diff --git a/hmp-commands.hx b/hmp-commands.hx
index 010b8c9..3b781f7 100644
--- a/hmp-commands.hx
+++ b/hmp-commands.hx
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ ETEXI
         .args_type  = "name:s?",
         .params     = "[tag|id]",
         .help       = "save a VM snapshot. If no tag or id are provided, a new snapshot is created",
-        .mhandler.cmd = do_savevm,
+        .mhandler.cmd = hmp_vm_snapshot_save,
     },
 
 STEXI
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ STEXI
 @findex savevm
 Create a snapshot of the whole virtual machine. If @var{tag} is
 provided, it is used as human readable identifier. If there is already
-a snapshot with the same tag or ID, it is replaced. More info at
+a snapshot with the same @var{tag} or @var{id}, it is replaced. More info at
 @ref{vm_snapshots}.
 ETEXI
 
diff --git a/hmp.c b/hmp.c
index 180ba2b..2dbdcbf 100644
--- a/hmp.c
+++ b/hmp.c
@@ -1335,3 +1335,12 @@ void hmp_nbd_server_stop(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     qmp_nbd_server_stop(&errp);
     hmp_handle_error(mon, &errp);
 }
+
+void hmp_vm_snapshot_save(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
+{
+    const char *name = qdict_get_try_str(qdict, "name");
+    Error *err = NULL;
+
+    qmp_vm_snapshot_save(!!name, name, &err);
+    hmp_handle_error(mon, &err);
+}
diff --git a/hmp.h b/hmp.h
index 0ab03be..0bd7e47 100644
--- a/hmp.h
+++ b/hmp.h
@@ -80,5 +80,6 @@ void hmp_screen_dump(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_nbd_server_start(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_nbd_server_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_nbd_server_stop(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
+void hmp_vm_snapshot_save(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/qapi-schema.json b/qapi-schema.json
index 5dfa052..08543d2 100644
--- a/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi-schema.json
@@ -3017,3 +3017,22 @@
 # Since: 1.3.0
 ##
 { 'command': 'nbd-server-stop' }
+
+##
+# @vm-snapshot-save:
+#
+# Create a snapshot of the whole virtual machine. If tag is provided as @name,
+# it is used as human readable identifier. If there is already a snapshot
+# with the same tag or ID, it is replaced.
+#
+# The VM is automatically stopped and resumed and saving a snapshot can take
+# a long time.
+#
+# @name: #optional tag of new snapshot or tag|id of existing snapshot
+#
+# Returns: Nothing on success
+#          If an error occurs, GenericError with error message
+#
+# Since: 1.4.0
+##
+{ 'command': 'vm-snapshot-save', 'data': {'*name': 'str'} }
diff --git a/qmp-commands.hx b/qmp-commands.hx
index 5c692d0..58e2d0a 100644
--- a/qmp-commands.hx
+++ b/qmp-commands.hx
@@ -1348,6 +1348,35 @@ Example:
 
 EQMP
     {
+        .name       = "vm-snapshot-save",
+        .args_type  = "name:s?",
+        .params     = "name",
+        .help       = "save a VM snapshot. If no tag or id are provided, a new snapshot is created",
+        .mhandler.cmd_new = qmp_marshal_input_vm_snapshot_save
+    },
+
+SQMP
+vm-snapshot-save
+------
+
+Create a snapshot of the whole virtual machine. If tag is provided as name,
+it is used as human readable identifier. If there is already a snapshot
+with the same tag or id, it is replaced.
+
+The VM is automatically stopped and resumed and saving a snapshot can take
+a long time.
+
+Arguments:
+
+- "name": tag of new snapshot or tag|id of existing snapshot (json-string, optional)
+
+Example:
+
+-> { "execute": "vm-snapshot-save", "arguments": { "name": "my_snapshot" } }
+<- { "return": {} }
+
+EQMP
+    {
         .name       = "qmp_capabilities",
         .args_type  = "",
         .params     = "",
diff --git a/savevm.c b/savevm.c
index 2c63aad..91120c4 100644
--- a/savevm.c
+++ b/savevm.c
@@ -2141,7 +2141,7 @@ static int del_existing_snapshots(const char *name,
     return 0;
 }
 
-void do_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
+void qmp_vm_snapshot_save(bool has_name, const char *name, Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs, *bs1;
     QEMUSnapshotInfo sn1, *sn = &sn1, old_sn1, *old_sn = &old_sn1;
@@ -2156,7 +2156,6 @@ void do_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     struct timeval tv;
     struct tm tm;
 #endif
-    const char *name = qdict_get_try_str(qdict, "name");
 
     /* Verify if there is a device that doesn't support snapshots and is writable */
     bs = NULL;
@@ -2167,15 +2166,15 @@ void do_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
         }
 
         if (!bdrv_can_snapshot(bs)) {
-            monitor_printf(mon, "Device '%s' is writable but does not support snapshots.\n",
-                               bdrv_get_device_name(bs));
+            error_setg(errp, "Device '%s' is writable but does not support "
+                       "snapshots.", bdrv_get_device_name(bs));
             return;
         }
     }
 
     bs = bdrv_snapshots();
     if (!bs) {
-        monitor_printf(mon, "No block device can accept snapshots\n");
+        error_setg(errp, "No block device can accept snapshots.");
         return;
     }
 
@@ -2196,7 +2195,7 @@ void do_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
 #endif
     sn->vm_clock_nsec = qemu_get_clock_ns(vm_clock);
 
-    if (name) {
+    if (has_name) {
         ret = bdrv_snapshot_find(bs, old_sn, name, NULL);
         if (ret >= 0) {
             pstrcpy(sn->name, sizeof(sn->name), old_sn->name);
@@ -2217,21 +2216,20 @@ void do_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     }
 
     /* Delete old snapshots of the same name */
-    if (name && del_existing_snapshots(name, NULL) < 0) {
+    if (has_name && del_existing_snapshots(name, errp) < 0) {
         goto the_end;
     }
 
     /* save the VM state */
     f = qemu_fopen_bdrv(bs, 1);
     if (!f) {
-        monitor_printf(mon, "Could not open VM state file\n");
+        error_setg(errp, "Failed to open '%s' file.", bdrv_get_device_name(bs));
         goto the_end;
     }
-    ret = qemu_savevm_state(f, NULL);
+    ret = qemu_savevm_state(f, errp);
     vm_state_size = qemu_ftell(f);
     qemu_fclose(f);
-    if (ret < 0) {
-        monitor_printf(mon, "Error %d while writing VM\n", ret);
+    if (error_is_set(errp)) {
         goto the_end;
     }
 
@@ -2242,11 +2240,7 @@ void do_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
         if (bdrv_can_snapshot(bs1)) {
             /* Write VM state size only to the image that contains the state */
             sn->vm_state_size = (bs == bs1 ? vm_state_size : 0);
-            ret = bdrv_snapshot_create(bs1, sn, NULL);
-            if (ret < 0) {
-                monitor_printf(mon, "Error while creating snapshot on '%s'\n",
-                               bdrv_get_device_name(bs1));
-            }
+            bdrv_snapshot_create(bs1, sn, errp);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/sysemu.h b/sysemu.h
index c08f7a3..96b4879 100644
--- a/sysemu.h
+++ b/sysemu.h
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ void qemu_remove_exit_notifier(Notifier *notify);
 
 void qemu_add_machine_init_done_notifier(Notifier *notify);
 
-void do_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 int load_vmstate(const char *name);
 void do_delvm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void do_info_snapshots(Monitor *mon);
