diff --git a/debian/qubes-utils.install b/debian/qubes-utils.install
index 29846073..c70c3a9d 100644
--- a/debian/qubes-utils.install
+++ b/debian/qubes-utils.install
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 usr/bin/meminfo-writer
 lib/systemd/system/qubes-meminfo-writer.service
+lib/systemd/system/qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
 usr/lib/qubes/*
 usr/lib/udev/*
 usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/xen-devices-qubes.conf
 etc/xen/scripts/qubes-block
+etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.RefreshBlockDevices
diff --git a/rpm_spec/qubes-utils.spec.in b/rpm_spec/qubes-utils.spec.in
index a6eb2134..064b8e55 100644
--- a/rpm_spec/qubes-utils.spec.in
+++ b/rpm_spec/qubes-utils.spec.in
@@ -115,14 +115,29 @@ make install install-selinux DESTDIR=%{buildroot} PYTHON=%{__python3} NO_REBUILD
 %systemd_post qubes-meminfo-writer-dom0.service
 # VM
 %systemd_post qubes-meminfo-writer.service
+%systemd_post qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
+
+# Apply the preset on upgrade
+if [ $1 -gt 1 ] && \
+   [ ! -e %{_localstatedir}/lib/rpm-state/qubes-utils-mount-watcher ]; then
+    mkdir -p %{_localstatedir}/lib/rpm-state
+    touch %{_localstatedir}/lib/rpm-state/qubes-utils-mount-watcher
+    systemctl preset qubes-block-mount-watcher.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+fi
+if systemctl is-enabled --quiet qubes-block-mount-watcher.service \
+        >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    systemctl start qubes-block-mount-watcher.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+fi
 
 %preun
 %systemd_preun qubes-meminfo-writer-dom0.service
 %systemd_preun qubes-meminfo-writer.service
+%systemd_preun qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
 
 %postun
 %systemd_postun_with_restart qubes-meminfo-writer-dom0.service
 %systemd_postun_with_restart qubes-meminfo-writer.service
+%systemd_postun_with_restart qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
 
 %post libs -p /sbin/ldconfig
 %postun libs -p /sbin/ldconfig
@@ -136,11 +151,15 @@ rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
 %_tmpfilesdir/xen-devices-qubes.conf
 %dir %{_prefix}/lib/qubes
 %{_prefix}/lib/qubes/udev-*
+%{_prefix}/lib/qubes/qubes-block-mount-watcher
 %{_bindir}/meminfo-writer
 %{_unitdir}/qubes-meminfo-writer.service
 %{_unitdir}/qubes-meminfo-writer-dom0.service
+%{_unitdir}/qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
+%{_prefix}/lib/systemd/system-preset/75-qubes-block-mount-watcher.preset
 %dir %_includedir/qubes
 /etc/xen/scripts/qubes-block
+/etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.RefreshBlockDevices
 
