diff --git a/PVE/QemuConfig.pm b/PVE/QemuConfig.pm
index cf34ec5d..de564b76 100644
--- a/PVE/QemuConfig.pm
+++ b/PVE/QemuConfig.pm
@@ -146,9 +146,7 @@ sub __snapshot_save_vmstate {
     my $scfg = PVE::Storage::storage_config($storecfg, $target);
     $name .= ".raw" if $scfg->{path}; # add filename extension for file base storage
     $snap->{vmstate} = PVE::Storage::vdisk_alloc($storecfg, $target, $vmid, 'raw', $name, $size*1024);
-    # always overwrite machine if we save vmstate. This makes sure we
-    # can restore it later using correct machine type
-    $snap->{machine} = PVE::QemuServer::get_current_qemu_machine($vmid);
+    $snap->{runningmachine} = PVE::QemuServer::get_current_qemu_machine($vmid);
 }
 
 sub __snapshot_check_running {
@@ -288,13 +286,21 @@ sub __snapshot_rollback_hook {
 	# we save the machine of the current config
 	$data->{oldmachine} = $conf->{machine};
     } else {
-	# Note: old code did not store 'machine', so we try to be smart
-	# and guess the snapshot was generated with kvm 1.4 (pc-i440fx-1.4).
-	$data->{forcemachine} = $conf->{machine} || 'pc-i440fx-1.4';
+	# if we have a 'runningmachine' entry in the snapshot
+	# we use that for the forcemachine parameter,
+	# else we use the old logic
+	if (defined($conf->{runningmachine})) {
+	    $data->{forcemachine} = $conf->{runningmachine};
+	    delete $conf->{runningmachine};
+	} else {
+	    # Note: old code did not store 'machine', so we try to be smart
+	    # and guess the snapshot was generated with kvm 1.4 (pc-i440fx-1.4).
+	    $data->{forcemachine} = $conf->{machine} || 'pc-i440fx-1.4';
 
-	# we remove the 'machine' configuration if not explicitly specified
-	# in the original config.
-	delete $conf->{machine} if $snap->{vmstate} && !defined($data->{oldmachine});
+	    # we remove the 'machine' configuration if not explicitly specified
+	    # in the original config.
+	    delete $conf->{machine} if $snap->{vmstate} && !defined($data->{oldmachine});
+	}
     }
 
     return;
diff --git a/PVE/QemuServer.pm b/PVE/QemuServer.pm
index f9081754..5eec8211 100644
--- a/PVE/QemuServer.pm
+++ b/PVE/QemuServer.pm
@@ -80,6 +80,14 @@ PVE::JSONSchema::register_standard_option('pve-qm-image-format', {
     optional => 1,
 });
 
+PVE::JSONSchema::register_standard_option('pve-qemu-machine', {
+	description => "Specifies the Qemu machine type.",
+	type => 'string',
+	pattern => '(pc|pc(-i440fx)?-\d+\.\d+(\.pxe)?|q35|pc-q35-\d+\.\d+(\.pxe)?)',
+	maxLength => 40,
+	optional => 1,
+});
+
 #no warnings 'redefine';
 
 sub cgroups_write {
@@ -528,13 +536,10 @@ EODESCR
 	description => "Default storage for VM state volumes/files.",
 	optional => 1,
     }),
-    machine => {
-	description => "Specific the Qemu machine type.",
-	type => 'string',
-	pattern => '(pc|pc(-i440fx)?-\d+\.\d+(\.pxe)?|q35|pc-q35-\d+\.\d+(\.pxe)?)',
-	maxLength => 40,
-	optional => 1,
-    },
+    runningmachine => get_standard_option('pve-qemu-machine', {
+	description => "Specifies the Qemu machine type of the running vm. This is used internally for snapshots.",
+    }),
+    machine => get_standard_option('pve-qemu-machine'),
     smbios1 => {
 	description => "Specify SMBIOS type 1 fields.",
 	type => 'string', format => 'pve-qm-smbios1',
@@ -2255,7 +2260,7 @@ sub json_config_properties {
     my $prop = shift;
 
