diff --git a/docs/system/deprecated.rst b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
index 612b34b02c7c..15b9767ba51c 100644
--- a/docs/system/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
@@ -162,6 +162,17 @@ other options have been processed.  This will either have no effect (if
 ``opened`` was the last option) or cause errors.  The property is therefore
 useless and should not be specified.
 
+``loaded`` property of ``secret`` and ``secret_keyring`` objects (since 6.0.0)
+''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+The only effect of specifying ``loaded=on`` in the command line or QMP
+``object-add`` is that the secret is loaded immediately, possibly before all
+other options have been processed.  This will either have no effect (if
+``loaded`` was the last option) or cause options to be effectively ignored as
+if they were not given.  The property is therefore useless and should not be
+specified.
+
+
 QEMU Machine Protocol (QMP) commands
 ------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/qapi/crypto.json b/qapi/crypto.json
index 2aebe6fa20fd..0fef3de66ddb 100644
--- a/qapi/crypto.json
+++ b/qapi/crypto.json
@@ -381,3 +381,64 @@
   'discriminator': 'format',
   'data': {
           'luks': 'QCryptoBlockAmendOptionsLUKS' } }
+
+##
+# @SecretCommonProperties:
+#
+# Properties for objects of classes derived from secret-common.
+#
+# @loaded: if true, the secret is loaded immediately when applying this option
+#          and will probably fail when processing the next option. Don't use;
+#          only provided for compatibility. (default: false)
+#
+# @format: the data format that the secret is provided in (default: raw)
+#
+# @keyid: the name of another secret that should be used to decrypt the
+#         provided data. If not present, the data is assumed to be unencrypted.
+#
+# @iv: the random initialization vector used for encryption of this particular
+#      secret. Should be a base64 encrypted string of the 16-byte IV. Mandatory
+#      if @keyid is given. Ignored if @keyid is absent.
+#
+# Features:
+# @deprecated: Member @loaded is deprecated.  Setting true doesn't make sense,
+#              and false is already the default.
+#
+# Since: 2.6
+##
+{ 'struct': 'SecretCommonProperties',
+  'data': { '*loaded': { 'type': 'bool', 'features': ['deprecated'] },
+            '*format': 'QCryptoSecretFormat',
+            '*keyid': 'str',
+            '*iv': 'str' } }
+
+##
+# @SecretProperties:
+#
+# Properties for secret objects.
+#
+# Either @data or @file must be provided, but not both.
+#
+# @data: the associated with the secret from
+#
+# @file: the filename to load the data associated with the secret from
+#
+# Since: 2.6
+##
+{ 'struct': 'SecretProperties',
+  'base': 'SecretCommonProperties',
+  'data': { '*data': 'str',
+            '*file': 'str' } }
+
+##
+# @SecretKeyringProperties:
+#
+# Properties for secret_keyring objects.
+#
+# @serial: serial number that identifies a key to get from the kernel
+#
+# Since: 5.1
+##
+{ 'struct': 'SecretKeyringProperties',
+  'base': 'SecretCommonProperties',
+  'data': { 'serial': 'int32' } }
diff --git a/qapi/qom.json b/qapi/qom.json
index fa56083a0b77..a9ab10c1244d 100644
--- a/qapi/qom.json
+++ b/qapi/qom.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 { 'include': 'authz.json' }
 { 'include': 'block-core.json' }
 { 'include': 'common.json' }
+{ 'include': 'crypto.json' }
 
 ##
 # = QEMU Object Model (QOM)
@@ -453,6 +454,8 @@
     'rng-builtin',
     'rng-egd',
     'rng-random',
+    'secret',
+    'secret_keyring',
     'throttle-group'
   ] }
 
@@ -489,6 +492,8 @@
       'rng-builtin':                'RngProperties',
       'rng-egd':                    'RngEgdProperties',
       'rng-random':                 'RngRandomProperties',
+      'secret':                     'SecretProperties',
+      'secret_keyring':             'SecretKeyringProperties',
       'throttle-group':             'ThrottleGroupProperties'
   } }