diff --git a/builder/qemu/step_run.go b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
index 6ea9c749f..3d1c37c66 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/step_run.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
@@ -96,12 +96,12 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 	if qemuMajor >= 2 {
 		if config.DiskInterface == "virtio-scsi" {
 			deviceArgs = append(deviceArgs, "virtio-scsi-pci,id=scsi0", "scsi-hd,bus=scsi0.0,drive=drive0")
-			driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("if=none,file=%s,id=drive0,cache=%s,discard=%s", imgPath, config.DiskCache, config.DiskDiscard))
+			driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("if=none,file=%s,id=drive0,cache=%s,discard=%s,format=%s", imgPath, config.DiskCache, config.DiskDiscard, config.Format))
 		} else {
-			driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=%s,cache=%s,discard=%s", imgPath, config.DiskInterface, config.DiskCache, config.DiskDiscard))
+			driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=%s,cache=%s,discard=%s,format=%s", imgPath, config.DiskInterface, config.DiskCache, config.DiskDiscard, config.Format))
 		}
 	} else {
-		driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=%s,cache=%s", imgPath, config.DiskInterface, config.DiskCache))
+		driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=%s,cache=%s,format=%s", imgPath, config.DiskInterface, config.DiskCache, config.Format))
 	}
 	deviceArgs = append(deviceArgs, fmt.Sprintf("%s,netdev=user.0", config.NetDevice))