diff -ur parted-1.8.8/include/parted/device.h parted-1.8.8-vdX/include/parted/device.h
--- parted-1.8.8/include/parted/device.h	2009-03-26 14:33:30.000000000 +0100
+++ parted-1.8.8-vdX/include/parted/device.h	2009-03-26 14:52:07.000000000 +0100
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@
         PED_DEVICE_VIODASD      = 10,
         PED_DEVICE_SX8          = 11,
         PED_DEVICE_DM           = 12,
-        PED_DEVICE_XVD          = 13
+        PED_DEVICE_XVD          = 13,
+        PED_DEVICE_VIRTBLK      = 14
 } PedDeviceType;
 
 typedef struct _PedDevice PedDevice;
diff -ur parted-1.8.8/libparted/arch/linux.c parted-1.8.8-vdX/libparted/arch/linux.c
--- parted-1.8.8/libparted/arch/linux.c	2009-03-26 14:33:30.000000000 +0100
+++ parted-1.8.8-vdX/libparted/arch/linux.c	2009-03-26 14:57:23.000000000 +0100
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@
         return (SX8_MAJOR1 <= major && major <= SX8_MAJOR2);
 }
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_DEVICE_MAPPER
 static int
 readFD (int fd, char **buf)
 {
@@ -337,7 +336,7 @@
 }
 
 static int
-_is_dm_major (int major)
+_is_major_type (int major, const char* type)
 {
         int fd;
         char* buf = NULL;
@@ -371,7 +370,7 @@
                 }
 
                 name = strrchr(line, ' ');
-                if (!name || strcmp(name+1, "device-mapper"))
+                if (!name || strcmp(name+1, type))
                         goto next;
 
                 maj = strtol(line, &name, 10);
@@ -392,6 +391,19 @@
 }
 
 static int
+_is_virtblk_major (int major)
+{
+	return _is_major_type (major, "virtblk");
+}
+
+#ifdef ENABLE_DEVICE_MAPPER
+static int
+_is_dm_major (int major)
+{
+	return _is_major_type (major, "device-mapper");
+}
+
+static int
 _probe_dm_devices ()
 {
        DIR*            mapper_dir;
@@ -489,6 +501,8 @@
         } else if (_is_dm_major(dev_major)) {
                 dev->type = PED_DEVICE_DM;
 #endif
+        } else if (_is_virtblk_major(dev_major)) {
+                dev->type = PED_DEVICE_VIRTBLK;
         } else if (dev_major == XVD_MAJOR && (dev_minor % 0x10 == 0)) {
                 dev->type = PED_DEVICE_XVD;
         } else {
@@ -1198,6 +1212,10 @@
                         goto error_free_arch_specific;
                 break;
 
+        case PED_DEVICE_VIRTBLK:
+                if (!init_generic (dev, _("Virtio Block Device")))
+                        goto error_free_arch_specific;
+                break;
         case PED_DEVICE_UNKNOWN:
                 if (!init_generic (dev, _("Unknown")))
                         goto error_free_arch_specific;
diff -ur parted-1.8.8/parted/parted.c parted-1.8.8-vdX/parted/parted.c
--- parted-1.8.8/parted/parted.c	2009-03-26 14:33:30.000000000 +0100
+++ parted-1.8.8-vdX/parted/parted.c	2009-03-26 14:53:34.000000000 +0100
@@ -1264,10 +1264,10 @@
         int             has_free_arg = 0;
         int             has_list_arg = 0;
         int             has_num_arg = 0;
-        char*           transport[14] = {"unknown", "scsi", "ide", "dac960",
+        char*           transport[15] = {"unknown", "scsi", "ide", "dac960",
                                          "cpqarray", "file", "ataraid", "i2o",
                                          "ubd", "dasd", "viodasd", "sx8", "dm",
-                                         "xvd"};
+                                         "xvd", "virtblk"};
         char*           peek_word;
         char*           start;
         char*           end;