diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 0796f75b49..daae24073d 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ typedef struct BDRVReopenState {
     BlockdevDetectZeroesOptions detect_zeroes;
     bool backing_missing;
     BlockDriverState *old_backing_bs; /* keep pointer for permissions update */
+    BlockDriverState *old_file_bs; /* keep pointer for permissions update */
     QDict *options;
     QDict *explicit_options;
     void *opaque;
diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 819e133dfa..564443ac32 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ static void bdrv_remove_filter_or_cow_child(BlockDriverState *bs,
 
 static int bdrv_reopen_prepare(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
                                BlockReopenQueue *queue,
-                               Transaction *set_backings_tran, Error **errp);
+                               Transaction *change_child_tran, Error **errp);
 static void bdrv_reopen_commit(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state);
 static void bdrv_reopen_abort(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state);
 
@@ -4123,6 +4123,10 @@ int bdrv_reopen_multiple(BlockReopenQueue *bs_queue, Error **errp)
             refresh_list = bdrv_topological_dfs(refresh_list, found,
                                                 state->old_backing_bs);
         }
+        if (state->old_file_bs) {
+            refresh_list = bdrv_topological_dfs(refresh_list, found,
+                                                state->old_file_bs);
+        }
     }
 
     /*
@@ -4215,64 +4219,81 @@ int bdrv_reopen_set_read_only(BlockDriverState *bs, bool read_only,
  *
  * Return 0 on success, otherwise return < 0 and set @errp.
  */
-static int bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
-                                     Transaction *set_backings_tran,
-                                     Error **errp)
+static int bdrv_reopen_parse_file_or_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
+                                             bool is_backing, Transaction *tran,
+                                             Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs = reopen_state->bs;
-    BlockDriverState *new_backing_bs;
+    BlockDriverState *new_child_bs;
+    BlockDriverState *old_child_bs = is_backing ? child_bs(bs->backing) :
+                                                  child_bs(bs->file);
+    const char *child_name = is_backing ? "backing" : "file";
     QObject *value;
     const char *str;
 
-    value = qdict_get(reopen_state->options, "backing");
+    value = qdict_get(reopen_state->options, child_name);
     if (value == NULL) {
         return 0;
     }
 
     switch (qobject_type(value)) {
     case QTYPE_QNULL:
-        new_backing_bs = NULL;
+        assert(is_backing); /* The 'file' option does not allow a null value */
+        new_child_bs = NULL;
         break;
     case QTYPE_QSTRING:
         str = qstring_get_str(qobject_to(QString, value));
-        new_backing_bs = bdrv_lookup_bs(NULL, str, errp);
-        if (new_backing_bs == NULL) {
+        new_child_bs = bdrv_lookup_bs(NULL, str, errp);
+        if (new_child_bs == NULL) {
             return -EINVAL;
-        } else if (bdrv_recurse_has_child(new_backing_bs, bs)) {
-            error_setg(errp, "Making '%s' a backing file of '%s' "
-                       "would create a cycle", str, bs->node_name);
+        } else if (bdrv_recurse_has_child(new_child_bs, bs)) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Making '%s' a %s child of '%s' would create a "
+                       "cycle", str, child_name, bs->node_name);
             return -EINVAL;
         }
         break;
     default:
-        /* 'backing' does not allow any other data type */
+        /*
+         * The options QDict has been flattened, so 'backing' and 'file'
+         * do not allow any other data type here.
+         */
         g_assert_not_reached();
     }
 
-    if (bs->backing) {
-        if (bdrv_skip_implicit_filters(bs->backing->bs) == new_backing_bs) {
+    if (old_child_bs == new_child_bs) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (old_child_bs) {
+        if (bdrv_skip_implicit_filters(old_child_bs) == new_child_bs) {
             return 0;
         }
 
-        if (bs->backing->bs->implicit) {
-            error_setg(errp, "Cannot change backing link if '%s' has "
-                       "an implicit backing file", bs->node_name);
+        if (old_child_bs->implicit) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Cannot replace implicit %s child of %s",
+                       child_name, bs->node_name);
             return -EPERM;
         }
     }
 
-    if (bs->drv->is_filter && !bs->backing) {
+    if (bs->drv->is_filter && !old_child_bs) {
         /*
          * Filters always have a file or a backing child, so we are trying to
          * change wrong child
          */
         error_setg(errp, "'%s' is a %s filter node that does not support a "
-                   "backing child", bs->node_name, bs->drv->format_name);
+                   "%s child", bs->node_name, bs->drv->format_name, child_name);
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
-    reopen_state->old_backing_bs = bs->backing ? bs->backing->bs : NULL;
-    return bdrv_set_backing_noperm(bs, new_backing_bs, set_backings_tran, errp);
+    if (is_backing) {
+        reopen_state->old_backing_bs = old_child_bs;
+    } else {
+        reopen_state->old_file_bs = old_child_bs;
+    }
+
+    return bdrv_set_file_or_backing_noperm(bs, new_child_bs, is_backing,
+                                           tran, errp);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -4294,7 +4315,7 @@ static int bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
  */
 static int bdrv_reopen_prepare(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
                                BlockReopenQueue *queue,
-                               Transaction *set_backings_tran, Error **errp)
+                               Transaction *change_child_tran, Error **errp)
 {
     int ret = -1;
     int old_flags;
@@ -4414,12 +4435,21 @@ static int bdrv_reopen_prepare(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
      * either a reference to an existing node (using its node name)
      * or NULL to simply detach the current backing file.
      */
-    ret = bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(reopen_state, set_backings_tran, errp);
+    ret = bdrv_reopen_parse_file_or_backing(reopen_state, true,
+                                            change_child_tran, errp);
     if (ret < 0) {
         goto error;
     }
     qdict_del(reopen_state->options, "backing");
 
