diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index d319f86..5b9f33f 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -701,7 +701,8 @@ static void bdrv_inherited_options(int *child_flags, QDict *child_options,
     flags |= BDRV_O_UNMAP;
 
     /* Clear flags that only apply to the top layer */
-    flags &= ~(BDRV_O_SNAPSHOT | BDRV_O_NO_BACKING | BDRV_O_COPY_ON_READ);
+    flags &= ~(BDRV_O_SNAPSHOT | BDRV_O_NO_BACKING | BDRV_O_COPY_ON_READ |
+               BDRV_O_NO_IO);
 
     *child_flags = flags;
 }
@@ -721,7 +722,7 @@ static void bdrv_inherited_fmt_options(int *child_flags, QDict *child_options,
     child_file.inherit_options(child_flags, child_options,
                                parent_flags, parent_options);
 
-    *child_flags &= ~BDRV_O_PROTOCOL;
+    *child_flags &= ~(BDRV_O_PROTOCOL | BDRV_O_NO_IO);
 }
 
 const BdrvChildRole child_format = {
diff --git a/block/io.c b/block/io.c
index 41d954ca..bfc8592 100644
--- a/block/io.c
+++ b/block/io.c
@@ -842,6 +842,7 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_aligned_preadv(BlockDriverState *bs,
     assert((offset & (BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE - 1)) == 0);
     assert((bytes & (BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE - 1)) == 0);
     assert(!qiov || bytes == qiov->size);
+    assert((bs->open_flags & BDRV_O_NO_IO) == 0);
 
     /* Handle Copy on Read and associated serialisation */
     if (flags & BDRV_REQ_COPY_ON_READ) {
@@ -1128,6 +1129,7 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_aligned_pwritev(BlockDriverState *bs,
     assert((offset & (BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE - 1)) == 0);
     assert((bytes & (BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE - 1)) == 0);
     assert(!qiov || bytes == qiov->size);
+    assert((bs->open_flags & BDRV_O_NO_IO) == 0);
 
     waited = wait_serialising_requests(req);
     assert(!waited || !req->serialising);
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 4adb1e9..a3e0d24 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ typedef struct HDGeometry {
 #define BDRV_O_PROTOCOL    0x8000  /* if no block driver is explicitly given:
                                       select an appropriate protocol driver,
                                       ignoring the format layer */
+#define BDRV_O_NO_IO       0x10000 /* don't initialize for I/O */
 
 #define BDRV_O_CACHE_MASK  (BDRV_O_NOCACHE | BDRV_O_CACHE_WB | BDRV_O_NO_FLUSH)
 
diff --git a/qemu-img.c b/qemu-img.c
index 29eae2a..7fa2a13 100644
--- a/qemu-img.c
+++ b/qemu-img.c
@@ -224,13 +224,13 @@ static int print_block_option_help(const char *filename, const char *fmt)
 
 
 static int img_open_password(BlockBackend *blk, const char *filename,
-                             bool require_io, bool quiet)
+                             int flags, bool quiet)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     char password[256];
 
     bs = blk_bs(blk);
-    if (bdrv_is_encrypted(bs) && require_io) {
+    if (bdrv_is_encrypted(bs) && !(flags & BDRV_O_NO_IO)) {
         qprintf(quiet, "Disk image '%s' is encrypted.\n", filename);
         if (qemu_read_password(password, sizeof(password)) < 0) {
             error_report("No password given");
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static int img_open_password(BlockBackend *blk, const char *filename,
 
 static BlockBackend *img_open_opts(const char *optstr,
                                    QemuOpts *opts, int flags,
-                                   bool require_io, bool quiet)
+                                   bool quiet)
 {
     QDict *options;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ static BlockBackend *img_open_opts(const char *optstr,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (img_open_password(blk, optstr, require_io, quiet) < 0) {
+    if (img_open_password(blk, optstr, flags, quiet) < 0) {
         blk_unref(blk);
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ static BlockBackend *img_open_opts(const char *optstr,
 
