diff --git a/hw/nseries.c b/hw/nseries.c
index 7ada90d..7247e40 100644
--- a/hw/nseries.c
+++ b/hw/nseries.c
@@ -1427,12 +1427,14 @@ static QEMUMachine n800_machine = {
     .name = "n800",
     .desc = "Nokia N800 tablet aka. RX-34 (OMAP2420)",
     .init = n800_init,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine n810_machine = {
     .name = "n810",
     .desc = "Nokia N810 tablet aka. RX-44 (OMAP2420)",
     .init = n810_init,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static void nseries_machine_init(void)
diff --git a/hw/pc_piix.c b/hw/pc_piix.c
index bf04a42..9592f16 100644
--- a/hw/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/pc_piix.c
@@ -352,6 +352,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v1_3 = {
     .init = pc_init_pci,
     .max_cpus = 255,
     .is_default = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_1_2 \
@@ -390,6 +391,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v1_2 = {
         PC_COMPAT_1_2,
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_1_1 \
@@ -433,6 +435,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v1_1 = {
         PC_COMPAT_1_1,
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_1_0 \
@@ -469,6 +472,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v1_0 = {
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
     .hw_version = "1.0",
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_0_15 \
@@ -484,6 +488,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v0_15 = {
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
     .hw_version = "0.15",
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_0_14 \
@@ -525,6 +530,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v0_14 = {
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
     .hw_version = "0.14",
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_0_13 \
@@ -562,6 +568,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v0_13 = {
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
     .hw_version = "0.13",
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_0_12 \
@@ -595,6 +602,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v0_12 = {
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
     .hw_version = "0.12",
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #define PC_COMPAT_0_11 \
@@ -628,6 +636,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v0_11 = {
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
     .hw_version = "0.11",
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v0_10 = {
@@ -661,6 +670,7 @@ static QEMUMachine pc_machine_v0_10 = {
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
     .hw_version = "0.10",
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine isapc_machine = {
@@ -676,6 +686,7 @@ static QEMUMachine isapc_machine = {
         },
         { /* end of list */ }
     },
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_XEN
@@ -684,7 +695,7 @@ static QEMUMachine xenfv_machine = {
     .desc = "Xen Fully-virtualized PC",
     .init = pc_xen_hvm_init,
     .max_cpus = HVM_MAX_VCPUS,
-    .default_machine_opts = "accel=xen",
+    .default_machine_opts = "accel=xen,boot=cad",
 };
 #endif
 
diff --git a/hw/ppc_newworld.c b/hw/ppc_newworld.c
index a265445..1f00aa1 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_newworld.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_newworld.c
@@ -426,6 +426,7 @@ static QEMUMachine core99_machine = {
 #ifdef TARGET_PPC64
     .is_default = 1,
 #endif
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static void core99_machine_init(void)
diff --git a/hw/ppc_oldworld.c b/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
index de33408..355a3ec 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_oldworld.c
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ static QEMUMachine heathrow_machine = {
 #ifndef TARGET_PPC64
     .is_default = 1,
 #endif
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static void heathrow_machine_init(void)
diff --git a/hw/ppc_prep.c b/hw/ppc_prep.c
index a0d1c3d..6dfbb7b 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_prep.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_prep.c
@@ -694,6 +694,7 @@ static QEMUMachine prep_machine = {
     .desc = "PowerPC PREP platform",
     .init = ppc_prep_init,
     .max_cpus = MAX_CPUS,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static void prep_machine_init(void)
diff --git a/hw/sun4m.c b/hw/sun4m.c
index dbe93f9..7b436be 100644
--- a/hw/sun4m.c
+++ b/hw/sun4m.c
@@ -1428,6 +1428,7 @@ static QEMUMachine ss5_machine = {
     .init = ss5_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
     .is_default = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine ss10_machine = {
@@ -1436,6 +1437,7 @@ static QEMUMachine ss10_machine = {
     .init = ss10_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
     .max_cpus = 4,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine ss600mp_machine = {
@@ -1444,6 +1446,7 @@ static QEMUMachine ss600mp_machine = {
     .init = ss600mp_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
     .max_cpus = 4,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine ss20_machine = {
@@ -1452,6 +1455,7 @@ static QEMUMachine ss20_machine = {
     .init = ss20_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
     .max_cpus = 4,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine voyager_machine = {
@@ -1459,6 +1463,7 @@ static QEMUMachine voyager_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4m platform, SPARCstation Voyager",
     .init = vger_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine ss_lx_machine = {
@@ -1466,6 +1471,7 @@ static QEMUMachine ss_lx_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4m platform, SPARCstation LX",
     .init = ss_lx_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine ss4_machine = {
@@ -1473,6 +1479,7 @@ static QEMUMachine ss4_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4m platform, SPARCstation 4",
     .init = ss4_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine scls_machine = {
@@ -1480,6 +1487,7 @@ static QEMUMachine scls_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4m platform, SPARCClassic",
     .init = scls_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine sbook_machine = {
@@ -1487,6 +1495,7 @@ static QEMUMachine sbook_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4m platform, SPARCbook",
     .init = sbook_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static const struct sun4d_hwdef sun4d_hwdefs[] = {
@@ -1897,6 +1906,7 @@ static QEMUMachine ss2_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4c platform, SPARCstation 2",
     .init = ss2_init,
     .use_scsi = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static void sun4m_register_types(void)
diff --git a/hw/sun4u.c b/hw/sun4u.c
index eeb6496..b77eed7 100644
--- a/hw/sun4u.c
+++ b/hw/sun4u.c
@@ -978,6 +978,7 @@ static QEMUMachine sun4u_machine = {
     .init = sun4u_init,
     .max_cpus = 1, // XXX for now
     .is_default = 1,
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine sun4v_machine = {
@@ -985,6 +986,7 @@ static QEMUMachine sun4v_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4v platform",
     .init = sun4v_init,
     .max_cpus = 1, // XXX for now
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static QEMUMachine niagara_machine = {
@@ -992,6 +994,7 @@ static QEMUMachine niagara_machine = {
     .desc = "Sun4v platform, Niagara",
     .init = niagara_init,
     .max_cpus = 1, // XXX for now
+    .default_machine_opts = "boot=cad",
 };
 
