diff --git a/docs/man/xl.cfg.5.pod.in b/docs/man/xl.cfg.5.pod.in
index 0cad561375..5f476f1e1d 100644
--- a/docs/man/xl.cfg.5.pod.in
+++ b/docs/man/xl.cfg.5.pod.in
@@ -668,6 +668,13 @@ file.
 
 =back
 
+=item B<suspend_event_channel=BOOLEAN>
+
+Create the xenstore path for the domain's suspend event channel. The
+existence of this path can cause problems with older PV drivers running
+in the guest. If this option is not specified then it will default to
+B<true>.
+
 =back
 
 =head2 Devices
diff --git a/docs/misc/xenstore-paths.pandoc b/docs/misc/xenstore-paths.pandoc
index e2ab5da54e..a8eecdb7ed 100644
--- a/docs/misc/xenstore-paths.pandoc
+++ b/docs/misc/xenstore-paths.pandoc
@@ -176,10 +176,11 @@ The size of the video RAM this domain is configured with.
 
 #### ~/device/suspend/event-channel = ""|EVTCHN [w]
 
-The domain's suspend event channel. The toolstack will create this
-path with an empty value which the guest may choose to overwrite.
+The domain's suspend event channel. The toolstack may create this
+path with an empty value which the guest may choose to overwrite. If
+the path does not exist then the guest may create it.
 
-If the guest overwrites this, it will be with the number of an unbound
+If the guest writes this, it will be with the number of an unbound
 event channel port it has acquired.  The toolstack is expected to use
 an interdomain bind, and then, when it wishes to ask the guest to
 suspend, to signal the event channel.
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl.h b/tools/libxl/libxl.h
index 35e13428b2..b97823823b 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl.h
@@ -1272,10 +1272,22 @@ void libxl_mac_copy(libxl_ctx *ctx, libxl_mac *dst, const libxl_mac *src);
  * LIBXL_HAVE_CREATEINFO_DOMID
  *
  * libxl_domain_create_new() and libxl_domain_create_restore() will use
- * a domid specified in libxl_domain_create_info().
+ * a domid specified in libxl_domain_create_info.
  */
 #define LIBXL_HAVE_CREATEINFO_DOMID
 
+/*
+ * LIBXL_HAVE_CREATEINFO_SUSPEND_EVENT_CHANNEL
+ *
+ * libxl_domain_create_info contains a boolean 'suspend_event_channel'
+ * value to control whether the xenstore path:
+ *
+ * /local/domain/$DOMID/device/suspend/event-channel (RW)
+ *
+ * is created.
+ */
+#define LIBXL_HAVE_CREATEINFO_SUSPEND_EVENT_CHANNEL
+
 typedef char **libxl_string_list;
 void libxl_string_list_dispose(libxl_string_list *sl);
 int libxl_string_list_length(const libxl_string_list *sl);
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
index fb7b3999ae..8afb0ce2be 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_create.c
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ int libxl__domain_create_info_setdefault(libxl__gc *gc,
     if (!c_info->ssidref)
         c_info->ssidref = SECINITSID_DOMU;
 
+    libxl_defbool_setdefault(&c_info->suspend_event_channel, true);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -750,7 +752,7 @@ retry_transaction:
                     roperm, ARRAY_SIZE(roperm));
     libxl__xs_mknod(gc, t,
                     GCSPRINTF("%s/device", dom_path),
-                    roperm, ARRAY_SIZE(roperm));
+                    rwperm, ARRAY_SIZE(rwperm));
     libxl__xs_mknod(gc, t,
                     GCSPRINTF("%s/control", dom_path),
                     roperm, ARRAY_SIZE(roperm));
@@ -782,9 +784,13 @@ retry_transaction:
     libxl__xs_mknod(gc, t,
                     GCSPRINTF("%s/control/sysrq", dom_path),
                     rwperm, ARRAY_SIZE(rwperm));
-    libxl__xs_mknod(gc, t,
-                    GCSPRINTF("%s/device/suspend/event-channel", dom_path),
-                    rwperm, ARRAY_SIZE(rwperm));
+
+    if (libxl_defbool_val(info->suspend_event_channel))
+        libxl__xs_mknod(gc, t,
+                        GCSPRINTF("%s/device/suspend/event-channel",
+                                  dom_path),
+                        rwperm, ARRAY_SIZE(rwperm));
+
     libxl__xs_mknod(gc, t,
                     GCSPRINTF("%s/data", dom_path),
                     rwperm, ARRAY_SIZE(rwperm));
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
index d0d431614f..2bce19bcf0 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_types.idl
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ libxl_domain_create_info = Struct("domain_create_info",[
     ("run_hotplug_scripts",libxl_defbool),
     ("driver_domain",libxl_defbool),
     ("passthrough",  libxl_passthrough),
+    ("suspend_event_channel",libxl_defbool),
     ], dir=DIR_IN)
 
 libxl_domain_restore_params = Struct("domain_restore_params", [
diff --git a/tools/xl/xl_parse.c b/tools/xl/xl_parse.c
index b881184804..122c6eb641 100644
--- a/tools/xl/xl_parse.c
+++ b/tools/xl/xl_parse.c
@@ -2725,6 +2725,9 @@ skip_usbdev:
 
     parse_vkb_list(config, d_config);
 
+    xlu_cfg_get_defbool(config, "suspend_event_channel",
+                        &c_info->suspend_event_channel, 0);
+
     xlu_cfg_destroy(config);
 }
 
