diff --git a/include/block/block_int.h b/include/block/block_int.h
index 8b9d769e14..38cad9d15c 100644
--- a/include/block/block_int.h
+++ b/include/block/block_int.h
@@ -847,11 +847,20 @@ struct BlockDriverState {
     bool walking_aio_notifiers; /* to make removal during iteration safe */
 
     char filename[PATH_MAX];
-    char backing_file[PATH_MAX]; /* if non zero, the image is a diff of
-                                    this file image */
-    /* The backing filename indicated by the image header; if we ever
-     * open this file, then this is replaced by the resulting BDS's
-     * filename (i.e. after a bdrv_refresh_filename() run). */
+    /*
+     * If not empty, this image is a diff in relation to backing_file.
+     * Note that this is the name given in the image header and
+     * therefore may or may not be equal to .backing->bs->filename.
+     * If this field contains a relative path, it is to be resolved
+     * relatively to the overlay's location.
+     */
+    char backing_file[PATH_MAX];
+    /*
+     * The backing filename indicated by the image header.  Contrary
+     * to backing_file, if we ever open this file, auto_backing_file
+     * is replaced by the resulting BDS's filename (i.e. after a
+     * bdrv_refresh_filename() run).
+     */
     char auto_backing_file[PATH_MAX];
     char backing_format[16]; /* if non-zero and backing_file exists */
 
@@ -1053,6 +1062,8 @@ BlockDriver *bdrv_probe_all(const uint8_t *buf, int buf_size,
 void bdrv_parse_filename_strip_prefix(const char *filename, const char *prefix,
                                       QDict *options);
 
+bool bdrv_backing_overridden(BlockDriverState *bs);
+
 
 /**
  * bdrv_add_before_write_notifier:
diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 63c7d9b1a7..9538af4884 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -1155,10 +1155,6 @@ static void bdrv_backing_attach(BdrvChild *c)
     bdrv_refresh_filename(backing_hd);
 
     parent->open_flags &= ~BDRV_O_NO_BACKING;
-    pstrcpy(parent->backing_file, sizeof(parent->backing_file),
-            backing_hd->filename);
-    pstrcpy(parent->backing_format, sizeof(parent->backing_format),
-            backing_hd->drv ? backing_hd->drv->format_name : "");
 
     bdrv_op_block_all(backing_hd, parent->backing_blocker);
     /* Otherwise we won't be able to commit or stream */
@@ -5673,6 +5669,7 @@ BlockDriverState *bdrv_find_backing_image(BlockDriverState *bs,
     char *backing_file_full = NULL;
     char *filename_tmp = NULL;
     int is_protocol = 0;
+    bool filenames_refreshed = false;
     BlockDriverState *curr_bs = NULL;
     BlockDriverState *retval = NULL;
     BlockDriverState *bs_below;
@@ -5698,9 +5695,31 @@ BlockDriverState *bdrv_find_backing_image(BlockDriverState *bs,
     {
         bs_below = bdrv_backing_chain_next(curr_bs);
 
-        /* If either of the filename paths is actually a protocol, then
-         * compare unmodified paths; otherwise make paths relative */
-        if (is_protocol || path_has_protocol(curr_bs->backing_file)) {
+        if (bdrv_backing_overridden(curr_bs)) {
+            /*
+             * If the backing file was overridden, we can only compare
+             * directly against the backing node's filename.
+             */
+
+            if (!filenames_refreshed) {
+                /*
+                 * This will automatically refresh all of the
+                 * filenames in the rest of the backing chain, so we
+                 * only need to do this once.
+                 */
+                bdrv_refresh_filename(bs_below);
+                filenames_refreshed = true;
+            }
+
+            if (strcmp(backing_file, bs_below->filename) == 0) {
+                retval = bs_below;
+                break;
+            }
+        } else if (is_protocol || path_has_protocol(curr_bs->backing_file)) {
+            /*
+             * If either of the filename paths is actually a protocol, then
+             * compare unmodified paths; otherwise make paths relative.
+             */
             char *backing_file_full_ret;
 
             if (strcmp(backing_file, curr_bs->backing_file) == 0) {
@@ -6820,7 +6839,7 @@ static bool append_strong_runtime_options(QDict *d, BlockDriverState *bs)
 /* Note: This function may return false positives; it may return true
  * even if opening the backing file specified by bs's image header
  * would result in exactly bs->backing. */
-static bool bdrv_backing_overridden(BlockDriverState *bs)
+bool bdrv_backing_overridden(BlockDriverState *bs)
 {
     if (bs->backing) {
         return strcmp(bs->auto_backing_file,
diff --git a/block/qapi.c b/block/qapi.c
index 2628323b63..f423ece98c 100644
--- a/block/qapi.c
+++ b/block/qapi.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ BlockDeviceInfo *bdrv_block_device_info(BlockBackend *blk,
                                         Error **errp)
 {
     ImageInfo **p_image_info;
-    BlockDriverState *bs0;
+    BlockDriverState *bs0, *backing;
     BlockDeviceInfo *info;
 
     if (!bs->drv) {
@@ -76,9 +76,10 @@ BlockDeviceInfo *bdrv_block_device_info(BlockBackend *blk,
         info->node_name = g_strdup(bs->node_name);
     }
 
