diff --git a/hw/block-common.c b/hw/block-common.c
index d21ec3a..7a040d1 100644
--- a/hw/block-common.c
+++ b/hw/block-common.c
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 #include "sysemu/blockdev.h"
 #include "hw/block-common.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
+#ifdef __linux__
+#include <linux/fs.h>
+#endif
 
 void blkconf_serial(BlockConf *conf, char **serial)
 {
@@ -22,6 +25,26 @@ void blkconf_serial(BlockConf *conf, char **serial)
     }
 }
 
+void blkconf_blocksizes(BlockConf *conf)
+{
+    int block_size;
+
+    if (!conf->physical_block_size) {
+        if (bdrv_ioctl(conf->bs, BLKPBSZGET, &block_size) == 0) {
+           conf->physical_block_size = (uint16_t) block_size;
+        } else {
+            conf->physical_block_size = BLOCK_PROPERTY_STD_BLKSIZE;
+        }
+    }
+    if (!conf->logical_block_size) {
+        if (bdrv_ioctl(conf->bs, BLKSSZGET, &block_size) == 0) {
+            conf->logical_block_size = (uint16_t) block_size;
+        } else {
+            conf->logical_block_size = BLOCK_PROPERTY_STD_BLKSIZE;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 int blkconf_geometry(BlockConf *conf, int *ptrans,
                      unsigned cyls_max, unsigned heads_max, unsigned secs_max)
 {
diff --git a/hw/block-common.h b/hw/block-common.h
index bb808f7..d593128 100644
--- a/hw/block-common.h
+++ b/hw/block-common.h
@@ -40,18 +40,23 @@ static inline unsigned int get_physical_block_exp(BlockConf *conf)
     return exp;
 }
 
-#define DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES(_state, _conf)                          \
+#define BLOCK_PROPERTY_STD_BLKSIZE 512
+#define DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES_EXTENDED(_state, _conf, _blksize)       \
     DEFINE_PROP_DRIVE("drive", _state, _conf.bs),                       \
     DEFINE_PROP_BLOCKSIZE("logical_block_size", _state,                 \
-                          _conf.logical_block_size, 512),               \
+                          _conf.logical_block_size, _blksize),          \
     DEFINE_PROP_BLOCKSIZE("physical_block_size", _state,                \
-                          _conf.physical_block_size, 512),              \
+                          _conf.physical_block_size, _blksize),         \
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("min_io_size", _state, _conf.min_io_size, 0),  \
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("opt_io_size", _state, _conf.opt_io_size, 0),    \
     DEFINE_PROP_INT32("bootindex", _state, _conf.bootindex, -1),        \
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("discard_granularity", _state, \
                        _conf.discard_granularity, 0)
 
+#define DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES(_state, _conf)                          \
+    DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES_EXTENDED(_state, _conf,                     \
+                                     BLOCK_PROPERTY_STD_BLKSIZE)
+
 #define DEFINE_BLOCK_CHS_PROPERTIES(_state, _conf)      \
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("cyls", _state, _conf.cyls, 0),  \
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("heads", _state, _conf.heads, 0), \
@@ -60,6 +65,7 @@ static inline unsigned int get_physical_block_exp(BlockConf *conf)
 /* Configuration helpers */
 
 void blkconf_serial(BlockConf *conf, char **serial);
+void blkconf_blocksizes(BlockConf *conf);
 int blkconf_geometry(BlockConf *conf, int *trans,
                      unsigned cyls_max, unsigned heads_max, unsigned secs_max);
 
diff --git a/hw/qdev-properties.c b/hw/qdev-properties.c
index a8a31f5..73b6da0 100644
--- a/hw/qdev-properties.c
+++ b/hw/qdev-properties.c
@@ -650,7 +650,9 @@ static void set_blocksize(Object *obj, Visitor *v, void *opaque,
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         return;
     }
-    if (value < min || value > max) {
+
+    /* value == 0 indicates that block size should be sensed later on */
+    if ((value < min || value > max) && value > 0) {
         error_set(errp, QERR_PROPERTY_VALUE_OUT_OF_RANGE,
                   dev->id?:"", name, (int64_t)value, min, max);
         return;
diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c
index d467781..f403308 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ static const TypeInfo s390_virtio_net = {
 };
 
 static Property s390_virtio_blk_properties[] = {
-    DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES(VirtIOS390Device, blk.conf),
+    DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES_EXTENDED(VirtIOS390Device, blk.conf, 0),
     DEFINE_BLOCK_CHS_PROPERTIES(VirtIOS390Device, blk.conf),
     DEFINE_PROP_STRING("serial", VirtIOS390Device, blk.serial),
 #ifdef __linux__
diff --git a/hw/virtio-blk.c b/hw/virtio-blk.c
index 34913ee..cd25712 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-blk.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-blk.c
@@ -654,6 +654,7 @@ VirtIODevice *virtio_blk_init(DeviceState *dev, VirtIOBlkConf *blk)
     }
 
     blkconf_serial(&blk->conf, &blk->serial);
+    blkconf_blocksizes(&blk->conf);
     if (blkconf_geometry(&blk->conf, NULL, 65535, 255, 255) < 0) {
         return NULL;
     }
