diff --git a/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c b/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c
index 9eb60c6..27120da 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c
@@ -170,11 +170,22 @@ static size_t send_control_event(VirtIOSerialPort *port, uint16_t event,
 /* Functions for use inside qemu to open and read from/write to ports */
 int virtio_serial_open(VirtIOSerialPort *port)
 {
+    /* Don't allow opening an already-open port */
+    if (port->host_connected) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    /* Send port open notification to the guest */
+    port->host_connected = true;
+    send_control_event(port, VIRTIO_CONSOLE_PORT_OPEN, 1);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
 int virtio_serial_close(VirtIOSerialPort *port)
 {
+    port->host_connected = false;
+    send_control_event(port, VIRTIO_CONSOLE_PORT_OPEN, 0);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -182,6 +193,9 @@ int virtio_serial_close(VirtIOSerialPort *port)
 ssize_t virtio_serial_write(VirtIOSerialPort *port, const uint8_t *buf,
                             size_t size)
 {
+    if (!port || !port->host_connected || !port->guest_connected) {
+        return 0;
+    }
     return write_to_port(port, buf, size);
 }
 
@@ -202,6 +216,9 @@ size_t virtio_serial_guest_ready(VirtIOSerialPort *port)
         virtio_queue_empty(vq)) {
         return 0;
     }
+    if (use_multiport(port->vser) && !port->guest_connected) {
+        return 0;
+    }
 
     size = 4096;
     if (virtqueue_avail_bytes(vq, size, 0)) {
@@ -237,6 +254,9 @@ static void handle_control_message(VirtIOSerial *vser, void *buf)
         if (port->is_console) {
             send_control_event(port, VIRTIO_CONSOLE_CONSOLE_PORT, 1);
         }
+        if (port->host_connected) {
+            send_control_event(port, VIRTIO_CONSOLE_PORT_OPEN, 1);
+        }
         /*
          * When the guest has asked us for this information it means
          * the guest is all setup and has its virtqueues
@@ -247,6 +267,17 @@ static void handle_control_message(VirtIOSerial *vser, void *buf)
             port->info->guest_ready(port);
         }
         break;
+    case VIRTIO_CONSOLE_PORT_OPEN:
+        port->guest_connected = cpkt->value;
+        if (cpkt->value && port->info->guest_open) {
+            /* Send the guest opened notification if an app is interested */
+            port->info->guest_open(port);
+        }
+        if (!cpkt->value && port->info->guest_close) {
+            /* Send the guest closed notification if an app is interested */
+            port->info->guest_close(port);
+        }
+        break;
     }
 }
 
@@ -347,6 +378,8 @@ static void set_config(VirtIODevice *vdev, const uint8_t *config_data)
 static void virtio_serial_save(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
 {
     VirtIOSerial *s = opaque;
+    VirtIOSerialPort *port;
+    uint32_t nr_active_ports;
 
     /* The virtio device */
     virtio_save(&s->vdev, f);
@@ -357,11 +390,35 @@ static void virtio_serial_save(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
 
     /* Items in struct VirtIOSerial */
     qemu_put_be32s(f, &s->guest_features);
+
+    /* Do this because we might have hot-unplugged some ports */
+    nr_active_ports = 0;
+    QTAILQ_FOREACH(port, &s->ports, next)
+        nr_active_ports++;
+
+    qemu_put_be32s(f, &nr_active_ports);
+
+    /*
+     * Items in struct VirtIOSerialPort.
+     */
+    QTAILQ_FOREACH(port, &s->ports, next) {
+        /*
+         * We put the port number because we may not have an active
+         * port at id 0 that's reserved for a console port, or in case
+         * of ports that might have gotten unplugged
+         */
+        qemu_put_be32s(f, &port->id);
+        qemu_put_byte(f, port->guest_connected);
+
+    }
 }
 
 static int virtio_serial_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id)
 {
     VirtIOSerial *s = opaque;
+    VirtIOSerialPort *port;
+    uint32_t nr_active_ports;
+    unsigned int i;
 
     if (version_id > 2) {
         return -EINVAL;
@@ -380,6 +437,18 @@ static int virtio_serial_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id)
     /* Items in struct VirtIOSerial */
     qemu_get_be32s(f, &s->guest_features);
 
+    qemu_get_be32s(f, &nr_active_ports);
+
+    /* Items in struct VirtIOSerialPort */
+    for (i = 0; i < nr_active_ports; i++) {
+        uint32_t id;
+
+        id = qemu_get_be32(f);
+        port = find_port_by_id(s, id);
+
+        port->guest_connected = qemu_get_byte(f);
+
+    }
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -410,6 +479,10 @@ static void virtser_bus_dev_print(Monitor *mon, DeviceState *qdev, int indent)
                    indent, "", port->id);
     monitor_printf(mon, "%*s dev-prop-int: is_console: %d\n",
                    indent, "", port->is_console);
+    monitor_printf(mon, "%*s dev-prop-int: guest_connected: %d\n",
+                   indent, "", port->guest_connected);
+    monitor_printf(mon, "%*s dev-prop-int: host_connected: %d\n",
+                   indent, "", port->host_connected);
 }
 
 static int virtser_port_qdev_init(DeviceState *qdev, DeviceInfo *base)
diff --git a/hw/virtio-serial.c b/hw/virtio-serial.c
index a52ede8..654a259 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-serial.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-serial.c
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ static int virtconsole_initfn(VirtIOSerialDevice *dev)
     /* Tell the guest we're a console so it attaches us to an hvc console */
     port->is_console = true;
 
+    /*
+     * For console ports, just assume the guest is ready to accept our
+     * data.
+     */
+    port->guest_connected = true;
+
     if (vcon->chr) {
         qemu_chr_add_handlers(vcon->chr, chr_can_read, chr_read, chr_event,
                               vcon);
diff --git a/hw/virtio-serial.h b/hw/virtio-serial.h
index e604abc..b855375 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-serial.h
+++ b/hw/virtio-serial.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ struct virtio_console_header {
 #define VIRTIO_CONSOLE_PORT_READY	0
 #define VIRTIO_CONSOLE_CONSOLE_PORT	1
 #define VIRTIO_CONSOLE_RESIZE		2
+#define VIRTIO_CONSOLE_PORT_OPEN	3
 
 /* == In-qemu interface == */
 
@@ -96,6 +97,11 @@ struct VirtIOSerialPort {
 
     /* Identify if this is a port that binds with hvc in the guest */
     uint8_t is_console;
+
+    /* Is the corresponding guest device open? */
+    bool guest_connected;
+    /* Is this device open for IO on the host? */
+    bool host_connected;
 };
 
 struct VirtIOSerialPortInfo {