     foreach my $opt (keys %$confdesc) {
-	next if $opt eq 'parent' || $opt eq 'snaptime' || $opt eq 'vmstate';
+	next if $opt eq 'parent' || $opt eq 'snaptime' || $opt eq 'vmstate' || $opt eq 'runningmachine';
 	$prop->{$opt} = $confdesc->{$opt};
     }
 
diff --git a/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/102.conf b/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/102.conf
index c5211544..9b570047 100644
--- a/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/102.conf
+++ b/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/102.conf
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ bootdisk: ide0
 cores: 4
 ide0: local:snapshotable-disk-1,discard=on,size=32G
 ide2: none,media=cdrom
-machine: somemachine
 memory: 8192
 name: win
 net0: e1000=12:34:56:78:90:12,bridge=somebr0,firewall=1
 numa: 0
 ostype: win7
+runningmachine: somemachine
 smbios1: uuid=01234567-890a-bcde-f012-34567890abcd
 snaptime: 1234567890
 sockets: 1
diff --git a/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/104.conf b/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/104.conf
index ef7285ec..54f1c21c 100644
--- a/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/104.conf
+++ b/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/104.conf
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@ bootdisk: ide0
 cores: 4
 ide0: local:snapshotable-disk-1,discard=on,size=32G
 ide2: none,media=cdrom
-machine: somemachine
 memory: 8192
 name: win
 net0: e1000=12:34:56:78:90:12,bridge=somebr0,firewall=1
 numa: 0
 ostype: win7
 parent: test
+runningmachine: somemachine
 smbios1: uuid=01234567-890a-bcde-f012-34567890abcd
 snaptime: 1234567890
 sockets: 1
diff --git a/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/106.conf b/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/106.conf
index c5211544..9b570047 100644
--- a/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/106.conf
+++ b/test/snapshot-expected/create/qemu-server/106.conf
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ bootdisk: ide0
 cores: 4
 ide0: local:snapshotable-disk-1,discard=on,size=32G
 ide2: none,media=cdrom
-machine: somemachine
 memory: 8192
 name: win
 net0: e1000=12:34:56:78:90:12,bridge=somebr0,firewall=1
 numa: 0
 ostype: win7
+runningmachine: somemachine
 smbios1: uuid=01234567-890a-bcde-f012-34567890abcd
 snaptime: 1234567890
 sockets: 1
diff --git a/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/102.conf b/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/102.conf
index 4ab1787c..92db74a7 100644
--- a/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/102.conf
+++ b/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/102.conf
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ bootdisk: ide0
 cores: 4
 ide0: somestore:somedisk,discard=on,size=32G
 ide2: none,media=cdrom
-machine: somemachine
 memory: 8192
 name: win
 net0: e1000=12:34:56:78:90:12,bridge=somebr0,firewall=1
 numa: 0
 ostype: win7
+runningmachine: somemachine
 smbios1: uuid=01234567-890a-bcde-f012-34567890abcd
 snapstate: prepare
 snaptime: 1234567890
diff --git a/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/104.conf b/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/104.conf
index b62f2c61..02e2d3cf 100644
--- a/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/104.conf
+++ b/test/snapshot-expected/prepare/qemu-server/104.conf
@@ -35,13 +35,13 @@ bootdisk: ide0
 cores: 4
 ide0: somestore:somedisk,discard=on,size=32G
 ide2: none,media=cdrom
-machine: somemachine
 memory: 8192
 name: win
 net0: e1000=12:34:56:78:90:12,bridge=somebr0,firewall=1
 numa: 0
 ostype: win7
 parent: test
+runningmachine: somemachine
 smbios1: uuid=01234567-890a-bcde-f012-34567890abcd
 snapstate: prepare
 snaptime: 1234567890
diff --git a/test/snapshot-test.pm b/test/snapshot-test.pm
index d95d77f1..8988942e 100644
--- a/test/snapshot-test.pm
+++ b/test/snapshot-test.pm
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ sub __snapshot_save_vmstate {
 
     my $snap = $conf->{snapshots}->{$snapname};
     $snap->{vmstate} = "somestorage:state-volume";
-    $snap->{machine} = "somemachine";
+    $snap->{runningmachine} = "somemachine"
 }
 # END mocked PVE::QemuConfig methods