diff --git a/docs/qdev-device-use.txt b/docs/qdev-device-use.txt
index cc53e97dcd..3d781be547 100644
--- a/docs/qdev-device-use.txt
+++ b/docs/qdev-device-use.txt
@@ -104,15 +104,10 @@ The -device argument differs in detail for each type of drive:
 
 * if=floppy
 
-  -global isa-fdc.driveA=DRIVE-ID
-  -global isa-fdc.driveB=DRIVE-ID
+  -device floppy,unit=UNIT,drive=DRIVE-ID
 
-  This is -global instead of -device, because the floppy controller is
-  created automatically, and we want to configure that one, not create
-  a second one (which isn't possible anyway).
-
-  Without any -global isa-fdc,... you get an empty driveA and no
-  driveB.  You can use -nodefaults to suppress the default driveA, see
+  Without any -device floppy,... you get an empty unit 0 and no unit
+  1.  You can use -nodefaults to suppress the default unit 0, see
   "Default Devices".
 
 * if=virtio
@@ -385,7 +380,7 @@ some DEVNAMEs:
 
     default device      suppressing DEVNAMEs
     CD-ROM              ide-cd, ide-drive, ide-hd, scsi-cd, scsi-hd
-    isa-fdc's driveA    floppy, isa-fdc
+    floppy              floppy, isa-fdc
     parallel            isa-parallel
     serial              isa-serial
     VGA                 VGA, cirrus-vga, isa-vga, isa-cirrus-vga,
diff --git a/docs/system/deprecated.rst b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
index f0061f94aa..9bd11c1e95 100644
--- a/docs/system/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
@@ -172,6 +172,32 @@ previously available ``-tb-size`` option.
 Use ``-display sdl,show-cursor=on`` or
  ``-display gtk,show-cursor=on`` instead.
 
+``Configuring floppies with ``-global``
+'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+Use ``-device floppy,...`` instead:
+::
+
+    -global isa-fdc.driveA=...
+    -global sysbus-fdc.driveA=...
+    -global SUNW,fdtwo.drive=...
+
+become
+::
+
+    -device floppy,unit=0,drive=...
+
+and
+::
+
+    -global isa-fdc.driveB=...
+    -global sysbus-fdc.driveB=...
+
+become
+::
+
+    -device floppy,unit=1,drive=...
+
 QEMU Machine Protocol (QMP) commands
 ------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/hw/block/fdc.c b/hw/block/fdc.c
index 35e734b6fb..4191d5b006 100644
--- a/hw/block/fdc.c
+++ b/hw/block/fdc.c
@@ -2525,6 +2525,7 @@ static void fdctrl_connect_drives(FDCtrl *fdctrl, DeviceState *fdc_dev,
     DeviceState *dev;
     BlockBackend *blk;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
+    const char *fdc_name, *drive_suffix;
 
     for (i = 0; i < MAX_FD; i++) {
         drive = &fdctrl->drives[i];
@@ -2539,10 +2540,26 @@ static void fdctrl_connect_drives(FDCtrl *fdctrl, DeviceState *fdc_dev,
             continue;
         }
 
+        fdc_name = object_get_typename(OBJECT(fdc_dev));
+        drive_suffix = !strcmp(fdc_name, "SUNW,fdtwo") ? "" : i ? "B" : "A";
+        warn_report("warning: property %s.drive%s is deprecated",
+                    fdc_name, drive_suffix);
+        error_printf("Use -device floppy,unit=%d,drive=... instead.\n", i);
+
         dev = qdev_new("floppy");
         qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "unit", i);
         qdev_prop_set_enum(dev, "drive-type", fdctrl->qdev_for_drives[i].type);
 
+        /*
+         * Hack alert: we move the backend from the floppy controller
+         * device to the floppy device.  We first need to detach the
+         * controller, or else floppy_create()'s qdev_prop_set_drive()
+         * will die when it attaches floppy device.  We also need to
+         * take another reference so that blk_detach_dev() doesn't
+         * free blk while we still need it.
+         *
+         * The hack is probably a bad idea.
+         */
         blk_ref(blk);
         blk_detach_dev(blk, fdc_dev);
         fdctrl->qdev_for_drives[i].blk = NULL;
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/172.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/172.out
index ba15a85c88..253f35111d 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/172.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/172.out
@@ -383,6 +383,8 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 === Using -drive if=none and -global ===
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -global isa-fdc.driveA=none0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveA is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=0,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -423,6 +425,8 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -463,6 +467,10 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveA=none0 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none1
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveA is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=0,drive=... instead.
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -661,6 +669,8 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 === Mixing -fdX and -global ===
 
 Testing: -fda TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -717,6 +727,8 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -fdb TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveA=none0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveA is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=0,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -773,9 +785,13 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -fda TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveA=none0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveA is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=0,drive=... instead.
 QEMU_PROG: Floppy unit 0 is in use
 
 Testing: -fdb TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 QEMU_PROG: Floppy unit 1 is in use
 
 Testing: -fda TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global floppy.drive=none0
@@ -1177,6 +1193,8 @@ QEMU_PROG: -device floppy,drive=none0,unit=0: Floppy unit 0 is in use
 === Mixing -global and -device ===
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveA=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveA is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=0,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -1233,6 +1251,8 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveA=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1,unit=1
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveA is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=0,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -1289,6 +1309,8 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -1345,6 +1367,8 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1,unit=0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 
           dev: isa-fdc, id ""
             iobase = 1008 (0x3f0)
@@ -1441,9 +1465,13 @@ sd0: [not inserted]
 
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveA=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1,unit=0
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveA is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=0,drive=... instead.
 QEMU_PROG: -device floppy,drive=none1,unit=0: Floppy unit 0 is in use
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1,unit=1
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 QEMU_PROG: -device floppy,drive=none1,unit=1: Floppy unit 1 is in use
 
 Testing: -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -global floppy.drive=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1,unit=0
@@ -1512,6 +1540,8 @@ QEMU_PROG: -device floppy,drive=floppy0: Property 'floppy.drive' can't find valu
 === Too many floppy drives ===
 
 Testing: -drive if=floppy,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.2 -drive if=none,file=TEST_DIR/t.qcow2.3 -global isa-fdc.driveB=none0 -device floppy,drive=none1
+QEMU_PROG: warning: warning: property isa-fdc.driveB is deprecated
+Use -device floppy,unit=1,drive=... instead.
 QEMU_PROG: -device floppy,drive=none1: Can't create floppy unit 2, bus supports only 2 units
 
 
