diff --git a/include/libvirt/libvirt.h.in b/include/libvirt/libvirt.h.in
index 765488413f..257d9dec15 100644
--- a/include/libvirt/libvirt.h.in
+++ b/include/libvirt/libvirt.h.in
@@ -2563,6 +2563,15 @@ virDomainSnapshotPtr virDomainSnapshotCreateXML(virDomainPtr domain,
 char *virDomainSnapshotGetXMLDesc(virDomainSnapshotPtr snapshot,
                                   unsigned int flags);
 
+/* Flags valid for both virDomainSnapshotNum() and
+ * virDomainSnapshotListNames().  */
+typedef enum {
+    VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_ROOTS    = (1 << 0), /* Filter by snapshots which
+                                                     have no parents */
+    VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA = (1 << 1), /* Filter by snapshots which
+                                                     have metadata */
+} virDomainSnapshotListFlags;
+
 /* Return the number of snapshots for this domain */
 int virDomainSnapshotNum(virDomainPtr domain, unsigned int flags);
 
diff --git a/src/esx/esx_driver.c b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
index 846a777b96..7cad031360 100644
--- a/src/esx/esx_driver.c
+++ b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
@@ -4329,12 +4329,16 @@ esxDomainSnapshotNum(virDomainPtr domain, unsigned int flags)
     esxPrivate *priv = domain->conn->privateData;
     esxVI_VirtualMachineSnapshotTree *rootSnapshotTreeList = NULL;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, -1);
 
     if (esxVI_EnsureSession(priv->primary) < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
 
+    /* ESX snapshots do not require libvirt to maintain any metadata.  */
+    if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA)
+        return 0;
+
     if (esxVI_LookupRootSnapshotTreeList(priv->primary, domain->uuid,
                                          &rootSnapshotTreeList) < 0) {
         return -1;
@@ -4357,14 +4361,14 @@ esxDomainSnapshotListNames(virDomainPtr domain, char **names, int nameslen,
     esxPrivate *priv = domain->conn->privateData;
     esxVI_VirtualMachineSnapshotTree *rootSnapshotTreeList = NULL;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, -1);
 
     if (names == NULL || nameslen < 0) {
         ESX_ERROR(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s", _("Invalid argument"));
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (nameslen == 0) {
+    if (nameslen == 0 || (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA)) {
         return 0;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/libvirt.c b/src/libvirt.c
index 0f3399c822..8cfac89ca9 100644
--- a/src/libvirt.c
+++ b/src/libvirt.c
@@ -15677,11 +15677,19 @@ error:
 /**
  * virDomainSnapshotNum:
  * @domain: a domain object
- * @flags: unused flag parameters; callers should pass 0
+ * @flags: bitwise-or of supported virDomainSnapshotListFlags
  *
- * Provides the number of domain snapshots for this domain..
+ * Provides the number of domain snapshots for this domain.
  *
- * Returns the number of domain snapshost found or -1 in case of error.
+ * If @flags includes VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_ROOTS, then the result is
+ * filtered to the number of snapshots that have no parents.
+ *
+ * If @flags includes VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, then the result is
+ * the number of snapshots that also include metadata that would prevent
+ * the removal of the last reference to a domain; this value will either
+ * be 0 or the same value as if the flag were not given.
+ *
+ * Returns the number of domain snapshots found or -1 in case of error.
  */
 int
 virDomainSnapshotNum(virDomainPtr domain, unsigned int flags)
@@ -15717,11 +15725,20 @@ error:
  * @domain: a domain object
  * @names: array to collect the list of names of snapshots
  * @nameslen: size of @names
- * @flags: unused flag parameters; callers should pass 0
+ * @flags: bitwise-or of supported virDomainSnapshotListFlags
  *
  * Collect the list of domain snapshots for the given domain, and store
  * their names in @names.  Caller is responsible for freeing each member
- * of the array.
+ * of the array.  The value to use for @nameslen can be determined by
+ * virDomainSnapshotNum() with the same @flags.
+ *
+ * If @flags includes VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_ROOTS, then the result is
+ * filtered to the number of snapshots that have no parents.
+ *
+ * If @flags includes VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, then the result is
+ * the number of snapshots that also include metadata that would prevent
+ * the removal of the last reference to a domain; this value will either
+ * be 0 or the same value as if the flag were not given.
  *
  * Returns the number of domain snapshots found or -1 in case of error.
  */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index c0c300e8b0..118e818988 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -8712,7 +8712,7 @@ static int qemuDomainSnapshotListNames(virDomainPtr domain, char **names,
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     int n = -1;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, -1);
 
     qemuDriverLock(driver);
     vm = virDomainFindByUUID(&driver->domains, domain->uuid);
@@ -8740,7 +8740,7 @@ static int qemuDomainSnapshotNum(virDomainPtr domain,
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     int n = -1;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, -1);
 
     qemuDriverLock(driver);
     vm = virDomainFindByUUID(&driver->domains, domain->uuid);
@@ -8752,6 +8752,10 @@ static int qemuDomainSnapshotNum(virDomainPtr domain,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    /* All qemu snapshots have libvirt metadata, so
+     * VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA makes no difference to our
+     * answer.  */
+
     n = virDomainSnapshotObjListNum(&vm->snapshots);
 
 cleanup:
diff --git a/src/vbox/vbox_tmpl.c b/src/vbox/vbox_tmpl.c
index 8de2bae8ce..fc9739e302 100644
--- a/src/vbox/vbox_tmpl.c
+++ b/src/vbox/vbox_tmpl.c
@@ -5861,7 +5861,7 @@ vboxDomainSnapshotNum(virDomainPtr dom,
     nsresult rc;
     PRUint32 snapshotCount;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, -1);
 
     vboxIIDFromUUID(&iid, dom->uuid);
     rc = VBOX_OBJECT_GET_MACHINE(iid.value, &machine);
@@ -5871,6 +5871,12 @@ vboxDomainSnapshotNum(virDomainPtr dom,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    /* VBox snapshots do not require libvirt to maintain any metadata.  */
+    if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA) {
+        ret = 0;
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     rc = machine->vtbl->GetSnapshotCount(machine, &snapshotCount);
     if (NS_FAILED(rc)) {
         vboxError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
@@ -5901,7 +5907,7 @@ vboxDomainSnapshotListNames(virDomainPtr dom,
     int count = 0;
     int i;
 
-    virCheckFlags(0, -1);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA, -1);
 
     vboxIIDFromUUID(&iid, dom->uuid);
     rc = VBOX_OBJECT_GET_MACHINE(iid.value, &machine);
@@ -5911,6 +5917,11 @@ vboxDomainSnapshotListNames(virDomainPtr dom,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_LIST_METADATA) {
+        ret = 0;
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     if ((count = vboxDomainSnapshotGetAll(dom, machine, &snapshots)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;