diff --git a/block/export/export.c b/block/export/export.c
index bac42b8608..f3bbf11070 100644
--- a/block/export/export.c
+++ b/block/export/export.c
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ static const BlockExportDriver *blk_exp_find_driver(BlockExportType type)
 BlockExport *blk_exp_add(BlockExportOptions *export, Error **errp)
 {
     bool fixed_iothread = export->has_fixed_iothread && export->fixed_iothread;
+    bool allow_inactive = export->has_allow_inactive && export->allow_inactive;
     const BlockExportDriver *drv;
     BlockExport *exp = NULL;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
@@ -138,17 +139,24 @@ BlockExport *blk_exp_add(BlockExportOptions *export, Error **errp)
         }
     }
 
-    /*
-     * Block exports are used for non-shared storage migration. Make sure
-     * that BDRV_O_INACTIVE is cleared and the image is ready for write
-     * access since the export could be available before migration handover.
-     * ctx was acquired in the caller.
-     */
     bdrv_graph_rdlock_main_loop();
-    ret = bdrv_activate(bs, errp);
-    if (ret < 0) {
-        bdrv_graph_rdunlock_main_loop();
-        goto fail;
+    if (allow_inactive) {
+        if (!drv->supports_inactive) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Export type does not support inactive exports");
+            bdrv_graph_rdunlock_main_loop();
+            goto fail;
+        }
+    } else {
+        /*
+         * Block exports are used for non-shared storage migration. Make sure
+         * that BDRV_O_INACTIVE is cleared and the image is ready for write
+         * access since the export could be available before migration handover.
+         */
+        ret = bdrv_activate(bs, errp);
+        if (ret < 0) {
+            bdrv_graph_rdunlock_main_loop();
+            goto fail;
+        }
     }
     bdrv_graph_rdunlock_main_loop();
 
@@ -162,6 +170,9 @@ BlockExport *blk_exp_add(BlockExportOptions *export, Error **errp)
     if (!fixed_iothread) {
         blk_set_allow_aio_context_change(blk, true);
     }
+    if (allow_inactive) {
+        blk_set_force_allow_inactivate(blk);
+    }
 
     ret = blk_insert_bs(blk, bs, errp);
     if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/include/block/export.h b/include/block/export.h
index f2fe0f8078..4bd9531d4d 100644
--- a/include/block/export.h
+++ b/include/block/export.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ typedef struct BlockExportDriver {
      */
     size_t instance_size;
 
+    /* True if the export type supports running on an inactive node */
+    bool supports_inactive;
+
     /* Creates and starts a new block export */
     int (*create)(BlockExport *, BlockExportOptions *, Error **);
 
diff --git a/qapi/block-export.json b/qapi/block-export.json
index ce33fe378d..117b05d13c 100644
--- a/qapi/block-export.json
+++ b/qapi/block-export.json
@@ -372,6 +372,13 @@
 #     cannot be moved to the iothread.  The default is false.
 #     (since: 5.2)
 #
+# @allow-inactive: If true, the export allows the exported node to be inactive.
+#     If it is created for an inactive block node, the node remains inactive. If
+#     the export type doesn't support running on an inactive node, an error is
+#     returned. If false, inactive block nodes are automatically activated before
+#     creating the export and trying to inactivate them later fails.
+#     (since: 10.0; default: false)
+#
 # Since: 4.2
 ##
 { 'union': 'BlockExportOptions',
@@ -381,7 +388,8 @@
             '*iothread': 'str',
             'node-name': 'str',
             '*writable': 'bool',
-            '*writethrough': 'bool' },
+            '*writethrough': 'bool',
+            '*allow-inactive': 'bool' },
   'discriminator': 'type',
   'data': {
       'nbd': 'BlockExportOptionsNbd',