diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 606ee50d9f5396122b2d07297fcad5ecbc2e6739..1ae48400120d382617dda2fcc2f293a2461cff06 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -352,6 +352,9 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainTimerMode, VIR_DOMAIN_TIMER_MODE_LAST,
     virReportErrorHelper(NULL, VIR_FROM_DOMAIN, code, __FILE__,      \
                          __FUNCTION__, __LINE__, __VA_ARGS__)
 
+#define VIR_DOMAIN_XML_WRITE_FLAGS  VIR_DOMAIN_XML_SECURE
+#define VIR_DOMAIN_XML_READ_FLAGS   VIR_DOMAIN_XML_INACTIVE
+
 int virDomainObjListInit(virDomainObjListPtr doms)
 {
     doms->objs = virHashCreate(50);
@@ -965,6 +968,45 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainAssignDef(virCapsPtr caps,
     return domain;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Mark the running VM config as transient. Ensures transient hotplug
+ * operations do not persist past shutdown.
+ *
+ * @param caps pointer to capabilities info
+ * @param domain domain object pointer
+ * @return 0 on success, -1 on failure
+ */
+int
+virDomainObjSetDefTransient(virCapsPtr caps,
+                            virDomainObjPtr domain)
+{
+    int ret = -1;
+    char *xml = NULL;
+    virDomainDefPtr newDef = NULL;
+
+    if (!virDomainObjIsActive(domain))
+        return 0;
+
+    if (!domain->persistent)
+        return 0;
+
+    if (domain->newDef)
+        return 0;
+
+    if (!(xml = virDomainDefFormat(domain->def, VIR_DOMAIN_XML_WRITE_FLAGS)))
+        goto out;
+
+    if (!(newDef = virDomainDefParseString(caps, xml,
+                                           VIR_DOMAIN_XML_READ_FLAGS)))
+        goto out;
+
+    domain->newDef = newDef;
+    ret = 0;
+out:
+    VIR_FREE(xml);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 /*
  * The caller must hold a lock  on the driver owning 'doms',
  * and must also have locked 'dom', to ensure no one else
@@ -7256,7 +7298,7 @@ int virDomainSaveConfig(const char *configDir,
     char *xml;
 
     if (!(xml = virDomainDefFormat(def,
-                                   VIR_DOMAIN_XML_SECURE)))
+                                   VIR_DOMAIN_XML_WRITE_FLAGS)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virDomainSaveXML(configDir, def, xml))
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 7d2d6f5edcfea4c9cef2ad67bc02aea634c21732..392e0520082ce94830adbb0691e9ed5771307703 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -1092,6 +1092,8 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainAssignDef(virCapsPtr caps,
 void virDomainObjAssignDef(virDomainObjPtr domain,
                            const virDomainDefPtr def,
                            bool live);
+int virDomainObjSetDefTransient(virCapsPtr caps,
+                                virDomainObjPtr domain);
 void virDomainRemoveInactive(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                              virDomainObjPtr dom);
 
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index cdd37f70169b9af19a886637825e9b964bbde27e..41d1a194347a631239b729709c3e7f5a3614c90d 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ virDomainMemballoonModelTypeToString;
 virDomainNetDefFree;
 virDomainNetTypeToString;
 virDomainObjAssignDef;
+virDomainObjSetDefTransient;
 virDomainObjIsDuplicate;
 virDomainObjListDeinit;
 virDomainObjListGetActiveIDs;