diff --git a/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh b/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
index 7333493b72..a09e8ca160 100644
--- a/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
+++ b/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
@@ -476,6 +476,18 @@ EOF`
     fi
 }
 
+# Escape characters which could be interpreted as XML markup
+function xml_esc
+{
+   R=${1//\'/'}
+   R=${R//\"/"}
+   R=${R//\&/&}
+   R=${R//\</&lt;}
+   R=${R//\>/&gt;}
+
+   echo "${R}"
+}
+
 # TODO -> Use a dynamically loaded scripts directory. Not removing this due
 #         to iSCSI addon: https://github.com/OpenNebula/addon-iscsi
 
@@ -675,6 +687,14 @@ function get_source_xml {
 # * POOL_NAME
 # * SIZE
 # * DISK_TARGET
+# * DISK_IO
+# * ORDER
+# * TOTAL_BYTES_SEC
+# * READ_BYTES_SEC
+# * WRITE_BYTES_SEC
+# * TOTAL_IOPS_SEC
+# * READ_IOPS_SEC
+# * WRITE_IOPS_SEC
 # * TYPE_SOURCE: libvirt xml source name. $TYPE_SOURCE=$SOURCE => file=/my/path
 # * SOURCE: disk source, can be path, ceph pool/image, device...
 # * TYPE_XML
@@ -717,7 +737,15 @@ function get_disk_information {
                         $DISK_XPATH/DISK_TYPE \
                         $DISK_XPATH/POOL_NAME \
                         $DISK_XPATH/SIZE \
-                        $DISK_XPATH/TARGET)
+                        $DISK_XPATH/TARGET \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/IO \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/ORDER \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/TOTAL_BYTES_SEC \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/READ_BYTES_SEC \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/WRITE_BYTES_SEC \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/TOTAL_IOPS_SEC \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/READ_IOPS_SEC \
+                        $DISK_XPATH/WRITE_IOPS_SEC)
 
     VMID="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     DRIVER="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]:-$DEFAULT_TYPE}"
@@ -739,8 +767,17 @@ function get_disk_information {
     POOL_NAME="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     SIZE="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
     DISK_TARGET="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    DISK_IO="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    ORDER="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    TOTAL_BYTES_SEC="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    READ_BYTES_SEC="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    WRITE_BYTES_SEC="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    TOTAL_IOPS_SEC="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    READ_IOPS_SEC="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
+    WRITE_IOPS_SEC="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[j++]}"
 
     TYPE=$(echo "$TYPE"|tr A-Z a-z)
+    READONLY=$(echo "$READONLY"|tr A-Z a-z)
 
     NAME="$SOURCE"
 
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_disk b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_disk
index 37c3e2a554..2aacea9e8e 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_disk
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_disk
@@ -27,37 +27,81 @@ TARGET="$3"
 TARGET_INDEX="$4"
 DRV_ACTION="$5"
 
-ATTACH_FILE="$SOURCE.attach"
-
 get_disk_information "ATTACH='YES'"
 
-[ -z "$CACHE" ] && [ -n "$DEFAULT_ATTACH_CACHE" ] && \
-    CACHE="$DEFAULT_ATTACH_CACHE"
-[ -n "$CACHE" ] && CACHE="cache='$CACHE'"
+# defaults
+CACHE=${CACHE:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_CACHE}}
+CACHE=${CACHE:-default}  # https://github.com/OpenNebula/one/blob/c0d081917224f1d467582b8d8ac052a48040ec00/src/vmm/LibVirtDriverKVM.cc#L459
+DISCARD=${DISCARD:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_DISCARD}}
+DISK_IO=${DISK_IO:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_IO}}
+TOTAL_BYTES_SEC=${TOTAL_BYTES_SEC:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_TOTAL_BYTES_SEC}}
+READ_BYTES_SEC=${READ_BYTES_SEC:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_READ_BYTES_SEC}}
+WRITE_BYTES_SEC=${WRITE_BYTES_SEC:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_WRITE_BYTES_SEC}}
+TOTAL_IOPS_SEC=${TOTAL_IOPS_SEC:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_TOTAL_IOPS_SEC}}
+READ_IOPS_SEC=${READ_IOPS_SEC:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_READ_IOPS_SEC}}
+WRITE_IOPS_SEC=${WRITE_IOPS_SEC:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_WRITE_IOPS_SEC}}
 
-[ -z "$DISCARD" ] && [ -n "$DEFAULT_ATTACH_DISCARD" ] && \
-    DISCARD="$DEFAULT_ATTACH_DISCARD"
-[ -n "$DISCARD" ] && DISCARD="discard='$DISCARD'"
+# disk XML
+XML=''
 
