diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index 320d8c8614..451e95a7f9 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_LAST,
               "vmware-svga",
               "device-video-primary",
               "s390-sclp",
+              "usb-serial",
 
     );
 
@@ -1346,6 +1347,7 @@ struct qemuCapsStringFlags qemuCapsObjectTypes[] = {
     { "VGA", QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA },
     { "cirrus-vga", QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA },
     { "vmware-svga", QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA },
+    { "usb-serial", QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL},
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
index 399212b282..e887fff0ca 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.h
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ enum qemuCapsFlags {
     QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VIDEO_PRIMARY = 123, /* safe to use -device XXX
                                            for primary video device */
     QEMU_CAPS_SCLP_S390          = 124, /* -device sclp* */
+    QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL  = 125, /* -device usb-serial */
 
     QEMU_CAPS_LAST,                   /* this must always be the last item */
 };
diff --git a/tests/qemuhelptest.c b/tests/qemuhelptest.c
index 252ad3a7f6..b71c29244e 100644
--- a/tests/qemuhelptest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuhelptest.c
@@ -395,7 +395,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_QXL,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA,
-            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA);
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST("qemu-kvm-0.12.3", 12003, 1, 0,
             QEMU_CAPS_VNC_COLON,
             QEMU_CAPS_NO_REBOOT,
@@ -502,7 +503,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_QXL,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA,
-            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA);
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST("qemu-kvm-0.12.1.2-rhel61", 12001, 1, 0,
             QEMU_CAPS_VNC_COLON,
             QEMU_CAPS_NO_REBOOT,
@@ -565,7 +567,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_QXL,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA,
-            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA);
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST("qemu-kvm-0.12.1.2-rhel62-beta", 12001, 1, 0,
             QEMU_CAPS_VNC_COLON,
             QEMU_CAPS_NO_REBOOT,
@@ -715,7 +718,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_QXL,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA,
-            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA);
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST("qemu-1.1.0", 1001000, 0, 0,
             QEMU_CAPS_VNC_COLON,
             QEMU_CAPS_NO_REBOOT,
@@ -801,7 +805,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_QXL,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA,
-            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA);
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST("qemu-1.2.0", 1002000, 0, 0,
             QEMU_CAPS_VNC_COLON,
             QEMU_CAPS_NO_REBOOT,
@@ -898,7 +903,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA,
-            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VIDEO_PRIMARY);
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VIDEO_PRIMARY,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL);
     DO_TEST("qemu-kvm-1.2.0", 1002000, 1, 0,
             QEMU_CAPS_VNC_COLON,
             QEMU_CAPS_NO_REBOOT,
@@ -1000,7 +1006,8 @@ mymain(void)
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_CIRRUS_VGA,
             QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VMWARE_SVGA,
-            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VIDEO_PRIMARY);
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_VIDEO_PRIMARY,
+            QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE_USB_SERIAL);
 
     return ret == 0 ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
 }