diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index aa3d568fec..fe4a220da9 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ typedef struct BDRVReopenState {
     bool backing_missing;
     bool replace_backing_bs;  /* new_backing_bs is ignored if this is false */
     BlockDriverState *old_backing_bs; /* keep pointer for permissions update */
+    BlockDriverState *old_file_bs;    /* keep pointer for permissions update */
     uint64_t perm, shared_perm;
     QDict *options;
     QDict *explicit_options;
diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 03b36cd5df..bce5d8a69c 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ static void bdrv_remove_backing(BlockDriverState *bs, GSList **tran);
 
 static int bdrv_reopen_prepare(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
                                BlockReopenQueue *queue,
-                               GSList **set_backings_tran, Error **errp);
+                               GSList **tran, Error **errp);
 static void bdrv_reopen_commit(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state);
 static void bdrv_reopen_abort(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state);
 
@@ -3989,6 +3989,10 @@ int bdrv_reopen_multiple(BlockReopenQueue *bs_queue, Error **errp)
             refresh_list = bdrv_topological_dfs(refresh_list, found,
                                                 state->old_backing_bs);
         }
+        if (state->old_file_bs) {
+            refresh_list = bdrv_topological_dfs(refresh_list, found,
+                                                state->old_file_bs);
+        }
     }
 
     ret = bdrv_list_refresh_perms(refresh_list, bs_queue, &tran, errp);
@@ -4093,65 +4097,77 @@ static bool bdrv_reopen_can_attach(BlockDriverState *parent,
  *
  * Return 0 on success, otherwise return < 0 and set @errp.
  */
-static int bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
-                                     GSList **set_backings_tran,
-                                     Error **errp)
+static int bdrv_reopen_parse_file_or_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
+                                             bool parse_file, GSList **tran,
+                                             Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs = reopen_state->bs;
-    BlockDriverState *overlay_bs, *below_bs, *new_backing_bs;
+    BlockDriverState *overlay_bs, *below_bs, *new_child_bs;
+    BdrvChild *child = parse_file ? bs->file : bs->backing;
     QObject *value;
     const char *str;
 
-    value = qdict_get(reopen_state->options, "backing");
+    value = qdict_get(reopen_state->options, parse_file ? "file" : "backing");
     if (value == NULL) {
         return 0;
     }
 
     switch (qobject_type(value)) {
     case QTYPE_QNULL:
-        new_backing_bs = NULL;
+        assert(!parse_file); /* The 'file' option does not allow a null value */
+        new_child_bs = NULL;
         break;
     case QTYPE_QSTRING:
-        str = qobject_get_try_str(value);
-        new_backing_bs = bdrv_lookup_bs(NULL, str, errp);
-        if (new_backing_bs == NULL) {
+        str = qstring_get_str(qobject_to(QString, value));
+        new_child_bs = bdrv_lookup_bs(NULL, str, errp);
+        if (new_child_bs == NULL) {
             return -EINVAL;
-        } else if (bdrv_recurse_has_child(new_backing_bs, bs)) {
-            error_setg(errp, "Making '%s' a backing file of '%s' "
-                       "would create a cycle", str, bs->node_name);
+        } else if (bdrv_recurse_has_child(new_child_bs, bs)) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Making '%s' a %s of '%s' would create a cycle",
+                       str, parse_file ? "file" : "backing file",
+                       bs->node_name);
             return -EINVAL;
         }
         break;
     default:
-        /* 'backing' does not allow any other data type */
+        /* The options QDict has been flattened, so 'backing' and 'file'
+         * do not allow any other data type here. */
         g_assert_not_reached();
     }
 
-    /*
-     * Check AioContext compatibility so that the bdrv_set_backing_hd() call in
-     * bdrv_reopen_commit() won't fail.
-     */
-    if (new_backing_bs) {
-        if (!bdrv_reopen_can_attach(bs, bs->backing, new_backing_bs, errp)) {
+    /* If 'file' points to the current child then there's nothing to do */
+    if (child_bs(child) == new_child_bs) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    /* Check AioContext compatibility */
+    if (new_child_bs) {
+        if (!bdrv_reopen_can_attach(bs, child, new_child_bs, errp)) {
             return -EINVAL;
         }
     }
 
-    /*
-     * Ensure that @bs can really handle backing files, because we are
-     * about to give it one (or swap the existing one)
-     */
-    if (bs->drv->is_filter) {
-        /* Filters always have a file or a backing child */
-        if (!bs->backing) {
-            error_setg(errp, "'%s' is a %s filter node that does not support a "
-                       "backing child", bs->node_name, bs->drv->format_name);
+    if (parse_file) {
+        assert(child && child->bs);
+    } else {
+        /*
+         * Ensure that @bs can really handle backing files, because we are
+         * about to give it one (or swap the existing one)
+         */
+        if (bs->drv->is_filter) {
+            /* Filters always have a file or a backing child */
+            if (!bs->backing) {
+                error_setg(errp, "'%s' is a %s filter node "
+                           "that does not support a backing child",
+                           bs->node_name, bs->drv->format_name);
+                return -EINVAL;
+            }
+        } else if (!bs->drv->supports_backing) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Driver '%s' of node '%s' "
+                       "does not support backing files",
+                       bs->drv->format_name, bs->node_name);
             return -EINVAL;
         }
-    } else if (!bs->drv->supports_backing) {
-        error_setg(errp, "Driver '%s' of node '%s' does not support backing "
-                   "files", bs->drv->format_name, bs->node_name);
-        return -EINVAL;
     }
 
