diff --git a/backends/Makefile.objs b/backends/Makefile.objs
index 506a46c..31a3a89 100644
--- a/backends/Makefile.objs
+++ b/backends/Makefile.objs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 common-obj-y += rng.o rng-egd.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += rng-random.o
 
-common-obj-y += msmouse.o
+common-obj-y += msmouse.o testdev.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_BRLAPI) += baum.o
 baum.o-cflags := $(SDL_CFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/backends/testdev.c b/backends/testdev.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70d63b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backends/testdev.c
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+/*
+ * QEMU Char Device for testsuite control
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2014 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * Author: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+#include "qemu-common.h"
+#include "sysemu/char.h"
+
+#define BUF_SIZE 32
+
+typedef struct {
+    CharDriverState *chr;
+    uint8_t in_buf[32];
+    int in_buf_used;
+} TestdevCharState;
+
+/* Try to interpret a whole incoming packet */
+static int testdev_eat_packet(TestdevCharState *testdev)
+{
+    const uint8_t *cur = testdev->in_buf;
+    int len = testdev->in_buf_used;
+    uint8_t c;
+    int arg;
+
+#define EAT(c) do { \
+    if (!len--) {   \
+        return 0;   \
+    }               \
+    c = *cur++;     \
+} while (0)
+
+    EAT(c);
+
+    while (isspace(c)) {
+        EAT(c);
+    }
+
+    arg = 0;
+    while (isdigit(c)) {
+        arg = arg * 10 + c - '0';
+        EAT(c);
+    }
+
+    while (isspace(c)) {
+        EAT(c);
+    }
+
+    switch (c) {
+    case 'q':
+        exit((arg << 1) | 1);
+        break;
+    default:
+        break;
+    }
+    return cur - testdev->in_buf;
+}
+
+/* The other end is writing some data.  Store it and try to interpret */
+static int testdev_write(CharDriverState *chr, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
+{
+    TestdevCharState *testdev = chr->opaque;
+    int tocopy, eaten, orig_len = len;
+
+    while (len) {
+        /* Complete our buffer as much as possible */
+        tocopy = MIN(len, BUF_SIZE - testdev->in_buf_used);
+
+        memcpy(testdev->in_buf + testdev->in_buf_used, buf, tocopy);
+        testdev->in_buf_used += tocopy;
+        buf += tocopy;
+        len -= tocopy;
+
+        /* Interpret it as much as possible */
+        while (testdev->in_buf_used > 0 &&
+               (eaten = testdev_eat_packet(testdev)) > 0) {
+            memmove(testdev->in_buf, testdev->in_buf + eaten,
+                    testdev->in_buf_used - eaten);
+            testdev->in_buf_used -= eaten;
+        }
+    }
+    return orig_len;
+}
+
+static void testdev_close(struct CharDriverState *chr)
+{
+    TestdevCharState *testdev = chr->opaque;
+
+    g_free(testdev);
+}
+
+CharDriverState *chr_testdev_init(void)
+{
+    TestdevCharState *testdev;
+    CharDriverState *chr;
+
+    testdev = g_malloc0(sizeof(TestdevCharState));
+    testdev->chr = chr = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
+
+    chr->opaque = testdev;
+    chr->chr_write = testdev_write;
+    chr->chr_close = testdev_close;
+
+    return chr;
+}
+
+static void register_types(void)
+{
+    register_char_driver_qapi("testdev", CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_TESTDEV, NULL);
+}
+
+type_init(register_types);
diff --git a/include/sysemu/char.h b/include/sysemu/char.h
index 0bbd631..98cd4c9 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/char.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/char.h
@@ -358,6 +358,9 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_char_get_next_serial(void);
 /* msmouse */
 CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_msmouse(void);
 
+/* testdev.c */
+CharDriverState *chr_testdev_init(void);
+
 /* baum.c */
 CharDriverState *chr_baum_init(void);
 
diff --git a/qapi-schema.json b/qapi-schema.json
index b11aad2..341f417 100644
--- a/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi-schema.json
@@ -2749,7 +2749,7 @@
 #
 # Configuration info for the new chardev backend.
 #
-# Since: 1.4
+# Since: 1.4 (testdev since 2.2)
 ##
 { 'type': 'ChardevDummy', 'data': { } }
 
@@ -2764,6 +2764,7 @@
                                        'mux'    : 'ChardevMux',
                                        'msmouse': 'ChardevDummy',
                                        'braille': 'ChardevDummy',
+                                       'testdev': 'ChardevDummy',
                                        'stdio'  : 'ChardevStdio',
                                        'console': 'ChardevDummy',
                                        'spicevmc' : 'ChardevSpiceChannel',
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 956be49..6964a2d 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -3256,6 +3256,7 @@ QemuOpts *qemu_chr_parse_compat(const char *label, const char *filename)
         strcmp(filename, "pty")     == 0 ||
         strcmp(filename, "msmouse") == 0 ||
         strcmp(filename, "braille") == 0 ||
+        strcmp(filename, "testdev") == 0 ||
         strcmp(filename, "stdio")   == 0) {
         qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", filename);
         return opts;
@@ -4057,6 +4058,9 @@ ChardevReturn *qmp_chardev_add(const char *id, ChardevBackend *backend,
         chr = chr_baum_init();
         break;
 #endif
+    case CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_TESTDEV:
+        chr = chr_testdev_init();
+        break;
     case CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_STDIO:
         chr = qemu_chr_open_stdio(backend->stdio);
         break;
diff --git a/stubs/Makefile.objs b/stubs/Makefile.objs
index 528e161..5e347d0 100644
--- a/stubs/Makefile.objs
+++ b/stubs/Makefile.objs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ stub-obj-y += arch-query-cpu-def.o
 stub-obj-y += bdrv-commit-all.o
 stub-obj-y += chr-baum-init.o
 stub-obj-y += chr-msmouse.o
+stub-obj-y += chr-testdev.o
 stub-obj-y += clock-warp.o
 stub-obj-y += cpu-get-clock.o
 stub-obj-y += cpu-get-icount.o
diff --git a/stubs/chr-testdev.c b/stubs/chr-testdev.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23112a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stubs/chr-testdev.c
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#include "qemu-common.h"
+#include "sysemu/char.h"
+
+CharDriverState *chr_testdev_init(void)
+{
+    return 0;
+}
