diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 30fb85d6195a96843867ebf0d35b88779fbf355e..06dd56507628278512c27e7493302565b6afd6af 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -161,14 +161,14 @@ ETEXI
 
 DEF("boot", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_boot,
     "-boot [order=drives][,once=drives][,menu=on|off]\n"
-    "      [,splash=sp_name][,splash-time=sp_time][,reboot-timeout=rb_time]\n"
+    "      [,splash=sp_name][,splash-time=sp_time][,reboot-timeout=rb_time][,strict=on|off]\n"
     "                'drives': floppy (a), hard disk (c), CD-ROM (d), network (n)\n"
     "                'sp_name': the file's name that would be passed to bios as logo picture, if menu=on\n"
     "                'sp_time': the period that splash picture last if menu=on, unit is ms\n"
     "                'rb_timeout': the timeout before guest reboot when boot failed, unit is ms\n",
     QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
 STEXI
-@item -boot [order=@var{drives}][,once=@var{drives}][,menu=on|off][,splash=@var{sp_name}][,splash-time=@var{sp_time}][,reboot-timeout=@var{rb_timeout}]
+@item -boot [order=@var{drives}][,once=@var{drives}][,menu=on|off][,splash=@var{sp_name}][,splash-time=@var{sp_time}][,reboot-timeout=@var{rb_timeout}][,strict=on|off]
 @findex -boot
 Specify boot order @var{drives} as a string of drive letters. Valid
 drive letters depend on the target achitecture. The x86 PC uses: a, b
@@ -192,6 +192,10 @@ when boot failed, then reboot. If @var{rb_timeout} is '-1', guest will not
 reboot, qemu passes '-1' to bios by default. Currently Seabios for X86
 system support it.
 
+Do strict boot via @option{strict=on} as far as firmware/BIOS
+supports it. This only effects when boot priority is changed by
+bootindex options. The default is non-strict boot.
+
 @example
 # try to boot from network first, then from hard disk
 qemu-system-i386 -boot order=nc
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index ce51e653682bc87390a074a6ddbd686864ff1da4..aeed7f435dc09309e382059ba3af752bdd9e41b0 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ int ctrl_grab = 0;
 unsigned int nb_prom_envs = 0;
 const char *prom_envs[MAX_PROM_ENVS];
 int boot_menu;
+bool boot_strict;
 uint8_t *boot_splash_filedata;
 size_t boot_splash_filedata_size;
 uint8_t qemu_extra_params_fw[2];
@@ -458,6 +459,9 @@ static QemuOptsList qemu_boot_opts = {
         }, {
             .name = "reboot-timeout",
             .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
+        }, {
+            .name = "strict",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
         },
         { /*End of list */ }
     },
@@ -1267,6 +1271,12 @@ char *get_boot_devices_list(size_t *size)
 
     *size = total;
 
+    if (boot_strict && *size > 0) {
+        list[total-1] = '\n';
+        list = g_realloc(list, total + 4);
+        memcpy(&list[total], "HALT", 4);
+        *size = total + 4;
+    }
     return list;
 }
 
@@ -3131,7 +3141,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                     static const char * const params[] = {
                         "order", "once", "menu",
                         "splash", "splash-time",
-                        "reboot-timeout", NULL
+                        "reboot-timeout", "strict", NULL
                     };
                     char buf[sizeof(boot_devices)];
                     char *standard_boot_devices;
@@ -3174,6 +3184,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                                 exit(1);
                             }
                         }
+                        if (get_param_value(buf, sizeof(buf),
+                                            "strict", optarg)) {
+                            if (!strcmp(buf, "on")) {
+                                boot_strict = true;
+                            } else if (!strcmp(buf, "off")) {
+                                boot_strict = false;
+                            } else {
+                                fprintf(stderr,
+                                        "qemu: invalid option value '%s'\n",
+                                        buf);
+                                exit(1);
+                            }
+                        }
                         if (!qemu_opts_parse(qemu_find_opts("boot-opts"),
                                              optarg, 0)) {
                             exit(1);