diff --git a/tools/python/xen/xend/XendConfig.py b/tools/python/xen/xend/XendConfig.py
index dc3e7501d4..3784b36553 100644
--- a/tools/python/xen/xend/XendConfig.py
+++ b/tools/python/xen/xend/XendConfig.py
@@ -1120,8 +1120,6 @@ class XendConfig(dict):
                                     if sxp.child_value(config, 'bootable', None) is None:
                                         is_bootable = dev_cfg.get('bootable', 0)
                                         config.append(['bootable', int(is_bootable)])
-                                    if dev_cfg.has_key('required_uname'):
-                                        config.append(['required_uname', dev_cfg['required_uname']])
                                     config.append(['VDI', dev_cfg.get('VDI', '')])
 
                                 sxpr.append(['device', config])
@@ -1372,13 +1370,6 @@ class XendConfig(dict):
                     dev_info['driver'] = 'paravirtualised'
 
             if dev_type == 'tap' or dev_type == 'tap2':
-                if dev_info.has_key('required_uname'):
-                    # Restore uname by required_uname because uname might
-                    # be replaced with 'phy:/dev/xen/blktap-2/tapdev*'.
-                    dev_info['uname'] = dev_info['required_uname']
-                else:
-                    # Save uname for next domain start.
-                    dev_info['required_uname'] = dev_info['uname']
                 tap_disk_type = dev_info['uname'].split(':')[1]
                 # tapdisk uname may be 'tap:<driver>' or 'tap:tapdisk:<driver>'
                 if tap_disk_type == 'tapdisk':
diff --git a/tools/python/xen/xend/server/BlktapController.py b/tools/python/xen/xend/server/BlktapController.py
index 40a6bfcaa0..4c11cf7329 100644
--- a/tools/python/xen/xend/server/BlktapController.py
+++ b/tools/python/xen/xend/server/BlktapController.py
@@ -137,10 +137,39 @@ class Blktap2Controller(BlktapController):
                                         deviceClass,
                                         self.vm.getDomid(), devid)
 
+    def getDeviceDetails(self, config):
+
+        (devid, back, front) = BlktapController.getDeviceDetails(self, config)
+        if self.deviceClass == 'tap2':
+        # since blktap2 uses blkback as a backend the 'params' feild contains
+        # the path to the blktap2 device (/dev/xen/blktap-2/tapdev*). As well,
+        # we need to store the params used to create the blktap2 device
+        # (tap:tapdisk:<driver>:/<image-path>)
+            tapdisk_uname = config.get('tapdisk_uname', '')
+            (_, tapdisk_params) = string.split(tapdisk_uname, ':', 1)
+            back['tapdisk-params'] = tapdisk_params 
+            
+        return (devid, back, front)
+
+    def getDeviceConfiguration(self, devid, transaction = None):
+
+        # this is a blktap2 device, so we need to overwrite the 'params' feild
+        # with the actual blktap2 parameters. (the vbd parameters are of little
+        # use to us)
+        config = BlktapController.getDeviceConfiguration(self, devid, transaction)
+        if transaction is None:
+            tapdisk_params = self.readBackend(devid, 'tapdisk-params')
+        else:
+            tapdisk_params = self.readBackendTxn(transaction, devid, 'tapdisk-params')
+        if tapdisk_params:
+            config['uname'] = 'tap:' + tapdisk_params
+
+        return config
+
 
     def createDevice(self, config):
 
-        uname = config.get('required_uname', '')
+        uname = config.get('uname', '')
         try:
             (typ, subtyp, params, file) = string.split(uname, ':', 3)
         except:
@@ -180,11 +209,15 @@ class Blktap2Controller(BlktapController):
         stdout.close();
         stderr.close();
 
-        #modify the configuration to attach as a vbd, now that the
-        #device is configured.  Then continue to create the device
+        # modify the configutration to create a blkback for the underlying
+        # blktap2 device. Note: we need to preserve the original tapdisk uname
+        # (it is used during save/restore and for managed domains).
+        config.update({'tapdisk_uname' : uname})
         config.update({'uname' : 'phy:' + device.rstrip()})
 
         devid = BlkifController.createDevice(self, config)
+        config.update({'uname' : uname})
+        config.pop('tapdisk_uname')
         return devid
 
     # The new blocktap implementation requires a sysfs signal to close