diff --git a/hw/parallel.c b/hw/parallel.c
index 8402eadf9b..66bc715fa4 100644
--- a/hw/parallel.c
+++ b/hw/parallel.c
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ static void parallel_ioport_write_hw(void *opaque, uint32_t addr, uint32_t val)
 {
     ParallelState *s = opaque;
     uint8_t parm = val;
+    int dir;
 
     /* Sometimes programs do several writes for timing purposes on old
        HW. Take care not to waste time on writes that do nothing. */
@@ -154,6 +155,17 @@ static void parallel_ioport_write_hw(void *opaque, uint32_t addr, uint32_t val)
         if (s->control == val)
             return;
         pdebug("wc%02x\n", val);
+
+        if ((val & PARA_CTR_DIR) != (s->control & PARA_CTR_DIR)) {
+            if (val & PARA_CTR_DIR) {
+                dir = 1;
+            } else {
+                dir = 0;
+            }
+            qemu_chr_ioctl(s->chr, CHR_IOCTL_PP_DATA_DIR, &dir);
+            parm &= ~PARA_CTR_DIR;
+        }
+
         qemu_chr_ioctl(s->chr, CHR_IOCTL_PP_WRITE_CONTROL, &parm);
         s->control = val;
         break;
diff --git a/qemu-char.h b/qemu-char.h
index 2746472d58..c01e590e54 100644
--- a/qemu-char.h
+++ b/qemu-char.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #define CHR_IOCTL_PP_EPP_READ         9
 #define CHR_IOCTL_PP_EPP_WRITE_ADDR  10
 #define CHR_IOCTL_PP_EPP_WRITE       11
+#define CHR_IOCTL_PP_DATA_DIR        12
 
 #define CHR_IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_TIOCM   12
 #define CHR_IOCTL_SERIAL_GET_TIOCM   13
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index ac63b64069..7ca8420f04 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2835,6 +2835,10 @@ static int pp_ioctl(CharDriverState *chr, int cmd, void *arg)
             return -ENOTSUP;
         *(uint8_t *)arg = b;
         break;
+    case CHR_IOCTL_PP_DATA_DIR:
+        if (ioctl(fd, PPDATADIR, (int *)arg) < 0)
+            return -ENOTSUP;
+        break;
     case CHR_IOCTL_PP_EPP_READ_ADDR:
 	if (pp_hw_mode(drv, IEEE1284_MODE_EPP|IEEE1284_ADDR)) {
 	    struct ParallelIOArg *parg = arg;