diff --git a/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/BulkActivity.java b/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/BulkActivity.java
index 06e8c2f18aa..226b511ec57 100644
--- a/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/BulkActivity.java
+++ b/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/BulkActivity.java
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ public abstract ListenableFuture<R> perform(String rid, long tid, FsPath path, F
      *
      * @param arguments parameters of the specific activity.
      */
-    protected abstract void configure(Map<String, String> arguments);
+    protected abstract void configure(Map<String, String> arguments) throws BulkServiceException;
 
     /**
      * Internal implementation of completion handler taking full target.
diff --git a/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivity.java b/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivity.java
index 19983591ca5..9050c4944cb 100644
--- a/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivity.java
+++ b/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivity.java
@@ -60,8 +60,11 @@ LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
 package org.dcache.services.bulk.activity.plugin.qos;
 
 import static com.google.common.util.concurrent.Uninterruptibles.getUninterruptibly;
+import static org.dcache.services.bulk.activity.plugin.qos.UpdateQoSActivityProvider.QOS_POLICY;
+import static org.dcache.services.bulk.activity.plugin.qos.UpdateQoSActivityProvider.QOS_STATE;
 import static org.dcache.services.bulk.activity.plugin.qos.UpdateQoSActivityProvider.TARGET_QOS;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.Futures;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
 import diskCacheV111.util.CacheException;
@@ -100,6 +103,8 @@ public class UpdateQoSActivity extends BulkActivity<QoSTransitionCompletedMessag
     private CellStub qosEngine;
     private PnfsHandler pnfsHandler;
     private String targetQos;
+    private String qosPolicy;
+    private Integer qosState;
 
     public UpdateQoSActivity(String name, TargetType targetType) {
         super(name, targetType);
@@ -123,8 +128,8 @@ public synchronized void cancel(BulkRequestTarget target) {
     @Override
     public ListenableFuture<QoSTransitionCompletedMessage> perform(String rid, long tid,
           FsPath path, FileAttributes attributes) throws BulkServiceException {
-        if (targetQos == null) {
-            return Futures.immediateFailedFuture(new IllegalArgumentException("no target qos given."));
+        if (targetQos == null && qosPolicy == null) {
+            return Futures.immediateFailedFuture(new IllegalArgumentException("no target qos or policy given."));
         }
 
         if (attributes == null) {
@@ -137,12 +142,17 @@ public ListenableFuture<QoSTransitionCompletedMessage> perform(String rid, long
 
         PnfsId pnfsId = attributes.getPnfsId();
         FileQoSRequirements requirements = new FileQoSRequirements(pnfsId, attributes);
-        if (targetQos.contains("disk")) {
-            requirements.setRequiredDisk(1);
-        }
+        if (qosPolicy != null) {
+            requirements.setRequiredQoSPolicy(qosPolicy);
+            requirements.setRequiredQoSStateIndex(qosState == null ? 0 : qosState);
+        } else {
+            if (targetQos.contains("disk")) {
+                requirements.setRequiredDisk(1);
+            }
 
-        if (targetQos.contains("tape")) {
-            requirements.setRequiredTape(1);
+            if (targetQos.contains("tape")) {
+                requirements.setRequiredTape(1);
+            }
         }
 
         QoSTransitionFuture future = responseReceiver.register(pnfsId.toString());
@@ -161,11 +171,28 @@ public ListenableFuture<QoSTransitionCompletedMessage> perform(String rid, long
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected void configure(Map<String, String> arguments) {
+    protected void configure(Map<String, String> arguments) throws BulkServiceException {
         if (arguments == null) {
             return;
         }
         targetQos = arguments.get(TARGET_QOS);
+        qosPolicy = arguments.get(QOS_POLICY.getName());
+
+        if (qosPolicy == null) {
+            qosState = Integer.parseInt(QOS_STATE.getDefaultValue());
+        } else {
+            String state = arguments.get(QOS_STATE.getName());
+            if ( Strings.emptyToNull(state) == null) {
+                qosState = Integer.parseInt(QOS_STATE.getDefaultValue());
+            } else {
+                qosState = Integer.parseInt(state);
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (targetQos == null && qosPolicy == null) {
+            throw new BulkServiceException("either targetQos or qosPolicy must be "
+                  + "provided as argument.");
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivityProvider.java b/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivityProvider.java
index 7819358b9d2..279ed174f73 100644
--- a/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivityProvider.java
+++ b/modules/dcache-bulk/src/main/java/org/dcache/services/bulk/activity/plugin/qos/UpdateQoSActivityProvider.java
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
 package org.dcache.services.bulk.activity.plugin.qos;
 
 import static org.dcache.services.bulk.activity.BulkActivity.TargetType.FILE;
+import static org.dcache.services.bulk.activity.BulkActivityArgumentDescriptor.EMPTY_DEFAULT;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -77,8 +78,22 @@ public final class UpdateQoSActivityProvider extends BulkActivityProvider<Update
                 "the desired qos transition ('disk' is limited to "
                       + "files with volatile/unknown qos status)",
                 "disk|tape|disk+tape",
-                true,
-                null);
+                false,
+                EMPTY_DEFAULT);
+
+    static final BulkActivityArgumentDescriptor QOS_STATE =
+          new BulkActivityArgumentDescriptor("qosState",
+                "the index into the desired policy's list states",
+                "integer",
+                false,
+                "0");
+
+    static final BulkActivityArgumentDescriptor QOS_POLICY =
+          new BulkActivityArgumentDescriptor("qosPolicy",
+                "the name of the qos policy to apply to the file",
+                "string, max 64 chars",
+                false,
+                EMPTY_DEFAULT);
 
     public UpdateQoSActivityProvider() {
         super("UPDATE_QOS", FILE);
@@ -89,8 +104,9 @@ public Class<UpdateQoSActivity> getActivityClass() {
         return UpdateQoSActivity.class;
     }
 
+    @Override
     public Set<BulkActivityArgumentDescriptor> getDescriptors() {
-        return ImmutableSet.of(DEFAULT_DESCRIPTOR);
+        return ImmutableSet.of(DEFAULT_DESCRIPTOR, QOS_STATE, QOS_POLICY);
     }
 
     @Override