diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
index e4d6fb913..13c0b4d1c 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	gchar *custom_flags;
 	gulong notify_flags_handler_id;
 	GHashTable *instance_hash;
+	GPtrArray *backend_tags; /* of utf-8 */
 } FuDevicePrivate;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ enum {
 	PROP_CONTEXT,
 	PROP_PROXY,
 	PROP_PARENT,
+	PROP_BACKEND_TAGS,
 	PROP_LAST
 };
 
@@ -137,6 +139,9 @@ fu_device_get_property(GObject *object, guint prop_id, GValue *value, GParamSpec
 	case PROP_PARENT:
 		g_value_set_object(value, fu_device_get_parent(self));
 		break;
+	case PROP_BACKEND_TAGS:
+		g_value_set_boxed(value, priv->backend_tags);
+		break;
 	default:
 		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID(object, prop_id, pspec);
 		break;
@@ -1244,6 +1249,74 @@ fu_device_get_children(FuDevice *self)
 	return fwupd_device_get_children(FWUPD_DEVICE(self));
 }
 
+/**
+ * fu_device_get_backend_tags:
+ * @self: a #FuDevice
+ * @backend_tag: a tag, for example `bootloader` or `runtime-reload`
+ *
+ * Gets any backend tags.
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer none) (element-type utf-8): string tags
+ *
+ * Since: 1.8.5
+ **/
+GPtrArray *
+fu_device_get_backend_tags(FuDevice *self)
+{
+	FuDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(FU_IS_DEVICE(self), NULL);
+	return priv->backend_tags;
+}
+
+/**
+ * fu_device_add_backend_tag:
+ * @self: a #FuDevice
+ * @backend_tag: a tag, for example `bootloader` or `runtime-reload`
+ *
+ * Adds a backend tag, which allows the backend to identify the specific device for a specific
+ * phase. For instance, there might be a pre-update runtime, a bootloader and a post-update runtime
+ * and allowing tags to be saved to the backend object allows us to identify each version of
+ * the same physical device.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.8.5
+ **/
+void
+fu_device_add_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag)
+{
+	FuDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	g_return_if_fail(FU_IS_DEVICE(self));
+	g_return_if_fail(backend_tag != NULL);
+	if (fu_device_has_backend_tag(self, backend_tag))
+		return;
+	g_ptr_array_add(priv->backend_tags, g_strdup(backend_tag));
+	g_object_notify(G_OBJECT(self), "backend-tags");
+}
+
+/**
+ * fu_device_has_backend_tag:
+ * @self: a #FuDevice
+ * @backend_tag: a tag, for example `bootloader` or `runtime-reload`
+ *
+ * Finds if the backend tag already exists.
+ *
+ * Returns: %TRUE if the backend tag exists
+ *
+ * Since: 1.8.5
+ **/
+gboolean
+fu_device_has_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag)
+{
+	FuDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(FU_IS_DEVICE(self), FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(backend_tag != NULL, FALSE);
+	for (guint i = 0; i < priv->backend_tags->len; i++) {
+		const gchar *backend_tag_tmp = g_ptr_array_index(priv->backend_tags, i);
+		if (g_strcmp0(backend_tag_tmp, backend_tag) == 0)
+			return TRUE;
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
 /**
  * fu_device_add_child:
  * @self: a #FuDevice
@@ -5584,6 +5657,20 @@ fu_device_class_init(FuDeviceClass *klass)
 				    FU_TYPE_DEVICE,
 				    G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT | G_PARAM_STATIC_NAME);
 	g_object_class_install_property(object_class, PROP_PARENT, pspec);
+
+	/**
+	 * FuDevice:backend-tags:
+	 *
+	 * The device tags used for backend identification.
+	 *
+	 * Since: 1.5.8
+	 */
+	pspec = g_param_spec_boxed("backend-tags",
+				   NULL,
+				   NULL,
+				   G_TYPE_PTR_ARRAY,
+				   G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_NAME);
+	g_object_class_install_property(object_class, PROP_BACKEND_TAGS, pspec);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -5595,6 +5682,7 @@ fu_device_init(FuDevice *self)
 	priv->possible_plugins = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func(g_free);
 	priv->retry_recs = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func(g_free);
 	priv->instance_hash = g_hash_table_new_full(g_str_hash, g_str_equal, g_free, g_free);
+	priv->backend_tags = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func(g_free);
 	priv->acquiesce_delay = 50; /* ms */
 	g_rw_lock_init(&priv->parent_guids_mutex);
 	g_rw_lock_init(&priv->metadata_mutex);
@@ -5632,6 +5720,7 @@ fu_device_finalize(GObject *object)
 	g_ptr_array_unref(priv->parent_guids);
 	g_ptr_array_unref(priv->possible_plugins);
 	g_ptr_array_unref(priv->retry_recs);
+	g_ptr_array_unref(priv->backend_tags);
 	g_free(priv->alternate_id);
 	g_free(priv->equivalent_id);
 	g_free(priv->physical_id);
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h
index 753af3869..b0cae55e5 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h
@@ -540,6 +540,12 @@ fu_device_set_version_lowest(FuDevice *self, const gchar *version);
 void
 fu_device_set_version_bootloader(FuDevice *self, const gchar *version);
 void
+fu_device_add_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag);
+gboolean
+fu_device_has_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag);
+GPtrArray *
+fu_device_get_backend_tags(FuDevice *self);
+void
 fu_device_inhibit(FuDevice *self, const gchar *inhibit_id, const gchar *reason);
 void
 fu_device_uninhibit(FuDevice *self, const gchar *inhibit_id);
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
index 61cefdd25..9744af9d6 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-plugin.c
@@ -1226,6 +1226,7 @@ fu_plugin_runner_prepare(FuPlugin *self,
 			 GError **error)
 {
 	FuPluginVfuncs *vfuncs = fu_plugin_get_vfuncs(self);
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "prepare");
 	return fu_plugin_runner_flagged_device_generic(self,
 						       device,
 						       progress,
@@ -1257,6 +1258,7 @@ fu_plugin_runner_cleanup(FuPlugin *self,
 			 GError **error)
 {
 	FuPluginVfuncs *vfuncs = fu_plugin_get_vfuncs(self);
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "cleanup");
 	return fu_plugin_runner_flagged_device_generic(self,
 						       device,
 						       progress,
@@ -1283,6 +1285,7 @@ gboolean
 fu_plugin_runner_attach(FuPlugin *self, FuDevice *device, FuProgress *progress, GError **error)
 {
 	FuPluginVfuncs *vfuncs = fu_plugin_get_vfuncs(self);
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "attach");
 	return fu_plugin_runner_device_generic_progress(
 	    self,
 	    device,
@@ -1309,6 +1312,7 @@ gboolean
 fu_plugin_runner_detach(FuPlugin *self, FuDevice *device, FuProgress *progress, GError **error)
 {
 	FuPluginVfuncs *vfuncs = fu_plugin_get_vfuncs(self);
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "detach");
 	return fu_plugin_runner_device_generic_progress(
 	    self,
 	    device,
@@ -1344,6 +1348,7 @@ fu_plugin_runner_reload(FuPlugin *self, FuDevice *device, GError **error)
 	locker = fu_device_locker_new(proxy, error);
 	if (locker == NULL)
 		return FALSE;
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "reload");
 	return fu_device_reload(device, error);
 }
 
