diff --git a/hw/qdev.c b/hw/qdev.c
index cb3fc6e56d..4d491f109e 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/qdev.c
@@ -240,6 +240,19 @@ static DeviceState *qdev_get_peripheral(void)
     return dev;
 }
 
+static DeviceState *qdev_get_peripheral_anon(void)
+{
+    static DeviceState *dev;
+
+    if (dev == NULL) {
+        dev = qdev_create(NULL, "container");
+        qdev_property_add_child(qdev_get_root(), "peripheral-anon", dev, NULL);
+        qdev_init_nofail(dev);
+    }
+
+    return dev;
+}
+
 DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *driver, *path, *id;
@@ -292,7 +305,13 @@ DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts)
     if (id) {
         qdev->id = id;
         qdev_property_add_child(qdev_get_peripheral(), qdev->id, qdev, NULL);
-    }
+    } else {
+        static int anon_count;
+        gchar *name = g_strdup_printf("device[%d]", anon_count++);
+        qdev_property_add_child(qdev_get_peripheral_anon(), name,
+                                qdev, NULL);
+        g_free(name);
+    }        
     if (qemu_opt_foreach(opts, set_property, qdev, 1) != 0) {
         qdev_free(qdev);
         return NULL;