diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 191a847..10c32eb 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -1065,6 +1065,13 @@
         goto free_and_fail;
     }
 
+    if (bs->encrypted) {
+        error_report("Encrypted images are deprecated");
+        error_printf("Support for them will be removed in a future release.\n"
+                     "You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image"
+                     " to an unencrypted one.\n");
+    }
+
     ret = refresh_total_sectors(bs, bs->total_sectors);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Could not refresh total sector count");
diff --git a/qemu-doc.texi b/qemu-doc.texi
index f5b0dc4..8aa6dbf 100644
--- a/qemu-doc.texi
+++ b/qemu-doc.texi
@@ -539,8 +539,8 @@
 @item qcow2
 QEMU image format, the most versatile format. Use it to have smaller
 images (useful if your filesystem does not supports holes, for example
-on Windows), optional AES encryption, zlib based compression and
-support of multiple VM snapshots.
+on Windows), zlib based compression and support of multiple VM
+snapshots.
 
 Supported options:
 @table @code
@@ -574,9 +574,10 @@
 though even this is ineffective with many modern storage technologies.
 @end itemize
 
-Use of qcow / qcow2 encryption is thus strongly discouraged. Users are
-recommended to use an alternative encryption technology such as the
-Linux dm-crypt / LUKS system.
+Use of qcow / qcow2 encryption with QEMU is deprecated, and support for
+it will go away in a future release.  Users are recommended to use an
+alternative encryption technology such as the Linux dm-crypt / LUKS
+system.
 
 @item cluster_size
 Changes the qcow2 cluster size (must be between 512 and 2M). Smaller cluster
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/049.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/049.out
index 765afdd..9f93666 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/049.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/049.out
@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@
 Formatting 'TEST_DIR/t.qcow2', fmt=qcow2 size=67108864 encryption=off cluster_size=65536 lazy_refcounts=off refcount_bits=16
 
 qemu-img create -f qcow2 -o encryption=on TEST_DIR/t.qcow2 64M
+qemu-img: Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
+qemu-img: Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
 Formatting 'TEST_DIR/t.qcow2', fmt=qcow2 size=67108864 encryption=on cluster_size=65536 lazy_refcounts=off refcount_bits=16
 
 == Check lazy_refcounts option (only with v3) ==
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/087.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/087.out
index 0ba2e43..c71bb3a 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/087.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/087.out
@@ -44,10 +44,19 @@
 
 === Encrypted image ===
 
+qemu-img: Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
+qemu-img: Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
 Formatting 'TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT', fmt=IMGFMT size=134217728 encryption=on
 Testing: -S
 QMP_VERSION
 {"return": {}}
+Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "blockdev-add doesn't support encrypted devices"}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "SHUTDOWN"}
@@ -57,6 +66,9 @@
 Testing:
 QMP_VERSION
 {"return": {}}
+Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Guest must be stopped for opening of encrypted image"}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "SHUTDOWN"}
@@ -66,6 +78,12 @@
 
 === Missing driver ===
 
+qemu-img: Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
+qemu-img: Encrypted images are deprecated
+Support for them will be removed in a future release.
+You can use 'qemu-img convert' to convert your image to an unencrypted one.
 Formatting 'TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT', fmt=IMGFMT size=134217728 encryption=on
 Testing: -S
 QMP_VERSION