diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c b/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c
index ae2b71b0bf..8bd780493f 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c
@@ -427,7 +427,10 @@ int libxl__device_disk_set_backend(libxl__gc *gc, libxl_device_disk *disk) {
             LOG(ERROR, "Disk vdev=%s is empty but not cdrom", disk->vdev);
             return ERROR_INVAL;
         }
-        if (disk->pdev_path != NULL && strcmp(disk->pdev_path, "")) {
+        if (disk->pdev_path != NULL &&
+            (strcmp(disk->pdev_path, "") &&
+             strncmp(disk->pdev_path, LIBXL_STUBDOM_EMPTY_CDROM,
+                     strlen(LIBXL_STUBDOM_EMPTY_CDROM)))) {
             LOG(ERROR,
                 "Disk vdev=%s is empty but an image has been provided: %s",
                 disk->vdev, disk->pdev_path);
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c b/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c
index 59ff996837..95b32f9d29 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c
@@ -201,6 +201,32 @@ static int libxl__device_disk_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
         disk->backend = LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK;
     }
 
+    if (disk->is_cdrom &&
+        disk->format == LIBXL_DISK_FORMAT_EMPTY &&
+        disk->backend == LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_PHY &&
+        disk->backend_domid == LIBXL_TOOLSTACK_DOMID) {
+        uint32_t target_domid;
+        int fd;
+
+        if (libxl_is_stubdom(CTX, domid, &target_domid)) {
+            LOGED(DEBUG, domid, "Using target_domid %u", target_domid);
+        } else {
+            target_domid = domid;
+        }
+        free(disk->pdev_path);
+        disk->pdev_path =
+            libxl__sprintf(NOGC, LIBXL_STUBDOM_EMPTY_CDROM ".%u",
+                           target_domid);
+        fd = creat(disk->pdev_path, 0400);
+        if (fd < 0) {
+            LOGED(ERROR, domid, "Failed to create empty cdrom \"%s\"",
+                  disk->pdev_path);
+            return ERROR_FAIL;
+        }
+
+        close(fd);
+    }
+
     rc = libxl__device_disk_set_backend(gc, disk);
     return rc;
 }
@@ -998,7 +1024,7 @@ static void cdrom_insert_ejected(libxl__egc *egc,
     empty = flexarray_make(gc, 4, 1);
     flexarray_append_pair(empty, "type",
                           libxl__device_disk_string_of_backend(disk->backend));
-    flexarray_append_pair(empty, "params", "");
+    flexarray_append_pair(empty, "params", disk->pdev_path ?: "");
 
     for (;;) {
         rc = libxl__xs_transaction_start(gc, &t);
@@ -1174,13 +1200,15 @@ static void cdrom_insert_inserted(libxl__egc *egc,
     insert = flexarray_make(gc, 4, 1);
     flexarray_append_pair(insert, "type",
                       libxl__device_disk_string_of_backend(disk->backend));
-    if (disk->format != LIBXL_DISK_FORMAT_EMPTY)
+    if (disk->backend == LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK &&
+        disk->format != LIBXL_DISK_FORMAT_EMPTY) {
         flexarray_append_pair(insert, "params",
                     GCSPRINTF("%s:%s",
                         libxl__device_disk_string_of_format(disk->format),
                         disk->pdev_path));
-    else
-        flexarray_append_pair(insert, "params", "");
+    } else {
+        flexarray_append_pair(insert, "params", disk->pdev_path ?: "");
+    }
 
     for (;;) {
         rc = libxl__xs_transaction_start(gc, &t);
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_domain.c b/tools/libs/light/libxl_domain.c
index 5ee1544d9c..6751fc785f 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_domain.c
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_domain.c
@@ -1525,6 +1525,10 @@ static void devices_destroy_cb(libxl__egc *egc,
     if (rc < 0)
         LOGD(ERROR, domid, "libxl__devices_destroy failed");
 
+    /* Remove the file after the hotplug scripts have run.  The scripts won't
+     * run if the file doesn't exist when they are run.  */
+    libxl__remove_file(gc, GCSPRINTF(LIBXL_STUBDOM_EMPTY_CDROM ".%u", domid));
+
     vm_path = libxl__xs_read(gc, XBT_NULL, GCSPRINTF("%s/vm", dom_path));
     if (vm_path)
         if (!xs_rm(ctx->xsh, XBT_NULL, vm_path))
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_internal.h b/tools/libs/light/libxl_internal.h
index d5732d1c37..094d0df9b1 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_internal.h
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_internal.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@
 #define STUBDOM_CONSOLE_SERIAL 3
 #define STUBDOM_SPECIAL_CONSOLES 3
 #define LIBXL_LINUX_STUBDOM_MEM 128
+#define LIBXL_STUBDOM_EMPTY_CDROM XEN_RUN_DIR "/empty-cdrom" /* .$domid */
 #define TAP_DEVICE_SUFFIX "-emu"
 #define DOMID_XS_PATH "domid"
 #define PVSHIM_BASENAME "xen-shim"