diff --git a/lib/guestfs-internal.h b/lib/guestfs-internal.h
index c20564e98..7c5bf4dd7 100644
--- a/lib/guestfs-internal.h
+++ b/lib/guestfs-internal.h
@@ -331,6 +331,11 @@ struct backend_ops {
    */
   char *(*create_cow_overlay) (guestfs_h *g, void *data, struct drive *drv);
 
+  /* Get the default hypervisor (qemu), if the user does not override
+   * this by calling guestfs_set_hv or setting LIBGUESTFS_HV.
+   */
+  const char *(*get_default_hv) (guestfs_h *g, void *data);
+
   /* Launch and shut down. */
   int (*launch) (guestfs_h *g, void *data, const char *arg);
   int (*shutdown) (guestfs_h *g, void *data, int check_for_errors);
diff --git a/lib/launch-direct.c b/lib/launch-direct.c
index caaadd420..d56127f98 100644
--- a/lib/launch-direct.c
+++ b/lib/launch-direct.c
@@ -441,6 +441,23 @@ free_pid_path:
   return rc;
 }
 
+/* Pick a default, arch-specific qemu. */
+static const char *
+get_default_hv_direct (guestfs_h *g, void *datav)
+{
+  if (host_cpu[0] == 'i' && strchr ("3456", host_cpu[1]) &&
+      host_cpu[2] == '8' && host_cpu[3] == '6' && host_cpu[4] == '\0')
+    return "qemu-system-i386";
+  else if (STRPREFIX (host_cpu, "arm"))
+    return "qemu-system-arm";
+  else if (STREQ (host_cpu, "powerpc64") ||
+           STREQ (host_cpu, "powerpc64le") ||
+           STREQ (host_cpu, "ppc64le"))
+    return "qemu-system-ppc64";
+  else
+    return "qemu-system-" host_cpu;
+}
+
 static int
 launch_direct (guestfs_h *g, void *datav, const char *arg)
 {
@@ -1105,6 +1122,7 @@ max_disks_direct (guestfs_h *g, void *datav)
 static struct backend_ops backend_direct_ops = {
   .data_size = sizeof (struct backend_direct_data),
   .create_cow_overlay = create_cow_overlay_direct,
+  .get_default_hv = get_default_hv_direct,
   .launch = launch_direct,
   .shutdown = shutdown_direct,
   .get_pid = get_pid_direct,
diff --git a/lib/launch-libvirt.c b/lib/launch-libvirt.c
index d12fc24c7..eb28b86c7 100644
--- a/lib/launch-libvirt.c
+++ b/lib/launch-libvirt.c
@@ -305,6 +305,13 @@ create_cow_overlay_libvirt (guestfs_h *g, void *datav, struct drive *drv)
   return overlay;
 }
 
+static const char *
+get_default_hv_libvirt (guestfs_h *g, void *datav)
+{
+  struct backend_libvirt_data *data = datav;
+  return data->default_qemu;
+}
+
 static int
 launch_libvirt (guestfs_h *g, void *datav, const char *libvirt_uri)
 {
@@ -2211,6 +2218,7 @@ max_disks_libvirt (guestfs_h *g, void *datav)
 static struct backend_ops backend_libvirt_ops = {
   .data_size = sizeof (struct backend_libvirt_data),
   .create_cow_overlay = create_cow_overlay_libvirt,
+  .get_default_hv = get_default_hv_libvirt,
   .launch = launch_libvirt,
   .shutdown = shutdown_libvirt,
   .max_disks = max_disks_libvirt,