diff --git a/dump.c b/dump.c
index c9d3492142..f233b3e54c 100644
--- a/dump.c
+++ b/dump.c
@@ -686,6 +686,48 @@ static int create_vmcore(DumpState *s)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int write_start_flat_header(int fd)
+{
+    uint8_t *buf;
+    MakedumpfileHeader mh;
+    int ret = 0;
+
+    memset(&mh, 0, sizeof(mh));
+    strncpy(mh.signature, MAKEDUMPFILE_SIGNATURE,
+            strlen(MAKEDUMPFILE_SIGNATURE));
+
+    mh.type = cpu_to_be64(TYPE_FLAT_HEADER);
+    mh.version = cpu_to_be64(VERSION_FLAT_HEADER);
+
+    buf = g_malloc0(MAX_SIZE_MDF_HEADER);
+    memcpy(buf, &mh, sizeof(mh));
+
+    size_t written_size;
+    written_size = qemu_write_full(fd, buf, MAX_SIZE_MDF_HEADER);
+    if (written_size != MAX_SIZE_MDF_HEADER) {
+        ret = -1;
+    }
+
+    g_free(buf);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+static int write_end_flat_header(int fd)
+{
+    MakedumpfileDataHeader mdh;
+
+    mdh.offset = END_FLAG_FLAT_HEADER;
+    mdh.buf_size = END_FLAG_FLAT_HEADER;
+
+    size_t written_size;
+    written_size = qemu_write_full(fd, &mdh, sizeof(mdh));
+    if (written_size != sizeof(mdh)) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static ram_addr_t get_start_block(DumpState *s)
 {
     GuestPhysBlock *block;
diff --git a/include/sysemu/dump.h b/include/sysemu/dump.h
index 19fafb2cf9..b32b390805 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/dump.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/dump.h
@@ -14,12 +14,29 @@
 #ifndef DUMP_H
 #define DUMP_H
 
+#define MAKEDUMPFILE_SIGNATURE      "makedumpfile"
+#define MAX_SIZE_MDF_HEADER         (4096) /* max size of makedumpfile_header */
+#define TYPE_FLAT_HEADER            (1)    /* type of flattened format */
+#define VERSION_FLAT_HEADER         (1)    /* version of flattened format */
+#define END_FLAG_FLAT_HEADER        (-1)
+
 typedef struct ArchDumpInfo {
     int d_machine;  /* Architecture */
     int d_endian;   /* ELFDATA2LSB or ELFDATA2MSB */
     int d_class;    /* ELFCLASS32 or ELFCLASS64 */
 } ArchDumpInfo;
 
+typedef struct QEMU_PACKED MakedumpfileHeader {
+    char signature[16];     /* = "makedumpfile" */
+    int64_t type;
+    int64_t version;
+} MakedumpfileHeader;
+
+typedef struct QEMU_PACKED MakedumpfileDataHeader {
+    int64_t offset;
+    int64_t buf_size;
+} MakedumpfileDataHeader;
+
 struct GuestPhysBlockList; /* memory_mapping.h */
 int cpu_get_dump_info(ArchDumpInfo *info,
                       const struct GuestPhysBlockList *guest_phys_blocks);