diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 793a43c69cf9c636c61eef65322a160664919653..7831c3b3bfb66483e0d67c1e03fcae4a6db3e1fb 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -1927,6 +1927,22 @@ int qemuProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     vm->def->id = driver->nextvmid++;
 
+    /* Run a early hook to set-up missing devices */
+    if (virHookPresent(VIR_HOOK_DRIVER_QEMU)) {
+        char *xml = virDomainDefFormat(vm->def, 0);
+        int hookret;
+
+        hookret = virHookCall(VIR_HOOK_DRIVER_QEMU, vm->def->name,
+                    VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_PREPARE, VIR_HOOK_SUBOP_BEGIN, NULL, xml);
+        VIR_FREE(xml);
+
+        /*
+         * If the script raised an error abort the launch
+         */
+        if (hookret < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     /* Must be run before security labelling */
     VIR_DEBUG0("Preparing host devices");
     if (qemuPrepareHostDevices(driver, vm->def) < 0)
@@ -2419,6 +2435,16 @@ retry:
     VIR_FREE(priv->vcpupids);
     priv->nvcpupids = 0;
 
+    /* The "release" hook cleans up additional ressources */
+    if (virHookPresent(VIR_HOOK_DRIVER_QEMU)) {
+        char *xml = virDomainDefFormat(vm->def, 0);
+
+        /* we can't stop the operation even if the script raised an error */
+        virHookCall(VIR_HOOK_DRIVER_QEMU, vm->def->name,
+                    VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_RELEASE, VIR_HOOK_SUBOP_END, NULL, xml);
+        VIR_FREE(xml);
+    }
+
     if (vm->newDef) {
         virDomainDefFree(vm->def);
         vm->def = vm->newDef;
diff --git a/src/util/hooks.c b/src/util/hooks.c
index 5ba2036d6d8c56e92143ca2fca67b3f1789bb298..62446eadbb9725e12a6dc56ac37c0b7eef033749 100644
--- a/src/util/hooks.c
+++ b/src/util/hooks.c
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virHookSubop, VIR_HOOK_SUBOP_LAST,
 
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virHookQemuOp, VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_LAST,
               "start",
-              "stopped")
+              "stopped",
+              "prepare",
+              "release")
 
 VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virHookLxcOp, VIR_HOOK_LXC_OP_LAST,
               "start",
diff --git a/src/util/hooks.h b/src/util/hooks.h
index f311ed1022f14a7083e06a6a68b162eb7aef2bcf..fd7411c677ea66529cf8f9267e164b01d11c0ee8 100644
--- a/src/util/hooks.h
+++ b/src/util/hooks.h
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ enum virHookSubopType {
 enum virHookQemuOpType {
     VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_START,            /* domain is about to start */
     VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_STOPPED,          /* domain has stopped */
+    VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_PREPARE,          /* domain startup initiated */
+    VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_RELEASE,          /* domain destruction is over */
 
     VIR_HOOK_QEMU_OP_LAST,
 };