diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 0e63524..dffa9de 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -52,8 +52,17 @@
 #include <windows.h>
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * A BdrvDirtyBitmap can be in three possible states:
+ * (1) successor is NULL and disabled is false: full r/w mode
+ * (2) successor is NULL and disabled is true: read only mode ("disabled")
+ * (3) successor is set: frozen mode.
+ *     A frozen bitmap cannot be renamed, deleted, anonymized, cleared, set,
+ *     or enabled. A frozen bitmap can only abdicate() or reclaim().
+ */
 struct BdrvDirtyBitmap {
     HBitmap *bitmap;
+    BdrvDirtyBitmap *successor;
     char *name;
     bool disabled;
     QLIST_ENTRY(BdrvDirtyBitmap) list;
@@ -5518,6 +5527,7 @@ BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_find_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs, const char *name)
 
 void bdrv_dirty_bitmap_make_anon(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
 {
+    assert(!bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap));
     g_free(bitmap->name);
     bitmap->name = NULL;
 }
@@ -5553,9 +5563,98 @@ BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_create_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
     return bitmap;
 }
 
+bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
+{
+    return bitmap->successor;
+}
+
 bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_enabled(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
 {
-    return !bitmap->disabled;
+    return !(bitmap->disabled || bitmap->successor);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create a successor bitmap destined to replace this bitmap after an operation.
+ * Requires that the bitmap is not frozen and has no successor.
+ */
+int bdrv_dirty_bitmap_create_successor(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                       BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap, Error **errp)
+{
+    uint64_t granularity;
+    BdrvDirtyBitmap *child;
+
+    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Cannot create a successor for a bitmap that is "
+                   "currently frozen");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    assert(!bitmap->successor);
+
+    /* Create an anonymous successor */
+    granularity = bdrv_dirty_bitmap_granularity(bitmap);
+    child = bdrv_create_dirty_bitmap(bs, granularity, NULL, errp);
+    if (!child) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    /* Successor will be on or off based on our current state. */
+    child->disabled = bitmap->disabled;
+
+    /* Install the successor and freeze the parent */
+    bitmap->successor = child;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * For a bitmap with a successor, yield our name to the successor,
+ * delete the old bitmap, and return a handle to the new bitmap.
+ */
+BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_dirty_bitmap_abdicate(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                            BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap,
+                                            Error **errp)
+{
+    char *name;
+    BdrvDirtyBitmap *successor = bitmap->successor;
+
+    if (successor == NULL) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Cannot relinquish control if "
+                   "there's no successor present");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    name = bitmap->name;
+    bitmap->name = NULL;
+    successor->name = name;
+    bitmap->successor = NULL;
+    bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(bs, bitmap);
+
+    return successor;
+}
+
+/**
+ * In cases of failure where we can no longer safely delete the parent,
+ * we may wish to re-join the parent and child/successor.
+ * The merged parent will be un-frozen, but not explicitly re-enabled.
+ */
+BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_reclaim_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                           BdrvDirtyBitmap *parent,
+                                           Error **errp)
+{
+    BdrvDirtyBitmap *successor = parent->successor;
+
+    if (!successor) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Cannot reclaim a successor when none is present");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (!hbitmap_merge(parent->bitmap, successor->bitmap)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Merging of parent and successor bitmap failed");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(bs, successor);
+    parent->successor = NULL;
+
+    return parent;
 }
 
 void bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
@@ -5563,6 +5662,7 @@ void bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
     BdrvDirtyBitmap *bm, *next;
     QLIST_FOREACH_SAFE(bm, &bs->dirty_bitmaps, list, next) {
         if (bm == bitmap) {
+            assert(!bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bm));
             QLIST_REMOVE(bitmap, list);
             hbitmap_free(bitmap->bitmap);
             g_free(bitmap->name);
@@ -5574,11 +5674,13 @@ void bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
 
 void bdrv_disable_dirty_bitmap(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
 {
+    assert(!bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap));
     bitmap->disabled = true;
 }
 
 void bdrv_enable_dirty_bitmap(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
 {
+    assert(!bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap));
     bitmap->disabled = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 5dde1e8..e8b712e 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -2065,9 +2065,16 @@ void qmp_block_dirty_bitmap_remove(const char *node, const char *name,
         return;
     }
 
+    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap)) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Bitmap '%s' is currently frozen and cannot be removed",
+                   name);
+        goto out;
+    }
     bdrv_dirty_bitmap_make_anon(bs, bitmap);
     bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(bs, bitmap);
 
+ out:
     aio_context_release(aio_context);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 5d131f0..1635c22 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -454,6 +454,15 @@ BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_create_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                           uint32_t granularity,
                                           const char *name,
                                           Error **errp);
+int bdrv_dirty_bitmap_create_successor(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                       BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap,
+                                       Error **errp);
+BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_dirty_bitmap_abdicate(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                            BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap,
+                                            Error **errp);
+BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_reclaim_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                           BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap,
+                                           Error **errp);
 BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_find_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                         const char *name);
 void bdrv_dirty_bitmap_make_anon(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
@@ -464,6 +473,7 @@ BlockDirtyInfoList *bdrv_query_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs);
 uint32_t bdrv_get_default_bitmap_granularity(BlockDriverState *bs);
 uint32_t bdrv_dirty_bitmap_granularity(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_enabled(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
+bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 int bdrv_get_dirty(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap, int64_t sector);
 void bdrv_set_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap,
                            int64_t cur_sector, int nr_sectors);
diff --git a/qapi/block-core.json b/qapi/block-core.json
index 6237f9d..f3b92d8 100644
--- a/qapi/block-core.json
+++ b/qapi/block-core.json
@@ -1008,6 +1008,7 @@
 # Returns: nothing on success
 #          If @node is not a valid block device or node, DeviceNotFound
 #          If @name is not found, GenericError with an explanation
+#          if @name is frozen by an operation, GenericError
 #
 # Since 2.4
 ##
