuration);
+            trace_usb_host_parse_config(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                        configuration, active);
+            break;
+        case USB_DT_INTERFACE:
+            if (d->bLength < 0x09) {
+                trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                           "interface descriptor too short");
+                goto error;
+            }
+            interface = d->u.interface.bInterfaceNumber;
+            altsetting = d->u.interface.bAlternateSetting;
+            active = (configuration == s->dev.configuration) &&
+                (altsetting == s->dev.altsetting[interface]);
+            trace_usb_host_parse_interface(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                           interface, altsetting, active);
+            break;
+        case USB_DT_ENDPOINT:
+            if (d->bLength < 0x07) {
+                trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                           "endpoint descriptor too short");
+                goto error;
+            }
+            devep = d->u.endpoint.bEndpointAddress;
             pid = (devep & USB_DIR_IN) ? USB_TOKEN_IN : USB_TOKEN_OUT;
             ep = devep & 0xf;
             if (ep == 0) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "usb-linux: invalid ep descriptor, ep == 0\n");
-                return 1;
+                trace_usb_host_parse_error(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                           "invalid endpoint address");
+                goto error;
             }
 
-            type = descriptors[i + 3] & 0x3;
-            raw = descriptors[i + 4] + (descriptors[i + 5] << 8);
-            usb_ep_set_max_packet_size(&s->dev, pid, ep, raw);
-            assert(usb_ep_get_type(&s->dev, pid, ep) ==
-                   USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_INVALID);
-            usb_ep_set_type(&s->dev, pid, ep, type);
-            usb_ep_set_ifnum(&s->dev, pid, ep, interface);
-            if ((s->options & (1 << USB_HOST_OPT_PIPELINE)) &&
-                (type == USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_BULK)) {
-                usb_ep_set_pipeline(&s->dev, pid, ep, true);
+            type = d->u.endpoint.bmAttributes & 0x3;
+            mps = d->u.endpoint.wMaxPacketSize_lo |
+                (d->u.endpoint.wMaxPacketSize_hi << 8);
+            trace_usb_host_parse_endpoint(s->bus_num, s->addr, ep,
+                                          (devep & USB_DIR_IN) ? "in" : "out",
+                                          tname[type], active);
+
+            if (active) {
+                usb_ep_set_max_packet_size(&s->dev, pid, ep, mps);
+                assert(usb_ep_get_type(&s->dev, pid, ep) ==
+                       USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_INVALID);
+                usb_ep_set_type(&s->dev, pid, ep, type);
+                usb_ep_set_ifnum(&s->dev, pid, ep, interface);
+                if ((s->options & (1 << USB_HOST_OPT_PIPELINE)) &&
+                    (type == USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_BULK)) {
+                    usb_ep_set_pipeline(&s->dev, pid, ep, true);
+                }
+
+                epd = get_endp(s, pid, ep);
+                epd->halted = 0;
             }
 
-            epd = get_endp(s, pid, ep);
-            epd->halted = 0;
-
-            i += descriptors[i];
+            break;
+        default:
+            trace_usb_host_parse_unknown(s->bus_num, s->addr,
+                                         d->bLength, d->bDescriptorType);
+            break;
         }
     }
-#ifdef DEBUG
-    usb_ep_dump(&s->dev);
-#endif
     return 0;
+
+error:
+    usb_ep_init(&s->dev);
+    return 1;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/trace-events b/trace-events
index e7ce5b2cb3..d2e787962f 100644
--- a/trace-events
+++ b/trace-events
@@ -337,6 +337,12 @@ usb_host_reset(int bus, int addr) "dev %d:%d"
 usb_host_auto_scan_enabled(void)
 usb_host_auto_scan_disabled(void)
 usb_host_claim_port(int bus, int hub, int port) "bus %d, hub addr %d, port %d"
+usb_host_parse_device(int bus, int addr, int vendor, int product) "dev %d:%d, id %04x:%04x"
+usb_host_parse_config(int bus, int addr, int value, int active) "dev %d:%d, value %d, active %d"
+usb_host_parse_interface(int bus, int addr, int num, int alt, int active) "dev %d:%d, num %d, alt %d, active %d"
+usb_host_parse_endpoint(int bus, int addr, int ep, const char *dir, const char *type, int active) "dev %d:%d, ep %d, %s, %s, active %d"
+usb_host_parse_unknown(int bus, int addr, int len, int type) "dev %d:%d, len %d, type %d"
+usb_host_parse_error(int bus, int addr, const char *errmsg) "dev %d:%d, msg %s"
 
 # hw/scsi-bus.c
 scsi_req_alloc(int target, int lun, int tag) "target %d lun %d tag %d"