diff --git a/hw/block/xen_disk.c b/hw/block/xen_disk.c
index 536e2ee735..e431bd89e8 100644
--- a/hw/block/xen_disk.c
+++ b/hw/block/xen_disk.c
@@ -121,9 +121,6 @@ struct XenBlkDev {
     unsigned int        persistent_gnt_count;
     unsigned int        max_grants;
 
-    /* Grant copy */
-    gboolean            feature_grant_copy;
-
     /* qemu block driver */
     DriveInfo           *dinfo;
     BlockBackend        *blk;
@@ -616,7 +613,7 @@ static void qemu_aio_complete(void *opaque, int ret)
         return;
     }
 
-    if (ioreq->blkdev->feature_grant_copy) {
+    if (xen_feature_grant_copy) {
         switch (ioreq->req.operation) {
         case BLKIF_OP_READ:
             /* in case of failure ioreq->aio_errors is increased */
@@ -638,7 +635,7 @@ static void qemu_aio_complete(void *opaque, int ret)
     }
 
     ioreq->status = ioreq->aio_errors ? BLKIF_RSP_ERROR : BLKIF_RSP_OKAY;
-    if (!ioreq->blkdev->feature_grant_copy) {
+    if (!xen_feature_grant_copy) {
         ioreq_unmap(ioreq);
     }
     ioreq_finish(ioreq);
@@ -698,7 +695,7 @@ static int ioreq_runio_qemu_aio(struct ioreq *ioreq)
 {
     struct XenBlkDev *blkdev = ioreq->blkdev;
 
-    if (ioreq->blkdev->feature_grant_copy) {
+    if (xen_feature_grant_copy) {
         ioreq_init_copy_buffers(ioreq);
         if (ioreq->req.nr_segments && (ioreq->req.operation == BLKIF_OP_WRITE ||
             ioreq->req.operation == BLKIF_OP_FLUSH_DISKCACHE) &&
@@ -750,7 +747,7 @@ static int ioreq_runio_qemu_aio(struct ioreq *ioreq)
     }
     default:
         /* unknown operation (shouldn't happen -- parse catches this) */
-        if (!ioreq->blkdev->feature_grant_copy) {
+        if (!xen_feature_grant_copy) {
             ioreq_unmap(ioreq);
         }
         goto err;
@@ -1010,18 +1007,15 @@ static int blk_init(struct XenDevice *xendev)
 
     blkdev->file_blk  = BLOCK_SIZE;
 
-    blkdev->feature_grant_copy =
-                (xengnttab_grant_copy(blkdev->xendev.gnttabdev, 0, NULL) == 0);
-
     xen_pv_printf(&blkdev->xendev, 3, "grant copy operation %s\n",
-                  blkdev->feature_grant_copy ? "enabled" : "disabled");
+                  xen_feature_grant_copy ? "enabled" : "disabled");
 
     /* fill info
      * blk_connect supplies sector-size and sectors
      */
     xenstore_write_be_int(&blkdev->xendev, "feature-flush-cache", 1);
     xenstore_write_be_int(&blkdev->xendev, "feature-persistent",
-                          !blkdev->feature_grant_copy);
+                          !xen_feature_grant_copy);
     xenstore_write_be_int(&blkdev->xendev, "info", info);
 
     xenstore_write_be_int(&blkdev->xendev, "max-ring-page-order",
@@ -1226,6 +1220,12 @@ static int blk_connect(struct XenDevice *xendev)
     /* Add on the number needed for the ring pages */
     max_grants += blkdev->nr_ring_ref;
 
