diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index acc342e6d0..1601e46efa 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -820,14 +820,6 @@ int qemuDomainAttachHostPciDevice(struct qemud_driver *driver,
                     virReportOOMError();
                     goto error;
                 }
-
-                qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
-                if (qemuMonitorSendFileHandle(priv->mon, configfd_name,
-                                              configfd) < 0) {
-                    qemuDomainObjExitMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
-                    goto error;
-                }
-                qemuDomainObjExitMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
             }
         }
 
@@ -842,7 +834,8 @@ int qemuDomainAttachHostPciDevice(struct qemud_driver *driver,
             goto error;
 
         qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
-        ret = qemuMonitorAddDevice(priv->mon, devstr);
+        ret = qemuMonitorAddDeviceWithFd(priv->mon, devstr,
+                                         configfd, configfd_name);
         qemuDomainObjExitMonitorWithDriver(driver, vm);
     } else {
         virDomainDevicePCIAddress guestAddr;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
index c03ae513fd..27f675cddd 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
@@ -2030,10 +2030,13 @@ int qemuMonitorDelDevice(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
 }
 
 
-int qemuMonitorAddDevice(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
-                         const char *devicestr)
+int qemuMonitorAddDeviceWithFd(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
+                               const char *devicestr,
+                               int fd,
+                               const char *fdname)
 {
-    VIR_DEBUG("mon=%p device=%s", mon, devicestr);
+    VIR_DEBUG("mon=%p device=%s fd=%d fdname=%s", mon, devicestr, fd,
+              NULLSTR(fdname));
     int ret;
 
     if (!mon) {
@@ -2042,13 +2045,28 @@ int qemuMonitorAddDevice(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (fd >= 0 && qemuMonitorSendFileHandle(mon, fdname, fd) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     if (mon->json)
         ret = qemuMonitorJSONAddDevice(mon, devicestr);
     else
         ret = qemuMonitorTextAddDevice(mon, devicestr);
+
+    if (ret < 0 && fd >= 0) {
+        if (qemuMonitorCloseFileHandle(mon, fdname) < 0)
+            VIR_WARN("failed to close device handle '%s'", fdname);
+    }
+
     return ret;
 }
 
+int qemuMonitorAddDevice(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
+                         const char *devicestr)
+{
+    return qemuMonitorAddDeviceWithFd(mon, devicestr, -1, NULL);
+}
+
 int qemuMonitorAddDrive(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                         const char *drivestr)
 {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
index 7bea083dd1..a20ff8e1f5 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
@@ -390,6 +390,11 @@ int qemuMonitorGetAllPCIAddresses(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
 int qemuMonitorAddDevice(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                          const char *devicestr);
 
+int qemuMonitorAddDeviceWithFd(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
+                               const char *devicestr,
+                               int fd,
+                               const char *fdname);
+
 int qemuMonitorDelDevice(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
                          const char *devalias);