@@ -1917,6 +1922,7 @@ fu_plugin_runner_activate(FuPlugin *self, FuDevice *device, FuProgress *progress
 	}
 
 	/* run vfunc */
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "activate");
 	if (!fu_plugin_runner_device_generic_progress(
 		self,
 		device,
@@ -1966,6 +1972,7 @@ fu_plugin_runner_unlock(FuPlugin *self, FuDevice *device, GError **error)
 	}
 
 	/* run vfunc */
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "unlock");
 	if (!fu_plugin_runner_device_generic(self,
 					     device,
 					     "fu_plugin_unlock",
@@ -2015,6 +2022,7 @@ fu_plugin_runner_write_firmware(FuPlugin *self,
 		g_debug("plugin not enabled, skipping");
 		return TRUE;
 	}
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "write-firmware");
 
 	/* optional */
 	if (vfuncs->write_firmware == NULL) {
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
index 3d052e034..2dbc9c94f 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
@@ -1103,6 +1103,13 @@ fu_device_func(void)
 	fu_device_add_possible_plugin(device, "test");
 	possible_plugins = fu_device_get_possible_plugins(device);
 	g_assert_cmpint(possible_plugins->len, ==, 1);
+
+	g_assert_cmpint(fu_device_get_backend_tags(device)->len, ==, 0);
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "foo");
+	fu_device_add_backend_tag(device, "bar");
+	g_assert_cmpint(fu_device_get_backend_tags(device)->len, ==, 2);
+	g_assert_true(fu_device_has_backend_tag(device, "foo"));
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_backend_tag(device, "bazbazbazbazbaz"));
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
index 6875d4c81..79ae1e9d6 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
@@ -1102,6 +1102,9 @@ LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.8.5 {
     fu_backend_save;
     fu_context_add_flag;
     fu_context_has_flag;
+    fu_device_add_backend_tag;
+    fu_device_get_backend_tags;
+    fu_device_has_backend_tag;
     fu_device_set_quirk_kv;
     fu_intel_thunderbolt_firmware_get_type;
     fu_intel_thunderbolt_firmware_new;