 %files -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-qubesimgconverter
 %dir %{python3_sitelib}/qubesimgconverter
diff --git a/udev/Makefile b/udev/Makefile
index ac64a84e..f73eb03b 100644
--- a/udev/Makefile
+++ b/udev/Makefile
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ install:
 	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(SYSLIBDIR)/udev/rules.d
 	cp udev-qubes-block.rules $(DESTDIR)$(SYSLIBDIR)/udev/rules.d/99-qubes-block.rules
 	cp udev-qubes-usb.rules $(DESTDIR)$(SYSLIBDIR)/udev/rules.d/99-qubes-usb.rules
+	cp udev-qubes-vbd.rules $(DESTDIR)$(SYSLIBDIR)/udev/rules.d/99-qubes-vbd.rules
 	cp udev-qubes-misc.rules $(DESTDIR)$(SYSLIBDIR)/udev/rules.d/99-qubes-misc.rules
 	cp udev-qubes-dmroot.rules $(DESTDIR)$(SYSLIBDIR)/udev/rules.d/90-qubes-dmroot.rules
 	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(SYSLIBDIR)/tmpfiles.d
@@ -14,3 +15,21 @@ install:
 	cp udev-block-remove $(DESTDIR)$(SCRIPTSDIR)
 	cp udev-usb-add-change $(DESTDIR)$(SCRIPTSDIR)
 	cp udev-usb-remove $(DESTDIR)$(SCRIPTSDIR)
+	cp qubes-block-mount-watcher $(DESTDIR)$(SCRIPTSDIR)
+
+ifeq (1,${DEBIANBUILD})
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/lib/systemd/system
+	install -m 0644 qubes-block-mount-watcher.service \
+		$(DESTDIR)/lib/systemd/system/
+else
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/usr/lib/systemd/system
+	install -m 0644 qubes-block-mount-watcher.service \
+		$(DESTDIR)/usr/lib/systemd/system/
+
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/usr/lib/systemd/system-preset
+	install -m 0644 qubes-block-mount-watcher.preset \
+		$(DESTDIR)/usr/lib/systemd/system-preset/75-qubes-block-mount-watcher.preset
+endif
+
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes-rpc
+	cp qubes.RefreshBlockDevices $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes-rpc
diff --git a/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher b/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..d3320972
--- /dev/null
+++ b/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+#
+# The Qubes OS Project, https://www.qubes-os.org
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2026  Piotr Bartman-Szwarc <prbartman@invisiblethingslab.com>
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+# modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+# as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+# of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301,
+# USA.
+
+"""
+Re-evaluate exported block devices when something is (un)mounted.
+
+Mounting a filesystem does not generate a block uevent.
+Note: Swap is not covered.
+"""
+
+import os
+import select
+import subprocess
+
+MOUNTINFO = "/proc/self/mountinfo"
+
+
+def get_mounted(mountinfo) -> set[str]:
+    """Returns numbers ("major:minor") of currently mounted devices."""
+    mountinfo.seek(0)
+    result = set()
+    for line in mountinfo.read().splitlines():
+        fields = line.split()
+        # 3rd field is the number
+        if len(fields) > 2:
+            result.add(fields[2])
+    return result
+
+
+def refresh(device: str):
+    """Re-run the udev rules for a device."""
+    syspath = "/sys/dev/block/" + device
+    if not os.path.isdir(syspath):
+        # virtual
+        return
+    subprocess.call(["udevadm", "trigger", "--action=change", syspath])
+
+
+def main():
+    with open(MOUNTINFO, "r", encoding="ascii", errors="replace") as mountinfo:
+        poller = select.poll()
+        poller.register(mountinfo, select.POLLPRI | select.POLLERR)
+
+        previous = get_mounted(mountinfo)
+        for dev in previous:
+            refresh(dev)
+
+        while True:
+            poller.poll()
+            current = get_mounted(mountinfo)
+            for dev in current.symmetric_difference(previous):
+                refresh(dev)
+            previous = current
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher.preset b/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher.preset
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eefbed13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher.preset
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+enable qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
diff --git a/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher.service b/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4002b992
--- /dev/null
+++ b/udev/qubes-block-mount-watcher.service
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Block device mount watcher
+After=qubes-db.service qubes-db-dom0.service systemd-udevd.service
+Wants=qubes-db.service
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+# Shows to dom0 that this backend supports the `used` markers.
+ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/qubesdb-write /qubes-device-usage-tracking True
+ExecStopPost=-/usr/bin/qubesdb-rm /qubes-device-usage-tracking
+ExecStart=/usr/lib/qubes/qubes-block-mount-watcher
+Restart=always
+RestartSec=5
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/udev/qubes.RefreshBlockDevices b/udev/qubes.RefreshBlockDevices
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..36e98539
--- /dev/null
+++ b/udev/qubes.RefreshBlockDevices
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Refresh exported devices, by re-triggering udev change events.
+# Called after exporting a device: the partitions of an exported block device
+# are removed from QubesDB.
+#
+# stdin: device node path relative to /dev (e.g. "sda" or "mapper/dmroot").
+
+read -r untrusted_name
+
+case "$untrusted_name" in
+    ""|-*|*[!a-zA-Z0-9/_-]*) exit 1 ;;
+esac
+name="$untrusted_name"
+
+# Wait (3s max) for vbd to appear; attach is async and no uevent is sent
+# to fix an early recompute. On timeout recompute anyway: attach likely
+# failed; if not, partitions stay listed until the next block event.
+dev_hex=$(stat -c %t:%T "/dev/$name" 2>/dev/null)
+i=0
+while [ "$i" -lt 30 ] && [ -n "$dev_hex" ] && [ "$dev_hex" != 0:0 ]; do
+    grep -qxF "$dev_hex" \
+        /sys/bus/xen-backend/drivers/vbd/vbd-*/physical_device 2>/dev/null \
+        && break
+    sleep 0.1
+    i=$((i + 1))
+done
+
+for dev in "/dev/$name" "/dev/$name"?*; do
+    [ -b "$dev" ] && udevadm trigger --action=change "$dev"
+done
+
+exec udevadm settle --timeout=5
diff --git a/udev/udev-block-add-change b/udev/udev-block-add-change
index 7add05c0..bde5f33d 100755
--- a/udev/udev-block-add-change
+++ b/udev/udev-block-add-change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-shopt -s nullglob
+shopt -s nullglob globstar
 
 
 export LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8
@@ -10,6 +10,27 @@ SIZE=$[ $(cat /sys/$DEVPATH/size) * 512 ]
 MODE=w
 QDB_KEY="/qubes-block-devices/$NAME"
 
