diff --git a/docs/man/xl-disk-configuration.5.pod.in b/docs/man/xl-disk-configuration.5.pod.in
index bc945cc517..cb442bd5b4 100644
--- a/docs/man/xl-disk-configuration.5.pod.in
+++ b/docs/man/xl-disk-configuration.5.pod.in
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ Specifies the backend implementation to use
 
 =item Supported values
 
-phy, qdisk, standalone
+phy, qdisk, standalone, tap
 
 =item Mandatory
 
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ and "standalone" does not support specifications other than "virtio".
 Normally this option should not be specified, in which case libxl will
 automatically determine the most suitable backend.
 
+"tap" needs blktap's tapback to be running.
+
 
 =item B<script>=I<SCRIPT>
 
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c b/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c
index 13da6e0573..ae2b71b0bf 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_device.c
@@ -328,9 +328,15 @@ static int disk_try_backend(disk_try_backend_args *a,
         return 0;
 
     case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP:
-        LOG(DEBUG, "Disk vdev=%s, backend tap unsuitable because blktap "
-                   "not available", a->disk->vdev);
-        return 0;
+        if (a->disk->format != LIBXL_DISK_FORMAT_RAW &&
+            a->disk->format != LIBXL_DISK_FORMAT_VHD)
+            goto bad_format;
+
+        if (libxl_defbool_val(a->disk->colo_enable))
+            goto bad_colo;
+
+        LOG(DEBUG, "Disk vdev=%s, returning blktap", a->disk->vdev);
+        return backend;
 
     case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK:
         if (a->disk->script) goto bad_script;
@@ -478,7 +484,7 @@ char *libxl__device_disk_string_of_backend(libxl_disk_backend backend)
 {
     switch (backend) {
         case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK: return "qdisk";
-        case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP: return "phy";
+        case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP: return "vbd3";
         case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_PHY: return "phy";
         case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_STANDALONE: return "standalone";
         default: return NULL;
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c b/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c
index ea3623dd6f..59ff996837 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_disk.c
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ static void disk_eject_xswatch_callback(libxl__egc *egc, libxl__ev_xswatch *w,
             "/local/domain/%d/backend/%" TOSTRING(BACKEND_STRING_SIZE)
            "[a-z]/%*d/%*d",
            &disk->backend_domid, backend_type);
-    if (!strcmp(backend_type, "tap") || !strcmp(backend_type, "vbd")) {
+    if (!strcmp(backend_type, "tap") ||
+        !strcmp(backend_type, "vbd") ||
+        !strcmp(backend_type, "vbd3")) {
         disk->backend = LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP;
     } else if (!strcmp(backend_type, "qdisk")) {
         disk->backend = LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK;
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ static int libxl__device_from_disk(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid,
             device->backend_kind = LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_VBD;
             break;
         case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP:
-            device->backend_kind = LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_VBD;
+            device->backend_kind = LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_VBD3;
             break;
         case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK:
             device->backend_kind = LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_QDISK;
@@ -368,9 +370,17 @@ static void device_disk_add(libxl__egc *egc, uint32_t domid,
                 assert(device->backend_kind == LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_VIRTIO_DISK);
                 break;
             case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP:
-                LOG(ERROR, "blktap is not supported");
-                rc = ERROR_FAIL;
-                goto out;
+                flexarray_append(back, "params");
+                flexarray_append(back, GCSPRINTF("%s:%s",
+                              libxl__device_disk_string_of_format(disk->format),
+                              disk->pdev_path ? : ""));
+
+                script = libxl__abs_path(gc, disk->script?: "block-tap",
+                                         libxl__xen_script_dir_path());
+                flexarray_append_pair(back, "script", script);
+
+                assert(device->backend_kind == LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_VBD3);
+                break;
             case LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK:
                 flexarray_append(back, "params");
                 flexarray_append(back, GCSPRINTF("%s:%s",
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_linux.c b/tools/libs/light/libxl_linux.c
index f7c92ba562..0b4c8bd045 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_linux.c
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_linux.c
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ int libxl__get_hotplug_script_info(libxl__gc *gc, libxl__device *dev,
 
     switch (dev->backend_kind) {
     case LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_VBD:
+    case LIBXL__DEVICE_KIND_VBD3:
         if (num_exec != 0) {
             LOGD(DEBUG, dev->domid,
                  "num_exec %d, not running hotplug scripts", num_exec);
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_types_internal.idl b/tools/libs/light/libxl_types_internal.idl
index e24288f1a5..56dccac153 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_types_internal.idl
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_types_internal.idl
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ libxl__device_kind = Enumeration("device_kind", [
     (16, "VINPUT"),
     (17, "VIRTIO_DISK"),
     (18, "VIRTIO"),
+    (19, "VBD3"),
     ])
 
 libxl__console_backend = Enumeration("console_backend", [
diff --git a/tools/libs/light/libxl_utils.c b/tools/libs/light/libxl_utils.c
index e403bd9bcf..10398a6c86 100644
--- a/tools/libs/light/libxl_utils.c
+++ b/tools/libs/light/libxl_utils.c
@@ -295,6 +295,8 @@ int libxl_string_to_backend(libxl_ctx *ctx, char *s, libxl_disk_backend *backend
         *backend = LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_PHY;
     } else if (!strcmp(s, "file")) {
         *backend = LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP;
+    } else if (!strcmp(s, "vbd3")) {
+        *backend = LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_TAP;
     } else if (!strcmp(s, "qdisk")) {
         *backend = LIBXL_DISK_BACKEND_QDISK;
     } else if (!strcmp(s, "standalone")) {