diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_config.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_config.py
index 7e124b279098..84f1491c829e 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_config.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_config.py
@@ -2284,6 +2284,7 @@ class LibvirtConfigGuestTest(LibvirtConfigBaseTest):
         obj.uuid = "b38a3f43-4be2-4046-897f-b67c2f5e0147"
         obj.os_type = "exe"
         obj.os_init_path = "/sbin/init"
+        obj.os_init_env["foo"] = "bar"
 
         fs = config.LibvirtConfigGuestFilesys()
         fs.source_dir = "/root/lxc"
@@ -2301,6 +2302,7 @@ class LibvirtConfigGuestTest(LibvirtConfigBaseTest):
               <os>
                 <type>exe</type>
                 <init>/sbin/init</init>
+                <initenv name="foo">bar</initenv>
               </os>
               <devices>
                 <filesystem type="mount">
@@ -2765,6 +2767,7 @@ class LibvirtConfigGuestTest(LibvirtConfigBaseTest):
               <boot dev="fd"/>
               <bootmenu enable="yes"/>
               <smbios mode="sysinfo"/>
+              <initenv name="foo">bar</initenv>
             </os>
           </domain>
         """
@@ -2781,6 +2784,7 @@ class LibvirtConfigGuestTest(LibvirtConfigBaseTest):
         self.assertEqual('console=xvc0', obj.os_cmdline)
         self.assertEqual('root=xvda', obj.os_root)
         self.assertEqual('/sbin/init', obj.os_init_path)
+        self.assertEqual('bar', obj.os_init_env['foo'])
         self.assertEqual(['hd', 'cdrom', 'fd'], obj.os_boot_dev)
         self.assertTrue(obj.os_bootmenu)
         self.assertIsNone(obj.os_smbios)
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/config.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/config.py
index 29f8bc5785b0..af3b27729729 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/config.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/config.py
@@ -2502,6 +2502,7 @@ class LibvirtConfigGuest(LibvirtConfigObject):
         self.os_kernel = None
         self.os_initrd = None
         self.os_cmdline = None
+        self.os_init_env = {}
         self.os_root = None
         self.os_init_path = None
         self.os_boot_dev = []
@@ -2561,6 +2562,10 @@ class LibvirtConfigGuest(LibvirtConfigObject):
             os.append(self._text_node("root", self.os_root))
         if self.os_init_path is not None:
             os.append(self._text_node("init", self.os_init_path))
+        for name, value in self.os_init_env.items():
+            initenv = self._text_node("initenv", value)
+            initenv.set("name", name)
+            os.append(initenv)
 
         for boot_dev in self.os_boot_dev:
             os.append(etree.Element("boot", dev=boot_dev))
@@ -2674,6 +2679,8 @@ class LibvirtConfigGuest(LibvirtConfigObject):
             elif c.tag == 'bootmenu':
                 if c.get('enable') == 'yes':
                     self.os_bootmenu = True
+            elif c.tag == 'initenv':
+                self.os_init_env[c.get('name')] = c.text
 
     def parse_dom(self, xmldoc):
         self.virt_type = xmldoc.get('type')