diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index a8979db2e8..53bfe47d08 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -3900,6 +3900,9 @@ qemuDomainRemoveMemoryDevice(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (qemuDomainNamespaceTeardownMemory(vm, mem) <  0)
         VIR_WARN("Unable to remove memory device from /dev");
 
+    if (qemuProcessDestroyMemoryBackingPath(driver, vm, mem) < 0)
+        VIR_WARN("Unable to destroy memory backing path");
+
     virDomainMemoryDefFree(mem);
 
     /* fix the balloon size */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index fe12d94d37..5a364730c8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -3494,6 +3494,32 @@ qemuProcessBuildDestroyMemoryPaths(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 }
 
 
+int
+qemuProcessDestroyMemoryBackingPath(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
+                                    virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                                    virDomainMemoryDefPtr mem)
+{
+    virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = virQEMUDriverGetConfig(driver);
+    char *path = NULL;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    if (qemuGetMemoryBackingPath(vm->def, cfg, mem->info.alias, &path) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (unlink(path) < 0 &&
+        errno != ENOENT) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno, _("Unable to remove %s"), path);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    ret = 0;
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(path);
+    virObjectUnref(cfg);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 static int
 qemuProcessVNCAllocatePorts(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                             virDomainGraphicsDefPtr graphics,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.h b/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
index b383ff309b..8d210282f8 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.h
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ int qemuProcessBuildDestroyMemoryPaths(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                        virDomainMemoryDefPtr mem,
                                        bool build);
 
+int qemuProcessDestroyMemoryBackingPath(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
+                                        virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                                        virDomainMemoryDefPtr mem);
+
 void qemuProcessAutostartAll(virQEMUDriverPtr driver);
 void qemuProcessReconnectAll(virConnectPtr conn, virQEMUDriverPtr driver);