diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index e329a47..e9a1d76 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ static QLIST_HEAD(, BlockDriver) bdrv_drivers =
 
 static int bdrv_open_inherit(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
                              const char *reference, QDict *options, int flags,
-                             BlockDriverState* parent,
+                             BlockDriverState* parent, const char *child_name,
                              const BdrvChildRole *child_role,
                              BlockDriver *drv, Error **errp);
 
@@ -1174,8 +1174,8 @@ int bdrv_open_backing_file(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *parent_options,
     backing_hd = NULL;
     ret = bdrv_open_inherit(&backing_hd,
                             *backing_filename ? backing_filename : NULL,
-                            reference, options, 0, bs, &child_backing,
-                            NULL, &local_err);
+                            reference, options, 0, bs, "backing",
+                            &child_backing, NULL, &local_err);
     if (ret < 0) {
         bs->open_flags |= BDRV_O_NO_BACKING;
         error_setg(errp, "Could not open backing file: %s",
@@ -1238,7 +1238,7 @@ int bdrv_open_image(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
     }
 
     ret = bdrv_open_inherit(pbs, filename, reference, image_options, 0,
-                            parent, child_role, NULL, errp);
+                            parent, bdref_key, child_role, NULL, errp);
 
 done:
     qdict_del(options, bdref_key);
@@ -1312,11 +1312,13 @@ out:
 
 static void bdrv_attach_child(BlockDriverState *parent_bs,
                               BlockDriverState *child_bs,
+                              const char *child_name,
                               const BdrvChildRole *child_role)
 {
     BdrvChild *child = g_new(BdrvChild, 1);
     *child = (BdrvChild) {
         .bs     = child_bs,
+        .name   = child_name,
         .role   = child_role,
     };
 
@@ -1340,7 +1342,7 @@ static void bdrv_attach_child(BlockDriverState *parent_bs,
  */
 static int bdrv_open_inherit(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
                              const char *reference, QDict *options, int flags,
-                             BlockDriverState* parent,
+                             BlockDriverState* parent, const char *child_name,
                              const BdrvChildRole *child_role,
                              BlockDriver *drv, Error **errp)
 {
@@ -1376,7 +1378,7 @@ static int bdrv_open_inherit(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
         }
         bdrv_ref(bs);
         if (child_role) {
-            bdrv_attach_child(parent, bs, child_role);
+            bdrv_attach_child(parent, bs, child_name, child_role);
         }
         *pbs = bs;
         return 0;
@@ -1519,7 +1521,7 @@ static int bdrv_open_inherit(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
     }
 
     if (child_role) {
-        bdrv_attach_child(parent, bs, child_role);
+        bdrv_attach_child(parent, bs, child_name, child_role);
     }
 
     QDECREF(options);
@@ -1563,7 +1565,7 @@ int bdrv_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
               BlockDriver *drv, Error **errp)
 {
     return bdrv_open_inherit(pbs, filename, reference, options, flags, NULL,
-                             NULL, drv, errp);
+                             NULL, NULL, drv, errp);
 }
 
 typedef struct BlockReopenQueueEntry {
@@ -2093,7 +2095,7 @@ void bdrv_append(BlockDriverState *bs_new, BlockDriverState *bs_top)
     /* The contents of 'tmp' will become bs_top, as we are
      * swapping bs_new and bs_top contents. */
     bdrv_set_backing_hd(bs_top, bs_new);
-    bdrv_attach_child(bs_top, bs_new, &child_backing);
+    bdrv_attach_child(bs_top, bs_new, "backing", &child_backing);
 }
 
 static void bdrv_delete(BlockDriverState *bs)
@@ -4037,13 +4039,19 @@ static bool append_open_options(QDict *d, BlockDriverState *bs)
 {
     const QDictEntry *entry;
     QemuOptDesc *desc;
+    BdrvChild *child;
     bool found_any = false;
 
     for (entry = qdict_first(bs->options); entry;
          entry = qdict_next(bs->options, entry))
     {
-        /* Only take options for this level */
-        if (strchr(qdict_entry_key(entry), '.')) {
+        /* Exclude options for children */
+        QLIST_FOREACH(child, &bs->children, next) {
+            if (strstart(qdict_entry_key(entry), child->name, NULL)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        if (child) {
             continue;
         }
 
diff --git a/include/block/block_int.h b/include/block/block_int.h
index 2fad5f8..90da3f7 100644
--- a/include/block/block_int.h
+++ b/include/block/block_int.h
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ extern const BdrvChildRole child_format;
 
 typedef struct BdrvChild {
     BlockDriverState *bs;
+    const char *name;
     const BdrvChildRole *role;
     QLIST_ENTRY(BdrvChild) next;
 } BdrvChild;
