diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
index f3a9b5ccd2..4b5cf36cbe 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
@@ -1084,99 +1084,6 @@ qemuSetupCgroupForEmulator(virDomainObjPtr vm)
     return -1;
 }
 
-int
-qemuSetupCgroupForIOThreads(virDomainObjPtr vm)
-{
-    virCgroupPtr cgroup_iothread = NULL;
-    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = vm->def;
-    size_t i;
-    unsigned long long period = vm->def->cputune.period;
-    long long quota = vm->def->cputune.quota;
-    char *mem_mask = NULL;
-    virDomainNumatuneMemMode mem_mode;
-
-    if (def->niothreadids == 0)
-        return 0;
-
-    if ((period || quota) &&
-        !virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPU)) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
-                       _("cgroup cpu is required for scheduler tuning"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    /*
-     * If CPU cgroup controller is not initialized here, then we need
-     * neither period nor quota settings.  And if CPUSET controller is
-     * not initialized either, then there's nothing to do anyway.
-     */
-    if (!virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPU) &&
-        !virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPUSET))
-        return 0;
-
-    if (virDomainNumatuneGetMode(vm->def->numa, -1, &mem_mode) == 0 &&
-        mem_mode == VIR_DOMAIN_NUMATUNE_MEM_STRICT &&
-        virDomainNumatuneMaybeFormatNodeset(vm->def->numa,
-                                            priv->autoNodeset,
-                                            &mem_mask, -1) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < def->niothreadids; i++) {
-        /* IOThreads are numbered 1..n, although the array is 0..n-1,
-         * so we will account for that here
-         */
-        if (virCgroupNewThread(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_THREAD_IOTHREAD,
-                               def->iothreadids[i]->iothread_id,
-                               true, &cgroup_iothread) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-
-        if (period || quota) {
-            if (qemuSetupCgroupVcpuBW(cgroup_iothread, period, quota) < 0)
-                goto cleanup;
-        }
-
-        /* Set iothreadpin in cgroup if iothreadpin xml is provided */
-        if (virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup,
-                                   VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPUSET)) {
-            virBitmapPtr cpumask = NULL;
-
-            if (mem_mask &&
-                virCgroupSetCpusetMems(cgroup_iothread, mem_mask) < 0)
-                goto cleanup;
-
-            if (def->iothreadids[i]->cpumask)
-                cpumask = def->iothreadids[i]->cpumask;
-            else if (def->placement_mode == VIR_DOMAIN_CPU_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO)
-                cpumask = priv->autoCpuset;
-            else
-                cpumask = def->cpumask;
-
-            if (cpumask &&
-                qemuSetupCgroupCpusetCpus(cgroup_iothread, cpumask) < 0)
-                goto cleanup;
-        }
-
-        /* move the thread for iothread to sub dir */
-        if (virCgroupAddTask(cgroup_iothread,
-                             def->iothreadids[i]->thread_id) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-
-        virCgroupFree(&cgroup_iothread);
-    }
-    VIR_FREE(mem_mask);
-
-    return 0;
-
- cleanup:
-    if (cgroup_iothread) {
-        virCgroupRemove(cgroup_iothread);
-        virCgroupFree(&cgroup_iothread);
-    }
-    VIR_FREE(mem_mask);
-
-    return -1;
-}
 
 int
 qemuRemoveCgroup(virDomainObjPtr vm)
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h
index 69d1202755..021bfe69a3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.h
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ int qemuSetupCgroupVcpuBW(virCgroupPtr cgroup,
                           unsigned long long period,
                           long long quota);
 int qemuSetupCgroupCpusetCpus(virCgroupPtr cgroup, virBitmapPtr cpumask);
-int qemuSetupCgroupForIOThreads(virDomainObjPtr vm);
 int qemuSetupCgroupForEmulator(virDomainObjPtr vm);
 int qemuRemoveCgroup(virDomainObjPtr vm);
 int qemuAddToCgroup(virDomainObjPtr vm);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 396b03cea7..2523d1d73a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -2208,47 +2208,6 @@ qemuProcessSetEmulatorAffinity(virDomainObjPtr vm)
     return ret;
 }
 
-/* Set CPU affinities for IOThreads threads. */
-static int
-qemuProcessSetIOThreadsAffinity(virDomainObjPtr vm)
-{
-    virDomainDefPtr def = vm->def;
-    size_t i;
-    int ret = -1;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < def->niothreadids; i++) {
-        /* set affinity only for existing iothreads */
-        if (!def->iothreadids[i]->cpumask)
-            continue;
-
-        if (virProcessSetAffinity(def->iothreadids[i]->thread_id,
-                                  def->iothreadids[i]->cpumask) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    }
-    ret = 0;
-
- cleanup:
-    return ret;
-}
-
-static int
-qemuProcessSetSchedulers(virDomainObjPtr vm)
-{
-    size_t i = 0;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < vm->def->niothreadids; i++) {
-        virDomainIOThreadIDDefPtr info = vm->def->iothreadids[i];
-
-        if (info->sched.policy == VIR_PROC_POLICY_NONE)
-            continue;
-
-        if (virProcessSetScheduler(info->thread_id, info->sched.policy,
-                                   info->sched.priority) < 0)
-            return -1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
 
