diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index d21c9e4316..89c61fe93d 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ static BlockDriverState *bdrv_open_inherit(const char *filename,
 
 static void bdrv_replace_child_noperm(BdrvChild *child,
                                       BlockDriverState *new_bs);
+static void bdrv_remove_file_or_backing_child(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                              BdrvChild *child,
+                                              Transaction *tran);
 static void bdrv_remove_filter_or_cow_child(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                             Transaction *tran);
 
@@ -3117,56 +3120,96 @@ static BdrvChildRole bdrv_backing_role(BlockDriverState *bs)
 }
 
 /*
- * Sets the bs->backing link of a BDS. A new reference is created; callers
- * which don't need their own reference any more must call bdrv_unref().
+ * Sets the bs->backing or bs->file link of a BDS. A new reference is created;
+ * callers which don't need their own reference any more must call bdrv_unref().
  *
  * Function doesn't update permissions, caller is responsible for this.
  */
-static int bdrv_set_backing_noperm(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                   BlockDriverState *backing_hd,
-                                   Transaction *tran, Error **errp)
+static int bdrv_set_file_or_backing_noperm(BlockDriverState *parent_bs,
+                                           BlockDriverState *child_bs,
+                                           bool is_backing,
+                                           Transaction *tran, Error **errp)
 {
     int ret = 0;
-    bool update_inherits_from = bdrv_chain_contains(bs, backing_hd) &&
-        bdrv_inherits_from_recursive(backing_hd, bs);
+    bool update_inherits_from =
+        bdrv_inherits_from_recursive(child_bs, parent_bs);
+    BdrvChild *child = is_backing ? parent_bs->backing : parent_bs->file;
+    BdrvChildRole role;
 
-    if (bdrv_is_backing_chain_frozen(bs, child_bs(bs->backing), errp)) {
+    if (!parent_bs->drv) {
+        /*
+         * Node without drv is an object without a class :/. TODO: finally fix
+         * qcow2 driver to never clear bs->drv and implement format corruption
+         * handling in other way.
+         */
+        error_setg(errp, "Node corrupted");
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    if (child && child->frozen) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Cannot change frozen '%s' link from '%s' to '%s'",
+                   child->name, parent_bs->node_name, child->bs->node_name);
         return -EPERM;
     }
 
-    if (bs->backing) {
-        /* Cannot be frozen, we checked that above */
-        bdrv_unset_inherits_from(bs, bs->backing, tran);
-        bdrv_remove_filter_or_cow_child(bs, tran);
+    if (parent_bs->drv->is_filter) {
+        role = BDRV_CHILD_FILTERED | BDRV_CHILD_PRIMARY;
+    } else if (is_backing) {
+        role = BDRV_CHILD_COW;
+    } else {
+        /*
+         * We only can use same role as it is in existing child. We don't have
+         * infrastructure to determine role of file child in generic way
+         */
+        if (!child) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Cannot set file child to format node without "
+                       "file child");
+            return -EINVAL;
+        }
+        role = child->role;
     }
 
-    if (!backing_hd) {
+    if (child) {
+        bdrv_unset_inherits_from(parent_bs, child, tran);
+        bdrv_remove_file_or_backing_child(parent_bs, child, tran);
+    }
+
+    if (!child_bs) {
         goto out;
     }
 
-    ret = bdrv_attach_child_noperm(bs, backing_hd, "backing",
-                                   &child_of_bds, bdrv_backing_role(bs),
-                                   &bs->backing, tran, errp);
+    ret = bdrv_attach_child_noperm(parent_bs, child_bs,
+                                   is_backing ? "backing" : "file",
+                                   &child_of_bds, role,
+                                   is_backing ? &parent_bs->backing :
+                                                &parent_bs->file,
+                                   tran, errp);
     if (ret < 0) {
         return ret;
     }
 
 
     /*
-     * If backing_hd was already part of bs's backing chain, and
-     * inherits_from pointed recursively to bs then let's update it to
+     * If inherits_from pointed recursively to bs then let's update it to
      * point directly to bs (else it will become NULL).
      */
     if (update_inherits_from) {
-        bdrv_set_inherits_from(backing_hd, bs, tran);
+        bdrv_set_inherits_from(child_bs, parent_bs, tran);
     }
 
 out:
-    bdrv_refresh_limits(bs, tran, NULL);
+    bdrv_refresh_limits(parent_bs, tran, NULL);
 
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int bdrv_set_backing_noperm(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                   BlockDriverState *backing_hd,
+                                   Transaction *tran, Error **errp)
+{
+    return bdrv_set_file_or_backing_noperm(bs, backing_hd, true, tran, errp);
+}
+
 int bdrv_set_backing_hd(BlockDriverState *bs, BlockDriverState *backing_hd,
                         Error **errp)
 {