+    /* Allow changing the 'file' option. In this case NULL is not allowed */
+    ret = bdrv_reopen_parse_file_or_backing(reopen_state, false,
+                                            change_child_tran, errp);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        goto error;
+    }
+    qdict_del(reopen_state->options, "file");
+
     /* Options that are not handled are only okay if they are unchanged
      * compared to the old state. It is expected that some options are only
      * used for the initial open, but not reopen (e.g. filename) */
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/245 b/tests/qemu-iotests/245
index c7d671366a..87b59666f5 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/245
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/245
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
         self.reopen(opts, {'driver': 'raw'}, "Cannot change the option 'driver'")
         self.reopen(opts, {'driver': ''}, "Invalid parameter ''")
         self.reopen(opts, {'driver': None}, "Invalid parameter type for 'driver', expected: string")
-        self.reopen(opts, {'file': 'not-found'}, "Cannot change the option 'file'")
-        self.reopen(opts, {'file': ''}, "Cannot change the option 'file'")
+        self.reopen(opts, {'file': 'not-found'}, "Cannot find device='' nor node-name='not-found'")
+        self.reopen(opts, {'file': ''}, "Cannot find device='' nor node-name=''")
         self.reopen(opts, {'file': None}, "Invalid parameter type for 'file', expected: BlockdevRef")
         self.reopen(opts, {'file.node-name': 'newname'}, "Cannot change the option 'node-name'")
         self.reopen(opts, {'file.driver': 'host_device'}, "Cannot change the option 'driver'")
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
 
         # Illegal operation: hd2 is a child of hd1
         self.reopen(opts[2], {'backing': 'hd1'},
-                    "Making 'hd1' a backing file of 'hd2' would create a cycle")
+                    "Making 'hd1' a backing child of 'hd2' would create a cycle")
 
         # hd2 <- hd0, hd2 <- hd1
         self.reopen(opts[0], {'backing': 'hd2'})
@@ -454,8 +454,9 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
 
         # More illegal operations
         self.reopen(opts[2], {'backing': 'hd1'},
-                    "Making 'hd1' a backing file of 'hd2' would create a cycle")
-        self.reopen(opts[2], {'file': 'hd0-file'}, "Cannot change the option 'file'")
+                    "Making 'hd1' a backing child of 'hd2' would create a cycle")
+        self.reopen(opts[2], {'file': 'hd0-file'},
+                    "Conflicts with use by hd2 as 'file', which does not allow 'write, resize' on hd0-file")
 
         result = self.vm.qmp('blockdev-del', conv_keys = True, node_name = 'hd2')
         self.assert_qmp(result, 'error/class', 'GenericError')
@@ -497,18 +498,18 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
 
         # Illegal: hd2 is backed by hd1
         self.reopen(opts[1], {'backing': 'hd2'},
-                    "Making 'hd2' a backing file of 'hd1' would create a cycle")
+                    "Making 'hd2' a backing child of 'hd1' would create a cycle")
 
         # hd1 <- hd0 <- hd2
         self.reopen(opts[2], {'backing': 'hd0'})
 
         # Illegal: hd2 is backed by hd0, which is backed by hd1
         self.reopen(opts[1], {'backing': 'hd2'},
-                    "Making 'hd2' a backing file of 'hd1' would create a cycle")
+                    "Making 'hd2' a backing child of 'hd1' would create a cycle")
 
         # Illegal: hd1 cannot point to itself
         self.reopen(opts[1], {'backing': 'hd1'},
-                    "Making 'hd1' a backing file of 'hd1' would create a cycle")
+                    "Making 'hd1' a backing child of 'hd1' would create a cycle")
 
         # Remove all backing files
         self.reopen(opts[0])
@@ -530,7 +531,7 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
 
         # Illegal: hd0 is a child of the blkverify node
         self.reopen(opts[0], {'backing': 'bv'},
-                    "Making 'bv' a backing file of 'hd0' would create a cycle")
+                    "Making 'bv' a backing child of 'hd0' would create a cycle")
 
         # Delete the blkverify node
         result = self.vm.qmp('blockdev-del', conv_keys = True, node_name = 'bv')
@@ -563,7 +564,7 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
         # You can't make quorum0 a backing file of hd0:
         # hd0 is already a child of quorum0.
         self.reopen(hd_opts(0), {'backing': 'quorum0'},
-                    "Making 'quorum0' a backing file of 'hd0' would create a cycle")
+                    "Making 'quorum0' a backing child of 'hd0' would create a cycle")
 
         # Delete quorum0
         result = self.vm.qmp('blockdev-del', conv_keys = True, node_name = 'quorum0')
@@ -969,7 +970,7 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
 
         # We can't remove hd1 while the commit job is ongoing
         opts['backing'] = None
-        self.reopen(opts, {}, "Cannot change backing link if 'hd0' has an implicit backing file")
+        self.reopen(opts, {}, "Cannot replace implicit backing child of hd0")
 
         # hd2 <- hd0
         self.vm.run_job('commit0', auto_finalize = False, auto_dismiss = True)
