diff --git a/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc b/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc
index 56872d9bdb..759fccaf8c 100644
--- a/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc
+++ b/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc
@@ -56,12 +56,14 @@ int LibVirtDriver::deployment_description_kvm(
     string  ro         = "";
     string  driver     = "";
     string  cache      = "";
+    string  disk_io    = "";
     string  source     = "";
     string  clone      = "";
 
     int     disk_id;
-    string  default_driver       = "";
-    string  default_driver_cache = "";
+    string  default_driver          = "";
+    string  default_driver_cache    = "";
+    string  default_driver_disk_io  = "";
     bool    readonly;
 
     const VectorAttribute * nic;
@@ -298,6 +300,7 @@ int LibVirtDriver::deployment_description_kvm(
        default_driver_cache = "default";
     }
 
+    get_default("DISK","IO",default_driver_disk_io);
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     num = vm->get_template_attribute("DISK",attrs);
@@ -316,6 +319,7 @@ int LibVirtDriver::deployment_description_kvm(
         ro     = disk->vector_value("READONLY");
         driver = disk->vector_value("DRIVER");
         cache  = disk->vector_value("CACHE");
+        disk_io= disk->vector_value("IO");
         source = disk->vector_value("SOURCE");
         clone  = disk->vector_value("CLONE");
 
@@ -406,14 +410,23 @@ int LibVirtDriver::deployment_description_kvm(
 
         if ( !cache.empty() )
         {
-            file << cache << "'/>" << endl;
+            file << cache << "'";
         }
         else
         {
-            file << default_driver_cache << "'/>" << endl;
+            file << default_driver_cache << "'";
         }
 
-        file << "\t\t</disk>" << endl;
+        if ( !disk_io.empty() )
+        {
+            file << " io='" << disk_io << "'";
+        }
+        else if ( !default_driver_disk_io.empty() )
+        {
+            file << " io='" << default_driver_disk_io << "'";
+        }
+
+        file << "/>" << endl << "\t\t</disk>" << endl;
     }
 
     attrs.clear();
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/exec/vmm_exec_kvm.conf b/src/vmm_mad/exec/vmm_exec_kvm.conf
index 13e882b4c7..5d26a3442d 100644
--- a/src/vmm_mad/exec/vmm_exec_kvm.conf
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/exec/vmm_exec_kvm.conf
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #  - os [kernel,initrd,boot,root,kernel_cmd,arch]
 #  - vcpu
 #  - features [acpi, pae]
-#  - disk [driver, cache]
+#  - disk [driver, cache, io]
 #  - nic  [filter, model]
 #  - raw
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 OS       = [ boot = "hd", arch = "i686" ]
 FEATURES = [ PAE = "no", ACPI = "yes" ]
 
-DISK     = [ driver = "raw" , cache = "default"]
+DISK     = [ driver = "raw" , cache = "none"]
 
 #NIC     = [ filter = "clean-traffic", model="virtio" ]
 #RAW     = "<devices><serial type=\"pty\"><source path=\"/dev/pts/5\"/><target port=\"0\"/></serial><console type=\"pty\" tty=\"/dev/pts/5\"><source path=\"/dev/pts/5\"/><target port=\"0\"/></console></devices>"