diff --git a/hw/tpm_passthrough.c b/hw/tpm_passthrough.c
index 11980a8..a296048 100644
--- a/hw/tpm_passthrough.c
+++ b/hw/tpm_passthrough.c
@@ -306,30 +306,62 @@ static int tpm_passthrough_handle_device_opts(QemuOpts *opts, TPMBackend *tb)
 {
     const char *value;
     size_t bufsize;
+    struct stat statbuf;
 
-    value = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
-    if (!value) {
-        value = TPM_PASSTHROUGH_DEFAULT_DEVICE;
-    }
+    value = qemu_opt_get(opts, "fd");
+    if (value) {
+        if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "path")) {
+            error_report("fd= is invalid with path=");
+            goto err_exit;
+        }
+
+        tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd = qemu_parse_fd(value);
+        if (tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd < 0) {
+            error_report("Illegal file descriptor for TPM device.\n");
+            goto err_exit;
+        }
+
+        bufsize = sizeof("fd=") + sizeof(stringify(INT_MAX)) + 1;
+
+        tb->parameters = g_malloc0(bufsize);
+
+        snprintf(tb->parameters, bufsize, "fd=%d", tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd);
+    } else {
+        value = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
+        if (!value) {
+            value = TPM_PASSTHROUGH_DEFAULT_DEVICE;
+        }
+
+        tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev = g_strdup(value);
 
-    tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev = g_strdup(value);
+        bufsize = sizeof("path=") + strlen(tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev) + 1;
 
-    bufsize = sizeof("path=") + strlen(tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev) + 1;
+        tb->parameters = g_malloc0(bufsize);
 
-    tb->parameters = g_malloc0(bufsize);
+        snprintf(tb->parameters, bufsize, "path=%s", tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev);
 
-    snprintf(tb->parameters, bufsize, "path=%s", tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev);
+        tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd = open(tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev, O_RDWR);
+        if (tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd < 0) {
+            error_report("Cannot access TPM device using '%s'.\n",
+                         tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev);
+            goto err_free_parameters;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (fstat(tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd, &statbuf) != 0) {
+        error_report("Cannot determine file descriptor type for TPM "
+                     "device: %s", strerror(errno));
+        goto err_close_tpmdev;
+    }
 
-    tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd = open(tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev, O_RDWR);
-    if (tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd < 0) {
-        error_report("Cannot access TPM device using '%s'.\n",
-                     tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev);
+    /* only allow character devices for now */
+    if (!S_ISCHR(statbuf.st_mode)) {
+        error_report("TPM file descriptor is not a character device");
         goto err_free_parameters;
     }
 
     if (tpm_passthrough_test_tpmdev(tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_fd)) {
-        error_report("'%s' is not a TPM device.\n",
-                     tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev);
+        error_report("Device is not a TPM.\n");
         goto err_close_tpmdev;
     }
 
@@ -346,6 +378,7 @@ static int tpm_passthrough_handle_device_opts(QemuOpts *opts, TPMBackend *tb)
     g_free(tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev);
     tb->s.tpm_pt->tpm_dev = NULL;
 
+ err_exit:
     return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/qemu-config.c b/qemu-config.c
index edc8d5d..a5e2677 100644
--- a/qemu-config.c
+++ b/qemu-config.c
@@ -628,6 +628,11 @@ static QemuOptsList qemu_tpmdev_opts = {
             .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
             .help = "Persistent storage for TPM state",
         },
+        {
+            .name = "fd",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
+            .help = "Filedescriptor for accessing the TPM",
+        },
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
 };
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index b9920da..679a194 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -2008,8 +2008,9 @@ DEFHEADING()
 DEFHEADING(TPM device options:)
 
 DEF("tpmdev", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_tpmdev, \
-    "-tpmdev passthrough,id=id[,path=path]\n"
-    "                use path to provide path to a character device; default is /dev/tpm0\n",
+    "-tpmdev passthrough,id=id[,path=path][,fd=h]\n"
+    "                use path to provide path to a character device; default is /dev/tpm0\n"
+    "                use fd to provide a file descriptor to a character device\n",
     QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
 STEXI
 
@@ -2031,7 +2032,7 @@ Use ? to print all available TPM backend types.
 qemu -tpmdev ?
 @end example
 
-@item -tpmdev passthrough, id=@var{id}, path=@var{path}
+@item -tpmdev passthrough, id=@var{id}, path=@var{path}, fd=@var{h}
 
 (Linux-host only) Enable access to the host's TPM using the passthrough
 driver.
@@ -2040,6 +2041,10 @@ driver.
 a Linux host this would be @code{/dev/tpm0}.
 @option{path} is optional and by default @code{/dev/tpm0} is used.
 
+@option{fd} specifies the file descriptor of the host's TPM device.
+@option{fd} and @option{path} are mutually exclusive.
+@option{fd} is optional.
+
 Some notes about using the host's TPM with the passthrough driver:
 
 The TPM device accessed by the passthrough driver must not be
