diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 88730c1e01..0a6edc3e14 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -748,9 +748,10 @@ void qmp_transaction(BlockdevActionList *dev_list, Error **errp)
         BlockDriver *proto_drv;
         BlockDriver *drv;
         int flags;
+        enum NewImageMode mode;
+        const char *new_image_file;
         const char *device;
         const char *format = "qcow2";
-        const char *new_image_file = NULL;
 
         dev_info = dev_entry->value;
         dev_entry = dev_entry->next;
@@ -761,10 +762,14 @@ void qmp_transaction(BlockdevActionList *dev_list, Error **errp)
         switch (dev_info->kind) {
         case BLOCKDEV_ACTION_KIND_BLOCKDEV_SNAPSHOT_SYNC:
             device = dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->device;
+            if (!dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->has_mode) {
+                dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->mode = NEW_IMAGE_MODE_ABSOLUTE_PATHS;
+            }
+            new_image_file = dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->snapshot_file;
             if (dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->has_format) {
                 format = dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->format;
             }
-            new_image_file = dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->snapshot_file;
+            mode = dev_info->blockdev_snapshot_sync->mode;
             break;
         default:
             abort();
@@ -805,13 +810,15 @@ void qmp_transaction(BlockdevActionList *dev_list, Error **errp)
         }
 
         /* create new image w/backing file */
-        ret = bdrv_img_create(new_image_file, format,
-                              states->old_bs->filename,
-                              states->old_bs->drv->format_name,
-                              NULL, -1, flags);
-        if (ret) {
-            error_set(errp, QERR_OPEN_FILE_FAILED, new_image_file);
-            goto delete_and_fail;
+        if (mode != NEW_IMAGE_MODE_EXISTING) {
+            ret = bdrv_img_create(new_image_file, format,
+                                  states->old_bs->filename,
+                                  states->old_bs->drv->format_name,
+                                  NULL, -1, flags);
+            if (ret) {
+                error_set(errp, QERR_OPEN_FILE_FAILED, new_image_file);
+                goto delete_and_fail;
+            }
         }
 
         /* We will manually add the backing_hd field to the bs later */
diff --git a/qapi-schema.json b/qapi-schema.json
index 85de38ee83..0882f43936 100644
--- a/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi-schema.json
@@ -1117,6 +1117,22 @@
 ##
 { 'command': 'block_resize', 'data': { 'device': 'str', 'size': 'int' }}
 
+##
+# @NewImageMode
+#
+# An enumeration that tells QEMU how to set the backing file path in
+# a new image file.
+#
+# @existing: QEMU should look for an existing image file.
+#
+# @absolute-paths: QEMU should create a new image with absolute paths
+# for the backing file.
+#
+# Since: 1.1
+##
+{ 'enum': 'NewImageMode'
+  'data': [ 'existing', 'absolute-paths' ] }
+
 ##
 # @BlockdevSnapshot
 #
@@ -1127,7 +1143,8 @@
 # @format: #optional the format of the snapshot image, default is 'qcow2'.
 ##
 { 'type': 'BlockdevSnapshot',
-  'data': { 'device': 'str', 'snapshot-file': 'str', '*format': 'str' } }
+  'data': { 'device': 'str', 'snapshot-file': 'str', '*format': 'str',
+            '*mode': 'NewImageMode' } }
 
 ##
 # @BlockdevAction
diff --git a/qmp-commands.hx b/qmp-commands.hx
index fb4f1dff5f..7c03b622c1 100644
--- a/qmp-commands.hx
+++ b/qmp-commands.hx
@@ -705,6 +705,13 @@ A list of dictionaries is accepted, that contains the actions to be performed.
 For snapshots this is the device, the file to use for the new snapshot,
 and the format.  The default format, if not specified, is qcow2.
 
+Each new snapshot defaults to being created by QEMU (wiping any
+contents if the file already exists), but it is also possible to reuse
+an externally-created file.  In the latter case, you should ensure that
+the new image file has the same contents as the current one; QEMU cannot
+perform any meaningful check.  Typically this is achieved by using the
+current image file as the backing file for the new image.
+
 Arguments:
 
 actions array:
@@ -715,6 +722,8 @@ actions array:
       - "device": device name to snapshot (json-string)
       - "snapshot-file": name of new image file (json-string)
       - "format": format of new image (json-string, optional)
+      - "mode": whether and how QEMU should create the snapshot file
+        (NewImageMode, optional, default "absolute-paths")
 
 Example:
 
@@ -725,6 +734,7 @@ Example:
                                          "format": "qcow2" } },
          { 'type': 'blockdev-snapshot-sync', 'data' : { "device": "ide-hd1",
                                          "snapshot-file": "/some/place/my-image2",
+                                         "mode": "existing",
                                          "format": "qcow2" } } ] } }
 <- { "return": {} }