     /*
@@ -4170,13 +4186,13 @@ static int bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
     }
 
     /* If we want to replace the backing file we need some extra checks */
-    if (new_backing_bs != bdrv_filter_or_cow_bs(overlay_bs)) {
+    if (new_child_bs != bdrv_filter_or_cow_bs(overlay_bs)) {
         int ret;
 
         /* Check for implicit nodes between bs and its backing file */
         if (bs != overlay_bs) {
-            error_setg(errp, "Cannot change backing link if '%s' has "
-                       "an implicit backing file", bs->node_name);
+            error_setg(errp, "Cannot change %s link if '%s' has an implicit "
+                       "child", parse_file ? "file" : "backing", bs->node_name);
             return -EPERM;
         }
         /*
@@ -4188,16 +4204,24 @@ static int bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
          * with bs->drv->supports_backing == true.
          */
         if (bdrv_is_backing_chain_frozen(overlay_bs,
-                                         child_bs(overlay_bs->backing), errp))
+                                         bdrv_filter_or_cow_bs(overlay_bs),
+                                         errp))
         {
             return -EPERM;
         }
-        reopen_state->replace_backing_bs = true;
-        reopen_state->old_backing_bs = bs->backing ? bs->backing->bs : NULL;
-        ret = bdrv_set_backing_noperm(bs, new_backing_bs, set_backings_tran,
-                                      errp);
-        if (ret < 0) {
-            return ret;
+        if (parse_file) {
+            /* Store the old file bs, we'll need to refresh its permissions */
+            reopen_state->old_file_bs = bs->file->bs;
+
+            /* And finally replace the child */
+            bdrv_replace_child(bs->file, new_child_bs, tran);
+        } else {
+            reopen_state->replace_backing_bs = true;
+            reopen_state->old_backing_bs = child_bs(bs->backing);
+            ret = bdrv_set_backing_noperm(bs, new_child_bs, tran, errp);
+            if (ret < 0) {
+                return ret;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -4223,7 +4247,7 @@ static int bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
  */
 static int bdrv_reopen_prepare(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
                                BlockReopenQueue *queue,
-                               GSList **set_backings_tran, Error **errp)
+                               GSList **tran, Error **errp)
 {
     int ret = -1;
     int old_flags;
@@ -4349,12 +4373,19 @@ static int bdrv_reopen_prepare(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state,
      * either a reference to an existing node (using its node name)
      * or NULL to simply detach the current backing file.
      */
-    ret = bdrv_reopen_parse_backing(reopen_state, set_backings_tran, errp);
+    ret = bdrv_reopen_parse_file_or_backing(reopen_state, false, tran, errp);
     if (ret < 0) {
         goto error;
     }
     qdict_del(reopen_state->options, "backing");
 
+    /* Allow changing the 'file' option. In this case NULL is not allowed */
+    ret = bdrv_reopen_parse_file_or_backing(reopen_state, true, tran, errp);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        goto error;
+    }
+    qdict_del(reopen_state->options, "file");
+
     /* Options that are not handled are only okay if they are unchanged
      * compared to the old state. It is expected that some options are only
      * used for the initial open, but not reopen (e.g. filename) */
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/245 b/tests/qemu-iotests/245
index e60c8326d3..52c2ed7c2d 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/245
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/245
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
         self.reopen(opts, {'driver': 'raw'}, "Cannot change the option 'driver'")
         self.reopen(opts, {'driver': ''}, "Invalid parameter ''")
         self.reopen(opts, {'driver': None}, "Invalid parameter type for 'driver', expected: string")
-        self.reopen(opts, {'file': 'not-found'}, "Cannot change the option 'file'")
-        self.reopen(opts, {'file': ''}, "Cannot change the option 'file'")
+        self.reopen(opts, {'file': 'not-found'}, "Cannot find device= nor node_name=not-found")
+        self.reopen(opts, {'file': ''}, "Cannot find device= nor node_name=")
         self.reopen(opts, {'file': None}, "Invalid parameter type for 'file', expected: BlockdevRef")
         self.reopen(opts, {'file.node-name': 'newname'}, "Cannot change the option 'node-name'")
         self.reopen(opts, {'file.driver': 'host_device'}, "Cannot change the option 'driver'")
@@ -454,7 +454,8 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
         # More illegal operations
         self.reopen(opts[2], {'backing': 'hd1'},
                     "Making 'hd1' a backing file of 'hd2' would create a cycle")
-        self.reopen(opts[2], {'file': 'hd0-file'}, "Cannot change the option 'file'")
+        self.reopen(opts[2], {'file': 'hd0-file'},
+                    "Conflicts with use by hd2 as 'file', which does not allow 'write, resize' on hd0-file")
 
         result = self.vm.qmp('blockdev-del', conv_keys = True, node_name = 'hd2')
         self.assert_qmp(result, 'error/class', 'GenericError')
@@ -964,7 +965,7 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
 
         # We can't remove hd1 while the commit job is ongoing
         opts['backing'] = None
-        self.reopen(opts, {}, "Cannot change backing link if 'hd0' has an implicit backing file")
+        self.reopen(opts, {}, "Cannot change backing link if 'hd0' has an implicit child")
 
         # hd2 <- hd0
         self.vm.run_job('commit0', auto_finalize = False, auto_dismiss = True)
