diff --git a/block/io.c b/block/io.c
index 65b5102714d4d60ff6a5e594ef1b30ae82e06b1e..905db99be4146a661fc526a0c6a4497397c73525 100644
--- a/block/io.c
+++ b/block/io.c
@@ -1185,7 +1185,8 @@ bdrv_driver_pwritev_compressed(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
 }
 
 static int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_do_copy_on_readv(BdrvChild *child,
-        int64_t offset, unsigned int bytes, QEMUIOVector *qiov)
+        int64_t offset, unsigned int bytes, QEMUIOVector *qiov,
+        int flags)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs = child->bs;
 
@@ -1296,9 +1297,11 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_do_copy_on_readv(BdrvChild *child,
                 goto err;
             }
 
-            qemu_iovec_from_buf(qiov, progress, bounce_buffer + skip_bytes,
-                                pnum - skip_bytes);
-        } else {
+            if (!(flags & BDRV_REQ_PREFETCH)) {
+                qemu_iovec_from_buf(qiov, progress, bounce_buffer + skip_bytes,
+                                    pnum - skip_bytes);
+            }
+        } else if (!(flags & BDRV_REQ_PREFETCH)) {
             /* Read directly into the destination */
             qemu_iovec_init(&local_qiov, qiov->niov);
             qemu_iovec_concat(&local_qiov, qiov, progress, pnum - skip_bytes);
@@ -1349,7 +1352,8 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_aligned_preadv(BdrvChild *child,
      * potential fallback support, if we ever implement any read flags
      * to pass through to drivers.  For now, there aren't any
      * passthrough flags.  */
-    assert(!(flags & ~(BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING | BDRV_REQ_COPY_ON_READ)));
+    assert(!(flags & ~(BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING | BDRV_REQ_COPY_ON_READ |
+                       BDRV_REQ_PREFETCH)));
 
     /* Handle Copy on Read and associated serialisation */
     if (flags & BDRV_REQ_COPY_ON_READ) {
@@ -1377,7 +1381,9 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_aligned_preadv(BdrvChild *child,
         }
 
         if (!ret || pnum != bytes) {
-            ret = bdrv_co_do_copy_on_readv(child, offset, bytes, qiov);
+            ret = bdrv_co_do_copy_on_readv(child, offset, bytes, qiov, flags);
+            goto out;
+        } else if (flags & BDRV_REQ_PREFETCH) {
             goto out;
         }
     }
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 50a07c1c33858aeb228215f61ab424ce5a268f55..a9df34ff94b62307063d275d7a3a4b405cd72317 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -88,8 +88,14 @@ typedef enum {
      * fallback. */
     BDRV_REQ_NO_FALLBACK        = 0x100,
 
+    /*
+     * BDRV_REQ_PREFETCH may be used only together with BDRV_REQ_COPY_ON_READ
+     * on read request and means that caller doesn't really need data to be
+     * written to qiov parameter which may be NULL.
+     */
+    BDRV_REQ_PREFETCH  = 0x200,
     /* Mask of valid flags */
-    BDRV_REQ_MASK               = 0x1ff,
+    BDRV_REQ_MASK               = 0x3ff,
 } BdrvRequestFlags;
 
 typedef struct BlockSizes {
diff --git a/nbd/server.c b/nbd/server.c
index 2d812489675d16d4260c5606b5468f8374252006..1de4d410c8cac13e5e4282ebdd821731d808f350 100644
--- a/nbd/server.c
+++ b/nbd/server.c
@@ -2104,12 +2104,15 @@ static int nbd_co_receive_request(NBDRequestData *req, NBDRequest *request,
             return -EINVAL;
         }
 
-        req->data = blk_try_blockalign(client->exp->blk, request->len);
-        if (req->data == NULL) {
-            error_setg(errp, "No memory");
-            return -ENOMEM;
+        if (request->type != NBD_CMD_CACHE) {
+            req->data = blk_try_blockalign(client->exp->blk, request->len);
+            if (req->data == NULL) {
+                error_setg(errp, "No memory");
+                return -ENOMEM;
+            }
         }
     }
+
     if (request->type == NBD_CMD_WRITE) {
         if (nbd_read(client->ioc, req->data, request->len, "CMD_WRITE data",
                      errp) < 0)
@@ -2194,7 +2197,7 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_do_cmd_read(NBDClient *client, NBDRequest *request,
     int ret;
     NBDExport *exp = client->exp;
 
-    assert(request->type == NBD_CMD_READ || request->type == NBD_CMD_CACHE);
+    assert(request->type == NBD_CMD_READ);
 
     /* XXX: NBD Protocol only documents use of FUA with WRITE */
     if (request->flags & NBD_CMD_FLAG_FUA) {
@@ -2206,7 +2209,7 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_do_cmd_read(NBDClient *client, NBDRequest *request,
     }
 
     if (client->structured_reply && !(request->flags & NBD_CMD_FLAG_DF) &&
-        request->len && request->type != NBD_CMD_CACHE)
+        request->len)
     {
         return nbd_co_send_sparse_read(client, request->handle, request->from,
                                        data, request->len, errp);
@@ -2214,7 +2217,7 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_do_cmd_read(NBDClient *client, NBDRequest *request,
 
     ret = blk_pread(exp->blk, request->from + exp->dev_offset, data,
                     request->len);
-    if (ret < 0 || request->type == NBD_CMD_CACHE) {
+    if (ret < 0) {
         return nbd_send_generic_reply(client, request->handle, ret,
                                       "reading from file failed", errp);
     }
@@ -2233,6 +2236,28 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_do_cmd_read(NBDClient *client, NBDRequest *request,
     }
 }
 
+/*
+ * nbd_do_cmd_cache
+ *
+ * Handle NBD_CMD_CACHE request.
+ * Return -errno if sending fails. Other errors are reported directly to the
+ * client as an error reply.
+ */
+static coroutine_fn int nbd_do_cmd_cache(NBDClient *client, NBDRequest *request,
+                                         Error **errp)
+{
+    int ret;
+    NBDExport *exp = client->exp;
+
+    assert(request->type == NBD_CMD_CACHE);
+
+    ret = blk_co_preadv(exp->blk, request->from + exp->dev_offset, request->len,
+                        NULL, BDRV_REQ_COPY_ON_READ | BDRV_REQ_PREFETCH);
+
+    return nbd_send_generic_reply(client, request->handle, ret,
+                                  "caching data failed", errp);
+}
+
 /* Handle NBD request.
  * Return -errno if sending fails. Other errors are reported directly to the
  * client as an error reply. */
@@ -2246,8 +2271,10 @@ static coroutine_fn int nbd_handle_request(NBDClient *client,
     char *msg;
 
     switch (request->type) {
-    case NBD_CMD_READ:
     case NBD_CMD_CACHE:
+        return nbd_do_cmd_cache(client, request, errp);
+
+    case NBD_CMD_READ:
         return nbd_do_cmd_read(client, request, data, errp);
 
     case NBD_CMD_WRITE: