diff --git a/block/stream.c b/block/stream.c
index 51462bd..d3e1812 100644
--- a/block/stream.c
+++ b/block/stream.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ typedef struct StreamBlockJob {
     BlockDriverState *base_overlay; /* COW overlay (stream from this) */
     BlockDriverState *above_base;   /* Node directly above the base */
     BlockdevOnError on_error;
-    char *backing_file_str;
     bool bs_read_only;
     bool chain_frozen;
 } StreamBlockJob;
@@ -103,8 +102,6 @@ static void stream_clean(Job *job)
         blk_set_perm(bjob->blk, 0, BLK_PERM_ALL, &error_abort);
         bdrv_reopen_set_read_only(bs, true, NULL);
     }
-
-    g_free(s->backing_file_str);
 }
 
 static int coroutine_fn stream_run(Job *job, Error **errp)
@@ -220,7 +217,7 @@ static const BlockJobDriver stream_job_driver = {
 };
 
 void stream_start(const char *job_id, BlockDriverState *bs,
-                  BlockDriverState *base, const char *backing_file_str,
+                  BlockDriverState *base,
                   int creation_flags, int64_t speed,
                   BlockdevOnError on_error,
                   const char *filter_node_name,
@@ -295,7 +292,6 @@ void stream_start(const char *job_id, BlockDriverState *bs,
 
     s->base_overlay = base_overlay;
     s->above_base = above_base;
-    s->backing_file_str = g_strdup(backing_file_str);
     s->bs_read_only = bs_read_only;
     s->chain_frozen = true;
 
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index d719c47..019b6e0 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -2498,7 +2498,6 @@ void qmp_block_stream(bool has_job_id, const char *job_id, const char *device,
     BlockDriverState *base_bs = NULL;
     AioContext *aio_context;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
-    const char *base_name = NULL;
     int job_flags = JOB_DEFAULT;
 
     if (!has_on_error) {
@@ -2526,7 +2525,6 @@ void qmp_block_stream(bool has_job_id, const char *job_id, const char *device,
             goto out;
         }
         assert(bdrv_get_aio_context(base_bs) == aio_context);
-        base_name = base;
     }
 
     if (has_base_node) {
@@ -2541,7 +2539,11 @@ void qmp_block_stream(bool has_job_id, const char *job_id, const char *device,
         }
         assert(bdrv_get_aio_context(base_bs) == aio_context);
         bdrv_refresh_filename(base_bs);
-        base_name = base_bs->filename;
+    }
+
+    if (has_backing_file) {
+        warn_report("Use of \"backing-file\" argument is deprecated; "
+                    "a backing file of the node above base is used instead");
     }
 
     /* Check for op blockers in the whole chain between bs and base */
@@ -2553,17 +2555,6 @@ void qmp_block_stream(bool has_job_id, const char *job_id, const char *device,
         }
     }
 
-    /* if we are streaming the entire chain, the result will have no backing
-     * file, and specifying one is therefore an error */
-    if (base_bs == NULL && has_backing_file) {
-        error_setg(errp, "backing file specified, but streaming the "
-                         "entire chain");
-        goto out;
-    }
-
-    /* backing_file string overrides base bs filename */
-    base_name = has_backing_file ? backing_file : base_name;
-
     if (has_auto_finalize && !auto_finalize) {
         job_flags |= JOB_MANUAL_FINALIZE;
     }
@@ -2571,7 +2562,7 @@ void qmp_block_stream(bool has_job_id, const char *job_id, const char *device,
         job_flags |= JOB_MANUAL_DISMISS;
     }
 
-    stream_start(has_job_id ? job_id : NULL, bs, base_bs, base_name,
+    stream_start(has_job_id ? job_id : NULL, bs, base_bs,
                  job_flags, has_speed ? speed : 0, on_error,
                  filter_node_name, &local_err);
     if (local_err) {
diff --git a/include/block/block_int.h b/include/block/block_int.h
index a142867..4f523c3 100644
--- a/include/block/block_int.h
+++ b/include/block/block_int.h
@@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ int is_windows_drive(const char *filename);
  * BlockDriverState.
  */
 void stream_start(const char *job_id, BlockDriverState *bs,
-                  BlockDriverState *base, const char *backing_file_str,
+                  BlockDriverState *base,
                   int creation_flags, int64_t speed,
                   BlockdevOnError on_error,
                   const char *filter_node_name,
