diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl.h b/tools/libxl/libxl.h
index 5e9aed739d..9632fd6d2f 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl.h
@@ -1101,6 +1101,14 @@ void libxl_mac_copy(libxl_ctx *ctx, libxl_mac *dst, const libxl_mac *src);
  */
 #define LIBXL_HAVE_SET_PARAMETERS 1
 
+/*
+ * LIBXL_HAVE_PV_SHIM
+ *
+ * If this is defined, libxl_domain_build_info's pvh type information
+ * contains members pvshim, pvshim_path, pvshim_cmdline.
+ */
+#define LIBXL_HAVE_PV_SHIM 1
+
 typedef char **libxl_string_list;
 void libxl_string_list_dispose(libxl_string_list *sl);
 int libxl_string_list_length(const libxl_string_list *sl);
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
index f15fb215c2..576c61ffab 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
@@ -389,6 +389,18 @@ int libxl__domain_build_info_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc,
         }
         break;
     case LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_PVH:
+        libxl_defbool_setdefault(&b_info->u.pvh.pvshim, false);
+        if (libxl_defbool_val(b_info->u.pvh.pvshim)) {
+            if (!b_info->u.pvh.pvshim_path)
+                b_info->u.pvh.pvshim_path =
+                    libxl__sprintf(NOGC, "%s/%s",
+                                   libxl__xenfirmwaredir_path(),
+                                   PVSHIM_BASENAME);
+            if (!b_info->u.pvh.pvshim_cmdline)
+                b_info->u.pvh.pvshim_cmdline =
+                    libxl__strdup(NOGC, PVSHIM_CMDLINE);
+        }
+
         break;
     default:
         LOG(ERROR, "invalid domain type %s in create info",
@@ -499,6 +511,9 @@ int libxl__domain_build(libxl__gc *gc,
 
         break;
     case LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_PVH:
+        state->shim_path = info->u.pvh.pvshim_path;
+        state->shim_cmdline = info->u.pvh.pvshim_cmdline;
+
         ret = libxl__build_hvm(gc, domid, d_config, state);
         if (ret)
             goto out;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c
index fbbdb9ec2f..b03386409f 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c
@@ -1025,22 +1025,51 @@ static int libxl__domain_firmware(libxl__gc *gc,
 
     if (state->pv_kernel.path != NULL &&
         info->type == LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_PVH) {
-        /* Try to load a kernel instead of the firmware. */
-        if (state->pv_kernel.mapped) {
-            rc = xc_dom_kernel_mem(dom, state->pv_kernel.data,
-                                   state->pv_kernel.size);
-            if (rc) {
-                LOGE(ERROR, "xc_dom_kernel_mem failed");
-                goto out;
-            }
-        } else {
-            rc = xc_dom_kernel_file(dom, state->pv_kernel.path);
+
+        if (state->shim_path) {
+            rc = xc_dom_kernel_file(dom, state->shim_path);
             if (rc) {
                 LOGE(ERROR, "xc_dom_kernel_file failed");
                 goto out;
             }
-        }
 
+            /* We've loaded the shim, so load the kernel as a secondary module */
+            if (state->pv_kernel.mapped) {
+                LOG(WARN, "xc_dom_module_mem, cmdline %s",
+                    state->pv_cmdline);
+                rc = xc_dom_module_mem(dom, state->pv_kernel.data,
+                                       state->pv_kernel.size, state->pv_cmdline);
+                if (rc) {
+                    LOGE(ERROR, "xc_dom_kernel_mem failed");
+                    goto out;
+                }
+            } else {
+                LOG(WARN, "xc_dom_module_file, path %s cmdline %s",
+                    state->pv_kernel.path, state->pv_cmdline);
+                rc = xc_dom_module_file(dom, state->pv_kernel.path, state->pv_cmdline);
+                if (rc) {
+                    LOGE(ERROR, "xc_dom_kernel_file failed");
+                    goto out;
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            /* No shim, so load the kernel directly */
+            if (state->pv_kernel.mapped) {
+                rc = xc_dom_kernel_mem(dom, state->pv_kernel.data,
+                                       state->pv_kernel.size);
+                if (rc) {
+                    LOGE(ERROR, "xc_dom_kernel_mem failed");
+                    goto out;
+                }
+            } else {
+                rc = xc_dom_kernel_file(dom, state->pv_kernel.path);
+                if (rc) {
+                    LOGE(ERROR, "xc_dom_kernel_file failed");
+                    goto out;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        
         if (state->pv_ramdisk.path && strlen(state->pv_ramdisk.path)) {
             if (state->pv_ramdisk.mapped) {
                 rc = xc_dom_module_mem(dom, state->pv_ramdisk.data,
@@ -1154,8 +1183,14 @@ int libxl__build_hvm(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
 
     xc_dom_loginit(ctx->xch);
 
+    /* 
+     * If PVH and we have a shim override, use the shim cmdline.
+     * If PVH and no shim override, use the pv cmdline.
+     * If not PVH, use info->cmdline.
+     */
     dom = xc_dom_allocate(ctx->xch, info->type == LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_PVH ?
-                          state->pv_cmdline : info->cmdline, NULL);
+                          (state->shim_path ? state->shim_cmdline : state->pv_cmdline) :
+                          info->cmdline, NULL);
     if (!dom) {
         LOGE(ERROR, "xc_dom_allocate failed");
         rc = ERROR_NOMEM;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
index bfa95d8619..2454efa621 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@
 #define TAP_DEVICE_SUFFIX "-emu"
 #define DOMID_XS_PATH "domid"
 #define INVALID_DOMID ~0
+#define PVSHIM_BASENAME "xen-shim"
+#define PVSHIM_CMDLINE "pv-shim console=xen,pv sched=null loglvl=all guest_loglvl=all apic_verbosity=debug e820-verbose"
 
 /* Size macros. */
 #define __AC(X,Y)   (X##Y)
@@ -1136,6 +1138,8 @@ typedef struct {
 
     libxl__file_reference pv_kernel;
     libxl__file_reference pv_ramdisk;
+    const char * shim_path;
+    const char * shim_cmdline;
     const char * pv_cmdline;
 
     xen_vmemrange_t *vmemranges;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
index a239324341..6d060edc0d 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
@@ -592,7 +592,10 @@ libxl_domain_build_info = Struct("domain_build_info",[
                                       # Use host's E820 for PCI passthrough.
                                       ("e820_host", libxl_defbool),
                                       ])),
-                 ("pvh", None),
+                 ("pvh", Struct(None, [("pvshim", libxl_defbool),
+                                       ("pvshim_path", string),
+                                       ("pvshim_cmdline", string),
+                                       ])),
                  ("invalid", None),
                  ], keyvar_init_val = "LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_INVALID")),