-if [ "$READONLY" = "YES" ]; then
-    READONLY="<readonly/>"
-else
-    READONLY=""
+XML+="<disk type='$(xml_esc "${TYPE_XML}")' device='$(xml_esc "${DEVICE}")'>"
+
+XML+=" <driver name='qemu' type='$(xml_esc "${DRIVER}")'"
+[ -n "${CACHE}" ] && XML+=" cache='$(xml_esc "${CACHE}")'"
+[ -n "${DISK_IO}" ] && XML+=" io='$(xml_esc "${DISK_IO}")'"
+[ -n "${DISCARD}" ] && XML+=" discard='$(xml_esc "${DISCARD}")'"
+XML+=" />"
+
+XML+=" <source ${TYPE_SOURCE}='$(xml_esc "${SOURCE}")' ${SOURCE_ARGS}>"
+XML+="  ${SOURCE_HOST}"
+XML+=" </source>"
+
+[ -n "${AUTH}" ] && XML+=" ${AUTH}"
+
+XML+=" <target dev='$(xml_esc "${TARGET}")'/>"
+[ -n "${ORDER}" ] && XML+=" <boot order='$(xml_esc "${ORDER}")'/>"
+[ "${READONLY}" = 'yes' ] && XML+=" <readonly/>"
+
+if [ -n "${TOTAL_BYTES_SEC}${READ_BYTES_SEC}${WRITE_BYTES_SEC}" ] || \
+   [ -n "${TOTAL_IOPS_SEC}${READ_IOPS_SEC}${WRITE_IOPS_SEC}" ];
+then
+    XML+=" <iotune>"
+
+    [ -n "${TOTAL_BYTES_SEC}" ] && \
+        XML+=" <total_bytes_sec>$(xml_esc "${TOTAL_BYTES_SEC}")</total_bytes_sec>"
+    [ -n "${READ_BYTES_SEC}" ] && \
+        XML+=" <read_bytes_sec>$(xml_esc "${READ_BYTES_SEC}")</read_bytes_sec>"
+    [ -n "${WRITE_BYTES_SEC}" ] && \
+        XML+=" <write_bytes_sec>$(xml_esc "${WRITE_BYTES_SEC}")</write_bytes_sec>"
+
+    [ -n "${TOTAL_IOPS_SEC}" ] && \
+        XML+=" <total_iops_sec>$(xml_esc "${TOTAL_IOPS_SEC}")</total_iops_sec>"
+    [ -n "${READ_IOPS_SEC}" ] && \
+        XML+=" <read_iops_sec>$(xml_esc "${READ_IOPS_SEC}")</read_iops_sec>"
+    [ -n "${WRITE_IOPS_SEC}" ] && \
+        XML+=" <write_iops_sec>$(xml_esc "${WRITE_IOPS_SEC}")</write_iops_sec>"
+
+    XML+=" </iotune>"
 fi
 
-cat <<EOF > $ATTACH_FILE
-<disk type='$TYPE_XML' device='$DEVICE'>
-  <driver name='qemu' type='$DRIVER' $CACHE $DISCARD/>
-  <source $TYPE_SOURCE='$SOURCE' $SOURCE_ARGS>
-  $SOURCE_HOST
-  </source>
-  $AUTH
-  <target dev='$TARGET'/>
-  $READONLY
-</disk>
+if [ -z "${DISK_TARGET##sd*}" ]; then
+    CTRL_TARGET=$(( $(LC_CTYPE=C printf '%d' "'${DISK_TARGET##sd}") - 97 ))
+    if [ ${CTRL_TARGET} -ge 0 ] && [ ${CTRL_TARGET} -lt 256 ]; then
+        XML+=" <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='${CTRL_TARGET}' unit='0'/>"
+    fi
+fi
+
+XML+=" </disk>"
+
+# device attach
+ATTACH_CMD=$(cat <<EOF
+virsh --connect $LIBVIRT_URI attach-device $DOMAIN <(
+cat <<EOT
+${XML}
+EOT
+)
 EOF
+)
 
-exec_and_log "virsh --connect $LIBVIRT_URI attach-device $DOMAIN $ATTACH_FILE" \
-    "Could not attach $SOURCE ($TARGET) to $DOMAIN"
-
-rm -f "$ATTACH_FILE"
+multiline_exec_and_log "${ATTACH_CMD}" \
+    "Could not attach ${SOURCE} (${TARGET}) to ${DOMAIN}"
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic
index 2b7f362b63..d0bae65905 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/attach_nic
@@ -24,22 +24,8 @@ DOMAIN=$1
 get_nic_information "ATTACH='YES'"
 
 # defaults
-[ -z "${MODEL}" ] && [ -n "${DEFAULT_ATTACH_NIC_MODEL}" ] && \
-    MODEL="${DEFAULT_ATTACH_NIC_MODEL}"
-
-[ -z "${FILTER}" ] && [ -n "${DEFAULT_ATTACH_NIC_FILTER}" ] && \
-    FILTER="${DEFAULT_ATTACH_NIC_FILTER}"
-
-# functions
-function xml_esc
-{
-   R=${1//\'/&apos;}
-   R=${R//\"/&quot;}
-   R=${R//\&/&amp;}
-   R=${R//\</&lt;}
-   R=${R//\>/&gt;}
-   echo "${R}"
-}
+MODEL=${MODEL:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_NIC_MODEL}}
+FILTER=${FILTER:-${DEFAULT_ATTACH_NIC_FILTER}}
 
 # interface XML
 DEVICE=''
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/kvmrc b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/kvmrc
index 17e80c295f..082a18a227 100644
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/kvmrc
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/kvmrc
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ export SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT=300
 # is "unmap" (or "on").
 #DEFAULT_ATTACH_DISCARD=unmap
 
+# The default DISK I/O policy for new attached disks.
+#DEFAULT_ATTACH_IO=
+
+# These parameters set the default DISK I/O throttling attributes
+# for the new attached disk in case they aren't set.
+#DEFAULT_ATTACH_TOTAL_BYTES_SEC=
+#DEFAULT_ATTACH_READ_BYTES_SEC=
+#DEFAULT_ATTACH_WRITE_BYTES_SEC=
+#DEFAULT_ATTACH_TOTAL_IOPS_SEC=
+#DEFAULT_ATTACH_READ_IOPS_SEC=
+#DEFAULT_ATTACH_WRITE_IOPS_SEC=
+
 # This parameters will set the default NIC model and filter for
 # the hot-attached interfaces.
 #DEFAULT_ATTACH_NIC_MODEL=virtio