diff --git a/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h b/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
index 8ccb3b6c20..e0979563c7 100644
--- a/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
+++ b/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ struct Visitor
     void (*type_size)(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj,
                       Error **errp);
 
+    /* Optional; fallback is type_uint64() */
+    void (*type_time)(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj,
+                      Error **errp);
+
     /* Must be set */
     void (*type_bool)(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *obj, Error **errp);
 
diff --git a/include/qapi/visitor.h b/include/qapi/visitor.h
index c5b23851a1..62565f4cb5 100644
--- a/include/qapi/visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/visitor.h
@@ -554,6 +554,15 @@ void visit_type_int64(Visitor *v, const char *name, int64_t *obj,
 void visit_type_size(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj,
                      Error **errp);
 
+/*
+ * Visit a uint64_t value.
+ * Like visit_type_uint64(), except that some visitors may choose to
+ * recognize numbers with timeunit suffix, such as "ps", "ns", "us"
+ * "ms" and "s".
+ */
+void visit_type_time(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj,
+                     Error **errp);
+
 /*
  * Visit a boolean value.
  *
diff --git a/qapi/opts-visitor.c b/qapi/opts-visitor.c
index 5fe0276c1c..e289c63b52 100644
--- a/qapi/opts-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/opts-visitor.c
@@ -526,6 +526,27 @@ opts_type_size(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj, Error **errp)
     processed(ov, name);
 }
 
+static void
+opts_type_time(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj, Error **errp)
+{
+    OptsVisitor *ov = to_ov(v);
+    const QemuOpt *opt;
+    int err;
+
+    opt = lookup_scalar(ov, name, errp);
+    if (!opt) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    err = qemu_strtotime_ps(opt->str ? opt->str : "", NULL, obj);
+    if (err < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, opt->name,
+                   "a time value");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    processed(ov, name);
+}
 
 static void
 opts_optional(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *present)
@@ -573,6 +594,7 @@ opts_visitor_new(const QemuOpts *opts)
     ov->visitor.type_int64  = &opts_type_int64;
     ov->visitor.type_uint64 = &opts_type_uint64;
     ov->visitor.type_size   = &opts_type_size;
+    ov->visitor.type_time   = &opts_type_time;
     ov->visitor.type_bool   = &opts_type_bool;
     ov->visitor.type_str    = &opts_type_str;
 
diff --git a/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c b/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
index 5365561b07..ac8896455c 100644
--- a/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
+++ b/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
@@ -277,6 +277,18 @@ void visit_type_size(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj,
     }
 }
 
+void visit_type_time(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj,
+                     Error **errp)
+{
+    assert(obj);
+    trace_visit_type_time(v, name, obj);
+    if (v->type_time) {
+        v->type_time(v, name, obj, errp);
+    } else {
+        v->type_uint64(v, name, obj, errp);
+    }
+}
+
 void visit_type_bool(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *obj, Error **errp)
 {
     assert(obj);
diff --git a/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c b/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
index 32236cbcb1..9b66941d8a 100644
--- a/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
@@ -627,6 +627,23 @@ static void qobject_input_type_size_keyval(Visitor *v, const char *name,
     }
 }
 
+static void qobject_input_type_time_keyval(Visitor *v, const char *name,
+                                           uint64_t *obj, Error **errp)
+{
+    QObjectInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
+    const char *str = qobject_input_get_keyval(qiv, name, errp);
+
+    if (!str) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (qemu_strtotime_ps(str, NULL, obj) < 0) {
+        /* TODO report -ERANGE more nicely */
+        error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE,
+                   full_name(qiv, name), "time");
+    }
+}
+
 static void qobject_input_optional(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *present)
 {
     QObjectInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
@@ -708,6 +725,7 @@ Visitor *qobject_input_visitor_new_keyval(QObject *obj)
     v->visitor.type_any = qobject_input_type_any;
     v->visitor.type_null = qobject_input_type_null;
     v->visitor.type_size = qobject_input_type_size_keyval;
+    v->visitor.type_time = qobject_input_type_time_keyval;
     v->keyval = true;
 
     return &v->visitor;
diff --git a/qapi/trace-events b/qapi/trace-events
index 5eb4afa110..c4605a7ccc 100644
--- a/qapi/trace-events
+++ b/qapi/trace-events
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ visit_type_int16(void *v, const char *name, int16_t *obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
 visit_type_int32(void *v, const char *name, int32_t *obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
 visit_type_int64(void *v, const char *name, int64_t *obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
 visit_type_size(void *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
+visit_type_time(void *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
 visit_type_bool(void *v, const char *name, bool *obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
 visit_type_str(void *v, const char *name, char **obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
 visit_type_number(void *v, const char *name, void *obj) "v=%p name=%s obj=%p"
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/common.py b/scripts/qapi/common.py
index d6e00c80ea..20c47bae95 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/common.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/common.py
@@ -1822,6 +1822,7 @@ class QAPISchema(object):
                   ('uint32', 'int',     'uint32_t'),
                   ('uint64', 'int',     'uint64_t'),
                   ('size',   'int',     'uint64_t'),
+                  ('time',   'int',     'uint64_t'),
                   ('bool',   'boolean', 'bool'),
                   ('any',    'value',   'QObject' + pointer_suffix),
                   ('null',   'null',    'QNull' + pointer_suffix)]:
