diff --git a/gnu/build/vm.scm b/gnu/build/vm.scm
index c062ab5c71..d2bf7418fd 100644
--- a/gnu/build/vm.scm
+++ b/gnu/build/vm.scm
@@ -371,6 +371,8 @@ (define* (root-partition-initializer #:key (closures '())
                                      (register-closures? #t)
                                      system-directory
                                      (deduplicate? #t)
+                                     (make-device-nodes
+                                      make-essential-device-nodes)
                                      (extra-directives '()))
   "Return a procedure to initialize a root partition.
 
@@ -392,7 +394,7 @@ (define target-store
                       target))
 
     ;; Populate /dev.
-    (make-essential-device-nodes target)
+    (make-device-nodes target)
 
     ;; Optionally, register the inputs in the image's store.
     (when register-closures?
diff --git a/gnu/system/vm.scm b/gnu/system/vm.scm
index 65e96d42ee..e8c2f6e162 100644
--- a/gnu/system/vm.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/vm.scm
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ (define* (qemu-image #:key
                      (disk-image-format "qcow2")
                      (file-system-type "ext4")
                      (file-system-options '())
+                     (device-nodes 'linux)
                      (extra-directives '())
                      file-system-label
                      file-system-uuid
@@ -397,6 +398,9 @@ (define* (qemu-image #:key
 type GUIX-SERVICE-TYPE is present in the services definition of the operating
 system.
 
+When DEVICE-NODES is 'linux, create Linux-device block and character devices
+under /dev.  When it is 'hurd, do Hurdish things.
+
 EXTRA-DIRECTIVES is an optional list of directives to populate the root file
 system that is passed to 'populate-root-file-system'."
   (define schema
@@ -416,6 +420,9 @@ (define schema
        #~(begin
            (use-modules (gnu build bootloader)
                         (gnu build vm)
+                        ((gnu build linux-boot)
+                         #:select (make-essential-device-nodes
+                                   make-hurd-device-nodes))
                         (guix store database)
                         (guix build utils)
                         (srfi srfi-26)
@@ -453,6 +460,11 @@ (define schema
                                  #:register-closures? #$register-closures?
                                  #:system-directory #$os
 
+                                 #:make-device-nodes
+                                 #$(match device-nodes
+                                     ('linux #~make-essential-device-nodes)
+                                     ('hurd #~make-hurd-device-nodes))
+
                                  ;; Disable deduplication to speed things up,
                                  ;; and because it doesn't help much for a
                                  ;; single system generation.