diff --git a/drivers/vfio/vfio.c b/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
index 4ad8a35667a7..38779e6fd80c 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
@@ -1220,6 +1220,11 @@ static int vfio_fops_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filep)
 static int vfio_fops_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filep)
 {
 	struct vfio_container *container = filep->private_data;
+	struct vfio_iommu_driver *driver = container->iommu_driver;
+
+	if (driver && driver->ops->notify)
+		driver->ops->notify(container->iommu_data,
+				    VFIO_IOMMU_CONTAINER_CLOSE);
 
 	filep->private_data = NULL;
 
diff --git a/include/linux/vfio.h b/include/linux/vfio.h
index f45940b38a02..b7e18bde5aa8 100644
--- a/include/linux/vfio.h
+++ b/include/linux/vfio.h
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ extern struct vfio_device *vfio_device_get_from_dev(struct device *dev);
 extern void vfio_device_put(struct vfio_device *device);
 extern void *vfio_device_data(struct vfio_device *device);
 
+/* events for the backend driver notify callback */
+enum vfio_iommu_notify_type {
+	VFIO_IOMMU_CONTAINER_CLOSE = 0,
+};
+
 /**
  * struct vfio_iommu_driver_ops - VFIO IOMMU driver callbacks
  */
@@ -92,6 +97,8 @@ struct vfio_iommu_driver_ops {
 				  void *data, size_t count, bool write);
 	struct iommu_domain *(*group_iommu_domain)(void *iommu_data,
 						   struct iommu_group *group);
+	void		(*notify)(void *iommu_data,
+				  enum vfio_iommu_notify_type event);
 };
 
 extern int vfio_register_iommu_driver(const struct vfio_iommu_driver_ops *ops);