diff --git a/include/block/block_int.h b/include/block/block_int.h
index 9da7a42927..f280a95b26 100644
--- a/include/block/block_int.h
+++ b/include/block/block_int.h
@@ -92,9 +92,17 @@ struct BlockDriver {
     int instance_size;
 
     /* set to true if the BlockDriver is a block filter. Block filters pass
-     * certain callbacks that refer to data (see block.c) to their bs->file if
-     * the driver doesn't implement them. Drivers that do not wish to forward
-     * must implement them and return -ENOTSUP.
+     * certain callbacks that refer to data (see block.c) to their bs->file
+     * or bs->backing (whichever one exists) if the driver doesn't implement
+     * them. Drivers that do not wish to forward must implement them and return
+     * -ENOTSUP.
+     * Note that filters are not allowed to modify data.
+     *
+     * Filters generally cannot have more than a single filtered child,
+     * because the data they present must at all times be the same as
+     * that on their filtered child.  That would be impossible to
+     * achieve for multiple filtered children.
+     * (And this filtered child must then be bs->file or bs->backing.)
      */
     bool is_filter;
     /*
@@ -1382,4 +1390,34 @@ BdrvDirtyBitmap *block_dirty_bitmap_remove(const char *node, const char *name,
                                            BlockDriverState **bitmap_bs,
                                            Error **errp);
 
+BdrvChild *bdrv_cow_child(BlockDriverState *bs);
+BdrvChild *bdrv_filter_child(BlockDriverState *bs);
+BdrvChild *bdrv_filter_or_cow_child(BlockDriverState *bs);
+BdrvChild *bdrv_primary_child(BlockDriverState *bs);
+
+static inline BlockDriverState *child_bs(BdrvChild *child)
+{
+    return child ? child->bs : NULL;
+}
+
+static inline BlockDriverState *bdrv_cow_bs(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    return child_bs(bdrv_cow_child(bs));
+}
+
+static inline BlockDriverState *bdrv_filter_bs(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    return child_bs(bdrv_filter_child(bs));
+}
+
+static inline BlockDriverState *bdrv_filter_or_cow_bs(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    return child_bs(bdrv_filter_or_cow_child(bs));
+}
+
+static inline BlockDriverState *bdrv_primary_bs(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    return child_bs(bdrv_primary_child(bs));
+}
+
 #endif /* BLOCK_INT_H */
diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index b204b93a2e..9f866e8676 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -6943,3 +6943,94 @@ int bdrv_make_empty(BdrvChild *c, Error **errp)
 
     return 0;
 }
+
+/*
+ * Return the child that @bs acts as an overlay for, and from which data may be
+ * copied in COW or COR operations.  Usually this is the backing file.
+ */
+BdrvChild *bdrv_cow_child(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    if (!bs || !bs->drv) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (bs->drv->is_filter) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (!bs->backing) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    assert(bs->backing->role & BDRV_CHILD_COW);
+    return bs->backing;
+}
+
+/*
+ * If @bs acts as a filter for exactly one of its children, return
+ * that child.
+ */
+BdrvChild *bdrv_filter_child(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    BdrvChild *c;
+
+    if (!bs || !bs->drv) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (!bs->drv->is_filter) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    /* Only one of @backing or @file may be used */
+    assert(!(bs->backing && bs->file));
+
+    c = bs->backing ?: bs->file;
+    if (!c) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    assert(c->role & BDRV_CHILD_FILTERED);
+    return c;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Return either the result of bdrv_cow_child() or bdrv_filter_child(),
+ * whichever is non-NULL.
+ *
+ * Return NULL if both are NULL.
+ */
+BdrvChild *bdrv_filter_or_cow_child(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    BdrvChild *cow_child = bdrv_cow_child(bs);
+    BdrvChild *filter_child = bdrv_filter_child(bs);
+
+    /* Filter nodes cannot have COW backing files */
+    assert(!(cow_child && filter_child));
+
+    return cow_child ?: filter_child;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Return the primary child of this node: For filters, that is the
+ * filtered child.  For other nodes, that is usually the child storing
+ * metadata.
+ * (A generally more helpful description is that this is (usually) the
+ * child that has the same filename as @bs.)
+ *
+ * Drivers do not necessarily have a primary child; for example quorum
+ * does not.
+ */
+BdrvChild *bdrv_primary_child(BlockDriverState *bs)
+{
+    BdrvChild *c, *found = NULL;
+
+    QLIST_FOREACH(c, &bs->children, next) {
+        if (c->role & BDRV_CHILD_PRIMARY) {
+            assert(!found);
+            found = c;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return found;
+}
