diff --git a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
index b4dd57e5f4..17a7aea2bb 100644
--- a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
+++ b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
@@ -1051,6 +1051,7 @@ nodeDeviceParseMdevctlChildDevice(const char *parent,
     virJSONValue *props;
     virJSONValue *attrs;
     g_autoptr(virNodeDeviceDef) child = g_new0(virNodeDeviceDef, 1);
+    g_autofree char *parent_sysfs_path = NULL;
 
     /* the child object should have a single key equal to its uuid.
      * The value is an object describing the properties of the mdev */
@@ -1060,7 +1061,25 @@ nodeDeviceParseMdevctlChildDevice(const char *parent,
     uuid = virJSONValueObjectGetKey(json, 0);
     props = virJSONValueObjectGetValue(json, 0);
 
-    child->parent = g_strdup(parent);
+    /* Look up id of parent device. mdevctl supports defining mdevs for parent
+     * devices that are not present on the system (to support starting mdevs on
+     * hotplug, etc) so the parent may not actually exist. */
+    parent_sysfs_path = g_strdup_printf("/sys/class/mdev_bus/%s", parent);
+    if (virFileExists(parent_sysfs_path)) {
+        g_autofree char *canon_syspath = virFileCanonicalizePath(parent_sysfs_path);
+        virNodeDeviceObj *parentobj = NULL;
+
+        if ((parentobj = virNodeDeviceObjListFindBySysfsPath(driver->devs,
+                                                             canon_syspath))) {
+            virNodeDeviceDef *parentdef = virNodeDeviceObjGetDef(parentobj);
+            child->parent = g_strdup(parentdef->name);
+            virNodeDeviceObjEndAPI(&parentobj);
+
+            child->parent_sysfs_path = g_steal_pointer(&canon_syspath);
+        }
+    }
+    if (!child->parent)
+        child->parent = g_strdup("computer");
     child->caps = g_new0(virNodeDevCapsDef, 1);
     child->caps->data.type = VIR_NODE_DEV_CAP_MDEV;
 
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-list-multiple.out.xml b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-list-multiple.out.xml
index cf7e966256..eead6f2a40 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-list-multiple.out.xml
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-list-multiple.out.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <device>
   <name>mdev_200f228a_c80a_4d50_bfb7_f5a0e4e34045</name>
-  <parent>0000:00:02.0</parent>
+  <parent>computer</parent>
   <capability type='mdev'>
     <type id='i915-GVTg_V5_4'/>
     <uuid>200f228a-c80a-4d50-bfb7-f5a0e4e34045</uuid>
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 </device>
 <device>
   <name>mdev_de807ffc_1923_4d5f_b6c9_b20ecebc6d4b</name>
-  <parent>0000:00:02.0</parent>
+  <parent>computer</parent>
   <capability type='mdev'>
     <type id='i915-GVTg_V5_4'/>
     <uuid>de807ffc-1923-4d5f-b6c9-b20ecebc6d4b</uuid>
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 </device>
 <device>
   <name>mdev_435722ea_5f43_468a_874f_da34f1217f13</name>
-  <parent>0000:00:02.0</parent>
+  <parent>computer</parent>
   <capability type='mdev'>
     <type id='i915-GVTg_V5_8'/>
     <uuid>435722ea-5f43-468a-874f-da34f1217f13</uuid>
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 </device>
 <device>
   <name>mdev_783e6dbb_ea0e_411f_94e2_717eaad438bf</name>
-  <parent>matrix</parent>
+  <parent>computer</parent>
   <capability type='mdev'>
     <type id='vfio_ap-passthrough'/>
     <uuid>783e6dbb-ea0e-411f-94e2-717eaad438bf</uuid>