diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index d13747d06b..3bef5bed3b 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -4839,6 +4839,23 @@ virDomainDefPostParseInternal(virDomainDefPtr def,
 }
 
 
+static int
+virDomainDefPostParseCheckFailure(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                                  unsigned int parseFlags,
+                                  int ret)
+{
+    if (ret <= 0)
+        return ret;
+
+    if (!(parseFlags & VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_POST_PARSE_FAIL))
+        return -1;
+
+    virResetLastError();
+    def->postParseFailed = true;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 int
 virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
                       virCapsPtr caps,
@@ -4846,7 +4863,7 @@ virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
                       virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
                       void *parseOpaque)
 {
-    int ret;
+    int ret = -1;
     bool localParseOpaque = false;
     struct virDomainDefPostParseDeviceIteratorData data = {
         .caps = caps,
@@ -4855,13 +4872,15 @@ virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
         .parseOpaque = parseOpaque,
     };
 
+    def->postParseFailed = false;
+
     /* call the basic post parse callback */
     if (xmlopt->config.domainPostParseBasicCallback) {
         ret = xmlopt->config.domainPostParseBasicCallback(def, caps,
                                                           xmlopt->config.priv);
 
-        if (ret < 0)
-            return ret;
+        if (virDomainDefPostParseCheckFailure(def, parseFlags, ret) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (!data.parseOpaque &&
@@ -4870,8 +4889,8 @@ virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                                       xmlopt->config.priv,
                                                       &data.parseOpaque);
 
-        if (ret < 0)
-            return ret;
+        if (virDomainDefPostParseCheckFailure(def, parseFlags, ret) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
         localParseOpaque = true;
     }
 
@@ -4885,17 +4904,18 @@ virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
         ret = xmlopt->config.domainPostParseCallback(def, caps, parseFlags,
                                                      xmlopt->config.priv,
                                                      data.parseOpaque);
-        if (ret < 0)
+        if (virDomainDefPostParseCheckFailure(def, parseFlags, ret) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
     /* iterate the devices */
-    if ((ret = virDomainDeviceInfoIterateInternal(def,
-                                                  virDomainDefPostParseDeviceIterator,
-                                                  true,
-                                                  &data)) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
+    ret = virDomainDeviceInfoIterateInternal(def,
+                                             virDomainDefPostParseDeviceIterator,
+                                             true,
+                                             &data);
 
+    if (virDomainDefPostParseCheckFailure(def, parseFlags, ret) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
 
     if ((ret = virDomainDefPostParseInternal(def, &data)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
@@ -4904,7 +4924,7 @@ virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
         ret = xmlopt->config.assignAddressesCallback(def, caps, parseFlags,
                                                      xmlopt->config.priv,
                                                      data.parseOpaque);
-        if (ret < 0)
+        if (virDomainDefPostParseCheckFailure(def, parseFlags, ret) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -4917,6 +4937,9 @@ virDomainDefPostParse(virDomainDefPtr def,
     if (localParseOpaque && xmlopt->config.domainPostParseDataFree)
         xmlopt->config.domainPostParseDataFree(data.parseOpaque);
 
+    if (ret == 1)
+        ret = -1;
+
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 956996fdd7..1f1dc1de01 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2411,6 +2411,12 @@ struct _virDomainDef {
 
     /* Application-specific custom metadata */
     xmlNodePtr metadata;
+
+    /* internal fields */
+    bool postParseFailed; /* set to true if one of the custom post parse
+                             callbacks failed for a non-critical reason
+                             (was not able to fill in some data) and thus
+                             should be re-run before starting */
 };
 
 
@@ -2510,7 +2516,10 @@ typedef int (*virDomainDefPostParseBasicCallback)(virDomainDefPtr def,
  * overall domain defaults.
  * @parseOpaque is opaque data passed by virDomainDefParse* caller,
  * @opaque is opaque data set by driver (usually pointer to driver
- * private data). */
+ * private data). Non-fatal failures should be reported by returning 1. In
+ * cases when that is allowed, such failure is translated to a success return
+ * value and the failure is noted in def->postParseFailed. Drivers should then
+ * re-run the post parse callback when attempting to use such definition. */
 typedef int (*virDomainDefPostParseCallback)(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                              virCapsPtr caps,
                                              unsigned int parseFlags,
@@ -2825,6 +2834,11 @@ typedef enum {
      * that would break ABI otherwise.  This should be used only if it's safe
      * to do such change. */
     VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE_MIGRATION = 1 << 12,
+    /* Allows to ignore certain failures in the post parse callbacks, which
+     * may happen due to missing packages and can be fixed by re-running the
+     * post parse callbacks before starting. Failure of the post parse callback
+     * is recorded as def->postParseFail */
+    VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_POST_PARSE_FAIL = 1 << 13,
 } virDomainDefParseFlags;
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
index a8b3f41243..b9f78c5727 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
@@ -465,7 +465,8 @@ virDomainObjListLoadConfig(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     if (!(def = virDomainDefParseFile(configFile, caps, xmlopt, NULL,
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_OSTYPE_CHECKS |
-                                      VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE)))
+                                      VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE |
+                                      VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_POST_PARSE_FAIL)))
         goto error;
 
     if ((autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(autostartDir, name)) == NULL)
@@ -516,7 +517,8 @@ virDomainObjListLoadStatus(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ACTUAL_NET |
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_PCI_ORIG_STATES |
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_OSTYPE_CHECKS |
-                                      VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE)))
+                                      VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE |
+                                      VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_POST_PARSE_FAIL)))
         goto error;
 
     virUUIDFormat(obj->def->uuid, uuidstr);