diff --git a/cmd/podman/machine/init.go b/cmd/podman/machine/init.go
index 19f31d1a62..e525a11858 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/machine/init.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/machine/init.go
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ func init() {
 	flags.StringVar(&initOpts.ImagePath, ImagePathFlagName, cfg.Engine.MachineImage, "Path to qcow image")
 	_ = initCmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc(ImagePathFlagName, completion.AutocompleteDefault)
 
+	VolumeFlagName := "volume"
+	flags.StringArrayVarP(&initOpts.Volumes, VolumeFlagName, "v", []string{}, "Volumes to mount, source:target")
+	_ = initCmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc(VolumeFlagName, completion.AutocompleteDefault)
+
 	IgnitionPathFlagName := "ignition-path"
 	flags.StringVar(&initOpts.IgnitionPath, IgnitionPathFlagName, "", "Path to ignition file")
 	_ = initCmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc(IgnitionPathFlagName, completion.AutocompleteDefault)
diff --git a/docs/source/markdown/podman-machine-init.1.md b/docs/source/markdown/podman-machine-init.1.md
index 1236db6020..de5d8e685b 100644
--- a/docs/source/markdown/podman-machine-init.1.md
+++ b/docs/source/markdown/podman-machine-init.1.md
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ Defaults to `testing`.
 
 Memory (in MB).
 
+#### **--volume**, **-v**=*source:target*
+
+Mounts a volume from `source` to `target`.
+
 #### **--now**
 
 Start the virtual machine immediately after it has been initialized.
diff --git a/pkg/machine/config.go b/pkg/machine/config.go
index 8db2335aaa..3891787527 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/config.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/config.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ type InitOptions struct {
 	DiskSize     uint64
 	IgnitionPath string
 	ImagePath    string
+	Volumes      []string
 	IsDefault    bool
 	Memory       uint64
 	Name         string
diff --git a/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go b/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go
index 3d0fa4094f..78a489c87a 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ type MachineVM struct {
 	CPUs uint64
 	// The command line representation of the qemu command
 	CmdLine []string
+	// Mounts is the list of remote filesystems to mount
+	Mounts []Mount
 	// IdentityPath is the fq path to the ssh priv key
 	IdentityPath string
 	// IgnitionFilePath is the fq path to the .ign file
@@ -27,6 +29,13 @@ type MachineVM struct {
 	RemoteUsername string
 }
 
+type Mount struct {
+	Type   string
+	Tag    string
+	Source string
+	Target string
+}
+
 type Monitor struct {
 	//	Address portion of the qmp monitor (/tmp/tmp.sock)
 	Address string
diff --git a/pkg/machine/qemu/machine.go b/pkg/machine/qemu/machine.go
index d5f5385940..95bf75c1b5 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/qemu/machine.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/qemu/machine.go
@@ -165,6 +165,21 @@ func (v *MachineVM) Init(opts machine.InitOptions) error {
 	// Add arch specific options including image location
 	v.CmdLine = append(v.CmdLine, v.addArchOptions()...)
 
+	mounts := []Mount{}
+	for i, volume := range opts.Volumes {
+		tag := fmt.Sprintf("vol%d", i)
+		paths := strings.SplitN(volume, ":", 2)
+		source := paths[0]
+		target := source
+		if len(paths) > 1 {
+			target = paths[1]
+		}
+		addVirtfsOptions := []string{"-virtfs", fmt.Sprintf("local,path=%s,mount_tag=%s,security_model=mapped-xattr", source, tag)}
+		v.CmdLine = append(v.CmdLine, addVirtfsOptions...)
+		mounts = append(mounts, Mount{Type: "9p", Tag: tag, Source: source, Target: target})
+	}
+	v.Mounts = mounts
+
 	// Add location of bootable image
 	v.CmdLine = append(v.CmdLine, "-drive", "if=virtio,file="+v.ImagePath)
 	// This kind of stinks but no other way around this r/n
@@ -325,7 +340,28 @@ func (v *MachineVM) Start(name string, _ machine.StartOptions) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	_, err = bufio.NewReader(conn).ReadString('\n')
-	return err
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if len(v.Mounts) > 0 {
+		for !v.isRunning() || !v.isListening() {
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, mount := range v.Mounts {
+		fmt.Printf("Mounting volume... %s:%s\n", mount.Source, mount.Target)
+		// create mountpoint directory if it doesn't exist
+		err = v.SSH(name, machine.SSHOptions{Args: []string{"-q", "--", "sudo", "mkdir", "-p", mount.Target}})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		err = v.SSH(name, machine.SSHOptions{Args: []string{"-q", "--", "sudo", "mount", "-t", mount.Type, "-o", "trans=virtio", mount.Tag, mount.Target, "-o", "version=9p2000.L,msize=131072"}})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Stop uses the qmp monitor to call a system_powerdown
@@ -482,6 +518,16 @@ func (v *MachineVM) isRunning() bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+func (v *MachineVM) isListening() bool {
+	// Check if we can dial it
+	conn, err := net.DialTimeout("tcp", fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", "localhost", v.Port), 10*time.Millisecond)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	conn.Close()
+	return true
+}
+
 // SSH opens an interactive SSH session to the vm specified.
 // Added ssh function to VM interface: pkg/machine/config/go : line 58
 func (v *MachineVM) SSH(name string, opts machine.SSHOptions) error {