diff --git a/backends/hostmem-file.c b/backends/hostmem-file.c
index 34c68bb081..2476dcb435 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem-file.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem-file.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qemu-common.h"
+#include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "sysemu/hostmem.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "qom/object_interfaces.h"
@@ -31,9 +32,10 @@ typedef struct HostMemoryBackendFile HostMemoryBackendFile;
 struct HostMemoryBackendFile {
     HostMemoryBackend parent_obj;
 
-    bool discard_data;
     char *mem_path;
     uint64_t align;
+    bool discard_data;
+    bool is_pmem;
 };
 
 static void
@@ -59,7 +61,8 @@ file_backend_memory_alloc(HostMemoryBackend *backend, Error **errp)
         memory_region_init_ram_from_file(&backend->mr, OBJECT(backend),
                                  path,
                                  backend->size, fb->align,
-                                 backend->share ? RAM_SHARED : 0,
+                                 (backend->share ? RAM_SHARED : 0) |
+                                 (fb->is_pmem ? RAM_PMEM : 0),
                                  fb->mem_path, errp);
         g_free(path);
     }
@@ -131,6 +134,39 @@ static void file_memory_backend_set_align(Object *o, Visitor *v,
     error_propagate(errp, local_err);
 }
 
+static bool file_memory_backend_get_pmem(Object *o, Error **errp)
+{
+    return MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE(o)->is_pmem;
+}
+
+static void file_memory_backend_set_pmem(Object *o, bool value, Error **errp)
+{
+    HostMemoryBackend *backend = MEMORY_BACKEND(o);
+    HostMemoryBackendFile *fb = MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE(o);
+
+    if (host_memory_backend_mr_inited(backend)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "cannot change property 'pmem' of %s '%s'",
+                   object_get_typename(o),
+                   object_get_canonical_path_component(o));
+        return;
+    }
+
+#ifndef CONFIG_LIBPMEM
+    if (value) {
+        Error *local_err = NULL;
+        error_setg(&local_err,
+                   "Lack of libpmem support while setting the 'pmem=on'"
+                   " of %s '%s'. We can't ensure data persistence.",
+                   object_get_typename(o),
+                   object_get_canonical_path_component(o));
+        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
+        return;
+    }
+#endif
+
+    fb->is_pmem = value;
+}
+
 static void file_backend_unparent(Object *obj)
 {
     HostMemoryBackend *backend = MEMORY_BACKEND(obj);
@@ -162,6 +198,9 @@ file_backend_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
         file_memory_backend_get_align,
         file_memory_backend_set_align,
         NULL, NULL, &error_abort);
+    object_class_property_add_bool(oc, "pmem",
+        file_memory_backend_get_pmem, file_memory_backend_set_pmem,
+        &error_abort);
 }
 
 static void file_backend_instance_finalize(Object *o)
diff --git a/docs/nvdimm.txt b/docs/nvdimm.txt
index 24b443b655..5f158a6170 100644
--- a/docs/nvdimm.txt
+++ b/docs/nvdimm.txt
@@ -173,3 +173,25 @@ There are currently two valid values for this option:
              the NVDIMMs in the event of power loss.  This implies that the
              platform also supports flushing dirty data through the memory
              controller on power loss.
+
+If the vNVDIMM backend is in host persistent memory that can be accessed in
+SNIA NVM Programming Model [1] (e.g., Intel NVDIMM), it's suggested to set
+the 'pmem' option of memory-backend-file to 'on'. When 'pmem' is 'on' and QEMU
+is built with libpmem [2] support (configured with --enable-libpmem), QEMU
+will take necessary operations to guarantee the persistence of its own writes
+to the vNVDIMM backend(e.g., in vNVDIMM label emulation and live migration).
+If 'pmem' is 'on' while there is no libpmem support, qemu will exit and report
+a "lack of libpmem support" message to ensure the persistence is available.
+For example, if we want to ensure the persistence for some backend file,
+use the QEMU command line:
+
+    -object memory-backend-file,id=nv_mem,mem-path=/XXX/yyy,size=4G,pmem=on
+
+References
+----------
+
+[1] NVM Programming Model (NPM)
+	Version 1.2
+    https://www.snia.org/sites/default/files/technical_work/final/NVMProgrammingModel_v1.2.pdf
+[2] Persistent Memory Development Kit (PMDK), formerly known as NVML project, home page:
+    http://pmem.io/pmdk/
diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index 3b8f91448d..fa3fbc6646 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -2245,6 +2245,9 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     int64_t file_size;
 
