diff --git a/block/gluster.c b/block/gluster.c
index 296e036b3dccbc64221b0dd4385f9a047dfc35bd..4adc1a875b14d7ea511cfcfefae16f92d8627597 100644
--- a/block/gluster.c
+++ b/block/gluster.c
@@ -167,7 +167,12 @@ static QemuOptsList runtime_unix_opts = {
         {
             .name = GLUSTER_OPT_SOCKET,
             .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
-            .help = "socket file path)",
+            .help = "socket file path (legacy)",
+        },
+        {
+            .name = GLUSTER_OPT_PATH,
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
+            .help = "socket file path (QAPI)",
         },
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
@@ -615,10 +620,18 @@ static int qemu_gluster_parse_json(BlockdevOptionsGluster *gconf,
                 goto out;
             }
 
-            ptr = qemu_opt_get(opts, GLUSTER_OPT_SOCKET);
+            ptr = qemu_opt_get(opts, GLUSTER_OPT_PATH);
+            if (!ptr) {
+                ptr = qemu_opt_get(opts, GLUSTER_OPT_SOCKET);
+            } else if (qemu_opt_get(opts, GLUSTER_OPT_SOCKET)) {
+                error_setg(&local_err,
+                           "Conflicting parameters 'path' and 'socket'");
+                error_append_hint(&local_err, GERR_INDEX_HINT, i);
+                goto out;
+            }
             if (!ptr) {
                 error_setg(&local_err, QERR_MISSING_PARAMETER,
-                           GLUSTER_OPT_SOCKET);
+                           GLUSTER_OPT_PATH);
                 error_append_hint(&local_err, GERR_INDEX_HINT, i);
                 goto out;
             }
@@ -684,7 +697,7 @@ static int qemu_gluster_parse(BlockdevOptionsGluster *gconf,
                              "file.server.0.host=1.2.3.4,"
                              "file.server.0.port=24007,"
                              "file.server.1.transport=unix,"
-                             "file.server.1.socket=/var/run/glusterd.socket ..."
+                             "file.server.1.path=/var/run/glusterd.socket ..."
                              "\n");
             return ret;
         }