-    if (bs->backing_file[0]) {
+    backing = bdrv_cow_bs(bs);
+    if (backing) {
         info->has_backing_file = true;
-        info->backing_file = g_strdup(bs->backing_file);
+        info->backing_file = g_strdup(backing->filename);
     }
 
     if (!QLIST_EMPTY(&bs->dirty_bitmaps)) {
@@ -314,6 +315,7 @@ void bdrv_query_image_info(BlockDriverState *bs,
     backing_filename = bs->backing_file;
     if (backing_filename[0] != '\0') {
         char *backing_filename2;
+
         info->backing_filename = g_strdup(backing_filename);
         info->has_backing_filename = true;
         backing_filename2 = bdrv_get_full_backing_filename(bs, NULL);
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/228 b/tests/qemu-iotests/228
index 60db986d84..266fce6cda 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/228
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/228
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def log_node_info(node):
 
     log('bs->filename: ' + node['image']['filename'],
         filters=[filter_testfiles, filter_imgfmt])
-    log('bs->backing_file: ' + node['backing_file'],
+    log('bs->backing_file: ' + node['image']['full-backing-filename'],
         filters=[filter_testfiles, filter_imgfmt])
 
     if 'backing-image' in node['image']:
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ with iotests.FilePath('base.img') as base_img_path, \
                 },
                 filters=[filter_qmp_testfiles, filter_qmp_imgfmt])
 
-    # Filename should be plain, and the backing filename should not
-    # contain the "file:" prefix
+    # Filename should be plain, and the backing node filename should
+    # not contain the "file:" prefix
     log_node_info(vm.node_info('node0'))
 
     vm.qmp_log('blockdev-del', node_name='node0')
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/228.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/228.out
index 4217df24fe..8c82009abe 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/228.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/228.out
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 {"return": {}}
 
 bs->filename: TEST_DIR/PID-top.img
-bs->backing_file: TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
+bs->backing_file: file:TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
 bs->backing->bs->filename: TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
 
 {"execute": "blockdev-del", "arguments": {"node-name": "node0"}}
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ bs->backing->bs->filename: TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
 {"return": {}}
 
 bs->filename: TEST_DIR/PID-top.img
-bs->backing_file: TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
+bs->backing_file: file:TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
 bs->backing->bs->filename: TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
 
 {"execute": "blockdev-del", "arguments": {"node-name": "node0"}}
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ bs->backing->bs->filename: TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
 {"return": {}}
 
 bs->filename: json:{"backing": {"driver": "null-co"}, "driver": "IMGFMT", "file": {"driver": "file", "filename": "TEST_DIR/PID-top.img"}}
-bs->backing_file: null-co://
+bs->backing_file: TEST_DIR/PID-base.img
 bs->backing->bs->filename: null-co://
 
 {"execute": "blockdev-del", "arguments": {"node-name": "node0"}}
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/245 b/tests/qemu-iotests/245
index ad91a6f5b4..e60c8326d3 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/245
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/245
@@ -725,7 +725,9 @@ class TestBlockdevReopen(iotests.QMPTestCase):
 
         # Detach hd2 from hd0.
         self.reopen(opts, {'backing': None})
-        self.reopen(opts, {}, "backing is missing for 'hd0'")
+
+        # Without a backing file, we can omit 'backing' again
+        self.reopen(opts)
 
         # Remove both hd0 and hd2
         result = self.vm.qmp('blockdev-del', conv_keys = True, node_name = 'hd0')
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/273.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/273.out
index 87d4758503..8247cbaea1 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/273.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/273.out
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Testing: -blockdev file,node-name=base,filename=TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT.base -blockdev
                         "actual-size": SIZE,
                         "dirty-flag": false
                     },
-                    "backing-filename-format": "file",
+                    "backing-filename-format": "IMGFMT",
                     "virtual-size": 67108864,
                     "filename": "TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT.mid",
                     "cluster-size": 65536,
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ Testing: -blockdev file,node-name=base,filename=TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT.base -blockdev
                     "actual-size": SIZE,
                     "dirty-flag": false
                 },
-                "backing-filename-format": "file",
+                "backing-filename-format": "IMGFMT",
                 "virtual-size": 67108864,
                 "filename": "TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT.mid",
                 "cluster-size": 65536,