+    /* Just support these ram flags by now. */
+    assert((ram_flags & ~(RAM_SHARED | RAM_PMEM)) == 0);
+
     if (xen_enabled()) {
         error_setg(errp, "-mem-path not supported with Xen");
         return NULL;
@@ -4072,6 +4075,11 @@ err:
     return ret;
 }
 
+bool ramblock_is_pmem(RAMBlock *rb)
+{
+    return rb->flags & RAM_PMEM;
+}
+
 #endif
 
 void page_size_init(void)
diff --git a/include/exec/memory.h b/include/exec/memory.h
index 30e7166dd1..cd62029a7d 100644
--- a/include/exec/memory.h
+++ b/include/exec/memory.h
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ typedef struct IOMMUNotifier IOMMUNotifier;
 /* RAM can be migrated */
 #define RAM_MIGRATABLE (1 << 4)
 
+/* RAM is a persistent kind memory */
+#define RAM_PMEM (1 << 5)
+
 static inline void iommu_notifier_init(IOMMUNotifier *n, IOMMUNotify fn,
                                        IOMMUNotifierFlag flags,
                                        hwaddr start, hwaddr end,
@@ -654,6 +657,7 @@ void memory_region_init_resizeable_ram(MemoryRegion *mr,
  *         (getpagesize()) will be used.
  * @ram_flags: Memory region features:
  *             - RAM_SHARED: memory must be mmaped with the MAP_SHARED flag
+ *             - RAM_PMEM: the memory is persistent memory
  *             Other bits are ignored now.
  * @path: the path in which to allocate the RAM.
  * @errp: pointer to Error*, to store an error if it happens.
diff --git a/include/exec/ram_addr.h b/include/exec/ram_addr.h
index 8a4a9bc614..3abb639056 100644
--- a/include/exec/ram_addr.h
+++ b/include/exec/ram_addr.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ static inline unsigned long int ramblock_recv_bitmap_offset(void *host_addr,
     return host_addr_offset >> TARGET_PAGE_BITS;
 }
 
+bool ramblock_is_pmem(RAMBlock *rb);
+
 long qemu_getrampagesize(void);
 
 /**
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ long qemu_getrampagesize(void);
  *  @ram_flags: specify the properties of the ram block, which can be one
  *              or bit-or of following values
  *              - RAM_SHARED: mmap the backing file or device with MAP_SHARED
+ *              - RAM_PMEM: the backend @mem_path or @fd is persistent memory
  *              Other bits are ignored.
  *  @mem_path or @fd: specify the backing file or device
  *  @errp: pointer to Error*, to store an error if it happens
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index b1bf0f485f..9b920f294f 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -4070,6 +4070,13 @@ requires an alignment different than the default one used by QEMU, eg
 the device DAX /dev/dax0.0 requires 2M alignment rather than 4K. In
 such cases, users can specify the required alignment via this option.
 
+The @option{pmem} option specifies whether the backing file specified
+by @option{mem-path} is in host persistent memory that can be accessed
+using the SNIA NVM programming model (e.g. Intel NVDIMM).
+If @option{pmem} is set to 'on', QEMU will take necessary operations to
+guarantee the persistence of its own writes to @option{mem-path}
+(e.g. in vNVDIMM label emulation and live migration).
+
 @item -object memory-backend-ram,id=@var{id},merge=@var{on|off},dump=@var{on|off},share=@var{on|off},prealloc=@var{on|off},size=@var{size},host-nodes=@var{host-nodes},policy=@var{default|preferred|bind|interleave}
 
 Creates a memory backend object, which can be used to back the guest RAM.