diff --git a/include/qemu/qemu-plugin.h b/include/qemu/qemu-plugin.h
index 50a9957279..40aae8db68 100644
--- a/include/qemu/qemu-plugin.h
+++ b/include/qemu/qemu-plugin.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #ifndef QEMU_QEMU_PLUGIN_H
 #define QEMU_QEMU_PLUGIN_H
 
+#include <glib.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ typedef uint64_t qemu_plugin_id_t;
 
 extern QEMU_PLUGIN_EXPORT int qemu_plugin_version;
 
-#define QEMU_PLUGIN_VERSION 1
+#define QEMU_PLUGIN_VERSION 2
 
 /**
  * struct qemu_info_t - system information for plugins
@@ -218,8 +219,8 @@ struct qemu_plugin_insn;
  * @QEMU_PLUGIN_CB_R_REGS: callback reads the CPU's regs
  * @QEMU_PLUGIN_CB_RW_REGS: callback reads and writes the CPU's regs
  *
- * Note: currently unused, plugins cannot read or change system
- * register state.
+ * Note: currently QEMU_PLUGIN_CB_RW_REGS is unused, plugins cannot change
+ * system register state.
  */
 enum qemu_plugin_cb_flags {
     QEMU_PLUGIN_CB_NO_REGS,
@@ -664,4 +665,49 @@ uint64_t qemu_plugin_end_code(void);
  */
 uint64_t qemu_plugin_entry_code(void);
 
+/**
+ * qemu_plugin_find_register_file() - find register file
+ *
+ * @vcpu_index: the index of the vcpu context
+ * @name: the name of the register file.
+ *
+ * Returns the identifier of the register file if it was found, and a negative
+ * value otherwise.
+ *
+ * The names of register files are identical with names of GDB's standard
+ * target features with some extensions. For details, see:
+ * https://sourceware.org/gdb/onlinedocs/gdb/Standard-Target-Features.html
+ */
+int qemu_plugin_find_register_file(unsigned int vcpu_index, const char *name);
+
+/**
+ * qemu_plugin_find_register() - find register
+ *
+ * @vcpu_index: the index of the vcpu context
+ * @file: the register file identifier determined with
+ *        qemu_plugin_find_register_file().
+ * @name: the name of the register.
+ *
+ * The names of register are identical with names used in GDB's standard
+ * target features with some extensions. For details, see:
+ * https://sourceware.org/gdb/onlinedocs/gdb/Standard-Target-Features.html
+ */
+int qemu_plugin_find_register(unsigned int vcpu_index, int file,
+                              const char *name);
+
+/**
+ * qemu_plugin_read_register() - read register
+ *
+ * @buf: the byte array to append the read register content to.
+ * @reg: the register identifier determined with
+ *       qemu_plugin_find_register().
+ *
+ * This function is only available in a context that register read access is
+ * explicitly requested.
+ *
+ * Returns the size of the read register. The content of @buf is in target byte
+ * order.
+ */
+int qemu_plugin_read_register(GByteArray *buf, int reg);
+
 #endif /* QEMU_QEMU_PLUGIN_H */
diff --git a/plugins/api.c b/plugins/api.c
index 2078b16edb..7c2843da1a 100644
--- a/plugins/api.c
+++ b/plugins/api.c
@@ -35,10 +35,12 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu/main-loop.h"
 #include "qemu/plugin.h"
 #include "qemu/log.h"
 #include "tcg/tcg.h"
 #include "exec/exec-all.h"
+#include "exec/gdbstub.h"
 #include "exec/ram_addr.h"
 #include "disas/disas.h"
 #include "plugin.h"
@@ -442,3 +444,21 @@ uint64_t qemu_plugin_entry_code(void)
 #endif
     return entry;
 }
+
+int qemu_plugin_find_register_file(unsigned int vcpu_index, const char *name)
+{
+    QEMU_IOTHREAD_LOCK_GUARD();
+    return gdb_find_feature(qemu_get_cpu(vcpu_index), name);
+}
+
+int qemu_plugin_find_register(unsigned int vcpu_index, int file,
+                              const char *name)
+{
+    QEMU_IOTHREAD_LOCK_GUARD();
+    return gdb_find_feature_register(qemu_get_cpu(vcpu_index), file, name);
+}
+
+int qemu_plugin_read_register(GByteArray *buf, int reg)
+{
+    return gdb_read_register(current_cpu, buf, reg);
+}
diff --git a/plugins/qemu-plugins.symbols b/plugins/qemu-plugins.symbols
index 71f6c90549..977f1fcfcb 100644
--- a/plugins/qemu-plugins.symbols
+++ b/plugins/qemu-plugins.symbols
@@ -42,4 +42,7 @@
   qemu_plugin_tb_vaddr;
   qemu_plugin_uninstall;
   qemu_plugin_vcpu_for_each;
+  qemu_plugin_find_register_file;
+  qemu_plugin_find_register;
+  qemu_plugin_read_register;
 };
