diff --git a/include/sysemu/iothread.h b/include/sysemu/iothread.h
index d2985b30ba39e2ec837671e761f7664fc546d028..b07663f0a1fcd330a26591a801d79dd780d5566e 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/iothread.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/iothread.h
@@ -46,4 +46,12 @@ AioContext *iothread_get_aio_context(IOThread *iothread);
 void iothread_stop_all(void);
 GMainContext *iothread_get_g_main_context(IOThread *iothread);
 
+/*
+ * Helpers used to allocate iothreads for internal use.  These
+ * iothreads will not be seen by monitor clients when query using
+ * "query-iothreads".
+ */
+IOThread *iothread_create(const char *id, Error **errp);
+void iothread_destroy(IOThread *iothread);
+
 #endif /* IOTHREAD_H */
diff --git a/iothread.c b/iothread.c
index 59d08509883fdb779222c654dd3cdd75efbca483..0672a9196f43852622141509658ec2fc27a77ca0 100644
--- a/iothread.c
+++ b/iothread.c
@@ -354,3 +354,19 @@ GMainContext *iothread_get_g_main_context(IOThread *iothread)
 
     return iothread->worker_context;
 }
+
+IOThread *iothread_create(const char *id, Error **errp)
+{
+    Object *obj;
+
+    obj = object_new_with_props(TYPE_IOTHREAD,
+                                object_get_internal_root(),
+                                id, errp, NULL);
+
+    return IOTHREAD(obj);
+}
+
+void iothread_destroy(IOThread *iothread)
+{
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(iothread));
+}