 static int
 qemuProcessInitPasswords(virConnectPtr conn,
@@ -4575,6 +4534,117 @@ qemuProcessSetupVcpus(virDomainObjPtr vm)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * qemuProcessSetupIOThread:
+ * @vm: domain object
+ * @iothread: iothread data structure to set the data for
+ *
+ * This function sets resource properities (affinity, cgroups, scheduler) for a
+ * IOThread. This function expects that the IOThread is online and the IOThread
+ * pids were correctly detected at the point when it's called.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 on error.
+ */
+int
+qemuProcessSetupIOThread(virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                         virDomainIOThreadIDDefPtr iothread)
+{
+    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
+    unsigned long long period = vm->def->cputune.period;
+    long long quota = vm->def->cputune.quota;
+    virDomainNumatuneMemMode mem_mode;
+    char *mem_mask = NULL;
+    virCgroupPtr cgroup_iothread = NULL;
+    virBitmapPtr cpumask = NULL;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    if ((period || quota) &&
+        !virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPU)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED, "%s",
+                       _("cgroup cpu is required for scheduler tuning"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPU) ||
+        virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPUSET)) {
+        if (virDomainNumatuneGetMode(vm->def->numa, -1, &mem_mode) == 0 &&
+            mem_mode == VIR_DOMAIN_NUMATUNE_MEM_STRICT &&
+            virDomainNumatuneMaybeFormatNodeset(vm->def->numa,
+                                                priv->autoNodeset,
+                                                &mem_mask, -1) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+
+        if (virCgroupNewThread(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_THREAD_IOTHREAD,
+                               iothread->iothread_id,
+                               true, &cgroup_iothread) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (iothread->cpumask)
+        cpumask = iothread->cpumask;
+    else if (vm->def->placement_mode == VIR_DOMAIN_CPU_PLACEMENT_MODE_AUTO)
+        cpumask = priv->autoCpuset;
+    else
+        cpumask = vm->def->cpumask;
+
+    if (period || quota) {
+        if (qemuSetupCgroupVcpuBW(cgroup_iothread, period, quota) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (cgroup_iothread) {
+        if (virCgroupHasController(priv->cgroup, VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_CPUSET)) {
+            if (mem_mask &&
+                virCgroupSetCpusetMems(cgroup_iothread, mem_mask) < 0)
+                goto cleanup;
+
+            if (cpumask &&
+                qemuSetupCgroupCpusetCpus(cgroup_iothread, cpumask) < 0)
+                goto cleanup;
+        }
+
+        if (virCgroupAddTask(cgroup_iothread, iothread->thread_id) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (cpumask && virProcessSetAffinity(iothread->thread_id, cpumask) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (iothread->sched.policy != VIR_PROC_POLICY_NONE &&
+        virProcessSetScheduler(iothread->thread_id, iothread->sched.policy,
+                               iothread->sched.priority) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    ret = 0;
+
+ cleanup:
+    if (cgroup_iothread) {
+        if (ret < 0)
+            virCgroupRemove(cgroup_iothread);
+        virCgroupFree(&cgroup_iothread);
+    }
+
+    VIR_FREE(mem_mask);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
+static int
+qemuProcessSetupIOThreads(virDomainObjPtr vm)
+{
+    size_t i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < vm->def->niothreadids; i++) {
+        virDomainIOThreadIDDefPtr info = vm->def->iothreadids[i];
+
+        if (qemuProcessSetupIOThread(vm, info) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * qemuProcessLaunch:
  *
@@ -5043,16 +5113,8 @@ qemuProcessLaunch(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (qemuProcessSetupVcpus(vm) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    VIR_DEBUG("Setting cgroup for each IOThread (if required)");
-    if (qemuSetupCgroupForIOThreads(vm) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    VIR_DEBUG("Setting affinity of IOThread threads");
-    if (qemuProcessSetIOThreadsAffinity(vm) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    VIR_DEBUG("Setting scheduler parameters");
-    if (qemuProcessSetSchedulers(vm) < 0)
+    VIR_DEBUG("Setting IOThread tuning/settings");
+    if (qemuProcessSetupIOThreads(vm) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Setting any required VM passwords");
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.h b/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
index 7de9b89131..ad8041085e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
@@ -163,5 +163,7 @@ int qemuConnectAgent(virQEMUDriverPtr driver, virDomainObjPtr vm);
 
 int qemuProcessSetupVcpu(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                          unsigned int vcpuid);
+int qemuProcessSetupIOThread(virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                             virDomainIOThreadIDDefPtr iothread);
 
 #endif /* __QEMU_PROCESS_H__ */