 static BlockBackend *img_open_file(const char *filename,
                                    const char *fmt, int flags,
-                                   bool require_io, bool quiet)
+                                   bool quiet)
 {
     BlockBackend *blk;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ static BlockBackend *img_open_file(const char *filename,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (img_open_password(blk, filename, require_io, quiet) < 0) {
+    if (img_open_password(blk, filename, flags, quiet) < 0) {
         blk_unref(blk);
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static BlockBackend *img_open_file(const char *filename,
 static BlockBackend *img_open(bool image_opts,
                               const char *filename,
                               const char *fmt, int flags,
-                              bool require_io, bool quiet)
+                              bool quiet)
 {
     BlockBackend *blk;
     if (image_opts) {
@@ -310,9 +310,9 @@ static BlockBackend *img_open(bool image_opts,
         if (!opts) {
             return NULL;
         }
-        blk = img_open_opts(filename, opts, flags, true, quiet);
+        blk = img_open_opts(filename, opts, flags, quiet);
     } else {
-        blk = img_open_file(filename, fmt, flags, true, quiet);
+        blk = img_open_file(filename, fmt, flags, quiet);
     }
     return blk;
 }
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ static int img_check(int argc, char **argv)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, true, quiet);
+    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, quiet);
     if (!blk) {
         return 1;
     }
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ static int img_commit(int argc, char **argv)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, true, quiet);
+    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, quiet);
     if (!blk) {
         return 1;
     }
@@ -1210,13 +1210,13 @@ static int img_compare(int argc, char **argv)
         goto out3;
     }
 
-    blk1 = img_open(image_opts, filename1, fmt1, flags, true, quiet);
+    blk1 = img_open(image_opts, filename1, fmt1, flags, quiet);
     if (!blk1) {
         ret = 2;
         goto out3;
     }
 
-    blk2 = img_open(image_opts, filename2, fmt2, flags, true, quiet);
+    blk2 = img_open(image_opts, filename2, fmt2, flags, quiet);
     if (!blk2) {
         ret = 2;
         goto out2;
@@ -1898,7 +1898,7 @@ static int img_convert(int argc, char **argv)
     total_sectors = 0;
     for (bs_i = 0; bs_i < bs_n; bs_i++) {
         blk[bs_i] = img_open(image_opts, argv[optind + bs_i],
-                             fmt, src_flags, true, quiet);
+                             fmt, src_flags, quiet);
         if (!blk[bs_i]) {
             ret = -1;
             goto out;
@@ -2043,7 +2043,7 @@ static int img_convert(int argc, char **argv)
      * the bdrv_create() call which takes different params.
      * Not critical right now, so fix can wait...
      */
-    out_blk = img_open_file(out_filename, out_fmt, flags, true, quiet);
+    out_blk = img_open_file(out_filename, out_fmt, flags, quiet);
     if (!out_blk) {
         ret = -1;
         goto out;
@@ -2235,8 +2235,8 @@ static ImageInfoList *collect_image_info_list(bool image_opts,
         g_hash_table_insert(filenames, (gpointer)filename, NULL);
 
         blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt,
-                       BDRV_O_FLAGS | BDRV_O_NO_BACKING,
-                       false, false);
+                       BDRV_O_FLAGS | BDRV_O_NO_BACKING | BDRV_O_NO_IO,
+                       false);
         if (!blk) {
             goto err;
         }
@@ -2566,7 +2566,7 @@ static int img_map(int argc, char **argv)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, BDRV_O_FLAGS, true, false);
+    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, BDRV_O_FLAGS, false);
     if (!blk) {
         return 1;
     }
@@ -2711,7 +2711,7 @@ static int img_snapshot(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     /* Open the image */
-    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, NULL, bdrv_oflags, true, quiet);
+    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, NULL, bdrv_oflags, quiet);
     if (!blk) {
         return 1;
     }
@@ -2882,7 +2882,7 @@ static int img_rebase(int argc, char **argv)
      * Ignore the old backing file for unsafe rebase in case we want to correct
      * the reference to a renamed or moved backing file.
      */
-    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, true, quiet);
+    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, quiet);
     if (!blk) {
         ret = -1;
         goto out;
@@ -3220,7 +3220,7 @@ static int img_resize(int argc, char **argv)
     qemu_opts_del(param);
 
     blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt,
-                   BDRV_O_FLAGS | BDRV_O_RDWR, true, quiet);
+                   BDRV_O_FLAGS | BDRV_O_RDWR, quiet);
     if (!blk) {
         ret = -1;
         goto out;
@@ -3379,7 +3379,7 @@ static int img_amend(int argc, char **argv)
         goto out;
     }
 
-    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, true, quiet);
+    blk = img_open(image_opts, filename, fmt, flags, quiet);
     if (!blk) {
         ret = -1;
         goto out;