 static void sun4u_register_types(void)
diff --git a/qemu-config.c b/qemu-config.c
index cd1ec21..92dfc8e 100644
--- a/qemu-config.c
+++ b/qemu-config.c
@@ -619,7 +619,11 @@ static QemuOptsList qemu_machine_opts = {
             .name = "mem-merge",
             .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
             .help = "enable/disable memory merge support",
-        },
+        }, {
+            .name = "boot",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
+            .help = "boot order",
+         },
         { /* End of list */ }
     },
 };
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index ee3c43a..7b1f6c4 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2369,7 +2369,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     const char *icount_option = NULL;
     const char *initrd_filename;
     const char *kernel_filename, *kernel_cmdline;
-    char boot_devices[33] = "cad"; /* default to HD->floppy->CD-ROM */
+    const char *boot_devices = NULL;
     DisplayState *ds;
     DisplayChangeListener *dcl;
     int cyls, heads, secs, translation;
@@ -2645,7 +2645,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                         "splash", "splash-time",
                         "reboot-timeout", NULL
                     };
-                    char buf[sizeof(boot_devices)];
+                    char buf[33];
                     char *standard_boot_devices;
                     int legacy = 0;
 
@@ -2662,14 +2662,18 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                     if (legacy ||
                         get_param_value(buf, sizeof(buf), "order", optarg)) {
                         validate_bootdevices(buf);
-                        pstrcpy(boot_devices, sizeof(boot_devices), buf);
+                        machine_opts = qemu_opts_create(qemu_find_opts("machine"), 
+                                                        NULL, 0, NULL);
+                        qemu_opt_set(machine_opts, "boot", buf);
                     }
                     if (!legacy) {
                         if (get_param_value(buf, sizeof(buf),
                                             "once", optarg)) {
                             validate_bootdevices(buf);
                             standard_boot_devices = g_strdup(boot_devices);
-                            pstrcpy(boot_devices, sizeof(boot_devices), buf);
+                            machine_opts = qemu_opts_create(qemu_find_opts("machine"), 
+                                                            NULL, 0, NULL);
+                            qemu_opt_set(machine_opts, "boot", buf);
                             qemu_register_reset(restore_boot_devices,
                                                 standard_boot_devices);
                         }
@@ -3479,6 +3483,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         kernel_filename = qemu_opt_get(machine_opts, "kernel");
         initrd_filename = qemu_opt_get(machine_opts, "initrd");
         kernel_cmdline = qemu_opt_get(machine_opts, "append");
+        boot_devices = qemu_opt_get(machine_opts, "boot");
     } else {
         kernel_filename = initrd_filename = kernel_cmdline = NULL;
     }
