diff --git a/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5 b/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5
index 069b73f..602d428 100644
--- a/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5
+++ b/docs/man/xl.cfg.pod.5
@@ -1154,6 +1154,12 @@ device.
 
 Enables or disables an emulated USB bus in the guest.
 
+=item B<usbversion=NUMBER>
+ 
+Specifies the type of an emulated USB bus in the guest. 1 for usb1,
+2 for usb2 and 3 for usb3, it is available only with upstream qemu.
+Default is 2.
+
 =item B<usbdevice=[ "DEVICE", "DEVICE", ...]>
 
 Adds B<DEVICE>s to the emulated USB bus. The USB bus must also be
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl.h b/tools/libxl/libxl.h
index 37e4d82..0ffe2cd 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl.h
@@ -297,6 +297,20 @@
 #define LIBXL_HAVE_BUILDINFO_USBDEVICE_LIST 1
 
 /*
+ * LIBXL_HAVE_BUILDINFO_USBVERSION
+ *
+ * If this is defined, then the libxl_domain_build_info structure will
+ * contain hvm.usbversion, a integer type that contains a USB
+ * controller version to specify on the qemu upstream command-line.
+ *
+ * If it is set, callers may use hvm.usbversion to specify if the usb
+ * controller is usb1, usb2 or usb3.
+ *
+ * If this is not defined, the usb controller is only usb1.
+ */
+#define LIBXL_HAVE_BUILDINFO_USBVERSION 1
+
+/*
  * LIBXL_HAVE_DEVICE_BACKEND_DOMNAME
  *
  * If this is defined, libxl_device_* structures containing a backend_domid
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
index 0c32d0b..9683740 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ int libxl__domain_build_info_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc,
             return ERROR_INVAL;
         }
 
+        if (!b_info->u.hvm.usbversion)
+            b_info->u.hvm.usbversion = 2;
+
         if (b_info->u.hvm.timer_mode == LIBXL_TIMER_MODE_DEFAULT)
             b_info->u.hvm.timer_mode =
                 LIBXL_TIMER_MODE_NO_DELAY_FOR_MISSED_TICKS;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
index 7e54c02..cad91ba 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
@@ -492,7 +492,30 @@ static char ** libxl__build_device_model_args_new(libxl__gc *gc,
                     __func__);
                 return NULL;
             }
-            flexarray_append(dm_args, "-usb");
+
+            switch (b_info->u.hvm.usbversion) {
+            case 1:
+                flexarray_vappend(dm_args,
+                    "-device", "piix3-usb-uhci,id=usb", NULL);
+                break;
+            case 2:
+                flexarray_vappend(dm_args, "-device","ich9-usb-ehci1,id=usb,"
+                    "bus=pci.0,addr=0x1d.0x7", NULL);
+                for (i = 1; i < 4; i++)
+                    flexarray_vappend(dm_args, "-device", libxl__sprintf(gc,
+                        "ich9-usb-uhci%d,masterbus=usb.0,firstport=%d,"
+                        "bus=pci.0%s,addr=0x1d.%#x", i, 2*(i-1), i == 1 ?
+                        ",multifunction=on" : "", i-1), NULL);
+                break;
+            case 3:
+                flexarray_vappend(dm_args,
+                    "-device", "nec-usb-xhci,id=usb", NULL);
+                break;
+            default:
+                LIBXL__LOG(CTX, LIBXL__LOG_ERROR,
+                    "usbversion parameter is invalid must be between 1 and 3");
+                return NULL;
+            }
             if (b_info->u.hvm.usbdevice) {
                 flexarray_vappend(dm_args,
                                   "-usbdevice", b_info->u.hvm.usbdevice, NULL);
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
index d218a2d..100f36c 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ libxl_domain_build_info = Struct("domain_build_info",[
                                        ("serial",           string),
                                        ("boot",             string),
                                        ("usb",              libxl_defbool),
+                                       ("usbversion",       integer),
                                        # usbdevice:
                                        # - "tablet" for absolute mouse,
                                        # - "mouse" for PS/2 protocol relative mouse
diff --git a/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c b/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
index 8a478ba..a618ede 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
@@ -1495,6 +1495,8 @@ skip_vfb:
         xlu_cfg_replace_string (config, "serial", &b_info->u.hvm.serial, 0);
         xlu_cfg_replace_string (config, "boot", &b_info->u.hvm.boot, 0);
         xlu_cfg_get_defbool(config, "usb", &b_info->u.hvm.usb, 0);
+        if (!xlu_cfg_get_long (config, "usbversion", &l, 0))
+            b_info->u.hvm.usbversion = l;
         switch (xlu_cfg_get_list_as_string_list(config, "usbdevice",
                                                 &b_info->u.hvm.usbdevice_list,
                                                 1))