+    blkdev->xendev.gnttabdev = xengnttab_open(NULL, 0);
+    if (blkdev->xendev.gnttabdev == NULL) {
+        xen_pv_printf(xendev, 0, "xengnttab_open failed: %s\n",
+                      strerror(errno));
+        return -1;
+    }
     if (xengnttab_set_max_grants(blkdev->xendev.gnttabdev, max_grants)) {
         xen_pv_printf(xendev, 0, "xengnttab_set_max_grants failed: %s\n",
                       strerror(errno));
@@ -1333,6 +1333,11 @@ static void blk_disconnect(struct XenDevice *xendev)
         }
         blkdev->feature_persistent = false;
     }
+
+    if (blkdev->xendev.gnttabdev) {
+        xengnttab_close(blkdev->xendev.gnttabdev);
+        blkdev->xendev.gnttabdev = NULL;
+    }
 }
 
 static int blk_free(struct XenDevice *xendev)
@@ -1340,9 +1345,7 @@ static int blk_free(struct XenDevice *xendev)
     struct XenBlkDev *blkdev = container_of(xendev, struct XenBlkDev, xendev);
     struct ioreq *ioreq;
 
-    if (blkdev->blk || blkdev->sring) {
-        blk_disconnect(xendev);
-    }
+    blk_disconnect(xendev);
 
     while (!QLIST_EMPTY(&blkdev->freelist)) {
         ioreq = QLIST_FIRST(&blkdev->freelist);
@@ -1369,7 +1372,6 @@ static void blk_event(struct XenDevice *xendev)
 
 struct XenDevOps xen_blkdev_ops = {
     .size       = sizeof(struct XenBlkDev),
-    .flags      = DEVOPS_FLAG_NEED_GNTDEV,
     .alloc      = blk_alloc,
     .init       = blk_init,
     .initialise    = blk_connect,
diff --git a/hw/i386/xen/xen-hvm.c b/hw/i386/xen/xen-hvm.c
index d9ccd5d0d6..8028bed6fd 100644
--- a/hw/i386/xen/xen-hvm.c
+++ b/hw/i386/xen/xen-hvm.c
@@ -1446,7 +1446,7 @@ void xen_hvm_modified_memory(ram_addr_t start, ram_addr_t length)
         if (rc) {
             fprintf(stderr,
                     "%s failed for "RAM_ADDR_FMT" ("RAM_ADDR_FMT"): %i, %s\n",
-                    __func__, start, nb_pages, rc, strerror(-rc));
+                    __func__, start, nb_pages, errno, strerror(errno));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/hw/xen/xen_backend.c b/hw/xen/xen_backend.c
index c46cbb0759..0f849a26d2 100644
--- a/hw/xen/xen_backend.c
+++ b/hw/xen/xen_backend.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ BusState *xen_sysbus;
 /* public */
 struct xs_handle *xenstore = NULL;
 const char *xen_protocol;
+bool xen_feature_grant_copy;
 
 /* private */
 static int debug;
@@ -519,6 +520,8 @@ void xenstore_update_fe(char *watch, struct XenDevice *xendev)
 
 int xen_be_init(void)
 {
+    xengnttab_handle *gnttabdev;
+
     xenstore = xs_daemon_open();
     if (!xenstore) {
         xen_pv_printf(NULL, 0, "can't connect to xenstored\n");
@@ -532,6 +535,14 @@ int xen_be_init(void)
         goto err;
     }
 
+    gnttabdev = xengnttab_open(NULL, 0);
+    if (gnttabdev != NULL) {
+        if (xengnttab_grant_copy(gnttabdev, 0, NULL) == 0) {
+            xen_feature_grant_copy = true;
+        }
+        xengnttab_close(gnttabdev);
+    }
+
     xen_sysdev = qdev_create(NULL, TYPE_XENSYSDEV);
     qdev_init_nofail(xen_sysdev);
     xen_sysbus = qbus_create(TYPE_XENSYSBUS, DEVICE(xen_sysdev), "xen-sysbus");
diff --git a/include/hw/xen/xen_backend.h b/include/hw/xen/xen_backend.h
index 8a6fbcbe20..3a27692407 100644
--- a/include/hw/xen/xen_backend.h
+++ b/include/hw/xen/xen_backend.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 /* variables */
 extern struct xs_handle *xenstore;
 extern const char *xen_protocol;
+extern bool xen_feature_grant_copy;
 extern DeviceState *xen_sysdev;
 extern BusState *xen_sysbus;