+# USB ancestor port name (e.g. "1-1") if this block device is exposed via USB;
+# empty otherwise. Computed early so xs_set_usb_used can use it.
+USB_PARENT=""
+USB_PARENT_SYSPATH=""
+if echo "$DEVPATH" | grep -q '/host'; then
+    # DEVPATH for a USB-connected block device ends with:
+    #   .../<usb-dev>/<usb-iface>/host.../...
+    # Walk up /sys to find the USB device directory name matching bus-port
+    # format (e.g. "1-1", not "1-1:1.0").
+    walk="/sys$DEVPATH"
+    while [ -n "$walk" ] && [ "$walk" != "/" ] && [ "$walk" != "/sys" ]; do
+        walk=${walk%/*}
+        candidate=${walk##*/}
+        if [[ "$candidate" =~ ^[0-9]+-[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)*$ ]]; then
+            USB_PARENT_SYSPATH=$walk
+            USB_PARENT=$candidate
+            break
+        fi
+    done
+fi
+
 xs_remove() {
     if is_attached /sys$DEVPATH; then
         return 0
@@ -21,6 +42,21 @@ xs_remove() {
     fi
 }
 
+# Mark only the USB ancestor (if any) as used. Needed on its own when the
+# device itself is removed from QDB (used locally, so not manageable from
+# dom0) but the whole USB device still must not be attachable elsewhere.
+xs_set_usb_used() {
+    if [ -n "$USB_PARENT" ]; then
+        local usb_safe="${USB_PARENT//./_}"
+        # check if USB device is exposed
+        if qubesdb-read -q "/qubes-usb-devices/${usb_safe}/desc" >/dev/null
+        then
+            qubesdb-write "/qubes-usb-devices/${usb_safe}/used" "$1"
+            qubesdb-write /qubes-usb-devices ''
+        fi
+    fi
+}
+
 is_used() {
     local sys_devpath=$1
     local devname=$(grep ^DEVNAME= $sys_devpath/uevent | cut -f 2 -d =)
@@ -49,6 +85,26 @@ refresh_another() {
     env -i PATH=$PATH $launch_env $0
 }
 
+# If any block device exposed by the USB ancestor (including sibling block
+# devices and all their partitions) is currently used locally.
+# Used to decide if the USB ancestor can be set free.
+usb_parent_still_in_use() {
+    [ -n "$USB_PARENT_SYSPATH" ] || return 1
+    local blockdev part
+    # The interface-to-host depth varies by driver
+    for blockdev in "$USB_PARENT_SYSPATH"/**/block/*; do
+        if is_used "$blockdev"; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+        for part in "$blockdev/${blockdev##*/}"*; do
+            if [ -d "$part" ] && is_used "$part"; then
+                return 0
+            fi
+        done
+    done
+    return 1
+}
+
 is_attached() {
     dev_hex=$(stat -c %t:%T /dev/$(basename $1))
     if [ -z "$dev_hex" -o "$dev_hex" = "0:0" ]; then
@@ -95,21 +151,23 @@ if [ -z "$QUBES_EXPORT_BLOCK_DEVICE" ] && [ "$DM_UDEV_DISABLE_DISK_RULES_FLAG" =
     exit 0
 fi
 
+# Note: mounting or unmounting a filesystem does not generate a block uevent,
+# so this script is not run by itself when local use starts or ends.
+# See `qubes-block-mount-watcher`.
+
 # device itself is already used
 if is_used /sys$DEVPATH; then
     xs_remove
+    xs_set_usb_used True
     exit 0
 fi
 
 # or one of its partitions is used
-# or already attached (prevent attaching both device and its partition(s) at
-# the same time)
+USED=""
 for part in /sys$DEVPATH/$NAME*; do
-    if [ -d $part ]; then
-        if is_used $part || is_attached $part; then
-            xs_remove
-            exit 0
-        fi
+    if [ -d $part ] && is_used $part; then
+        USED=1
+        break
     fi
 done
 
@@ -166,8 +224,14 @@ fi
 
 if [ -f /sys$DEVPATH/partition ]; then
     parent=$(basename "$(dirname "$DEVPATH")")
-elif echo "$DEVPATH" | grep -q '/host'; then
-    parent=$(basename "$(sed 's|/host.*$||' <<< "$DEVPATH")")
+elif [ -n "$USB_PARENT" ]; then
+    parent="$USB_PARENT"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$USED" ]; then
+    USED_VALUE=True
+else
+    USED_VALUE=False
 fi
 
 # The last one is meant to trigger watches
@@ -176,7 +240,22 @@ qubesdb-write \
     "$QDB_KEY/size" "$SIZE" \
     "$QDB_KEY/mode" "$MODE" \
     "$QDB_KEY/parent" "$parent" \
+    "$QDB_KEY/used" "$USED_VALUE" \
     /qubes-block-devices ''
 
+# If this device or one of its children is in use: keep the parent used.
+if [ -n "$USED" ]; then
+    xs_set_usb_used True
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# This device is free, but a sibling device may still be in use
+# in that case keep the USB ancestor used.
+if usb_parent_still_in_use; then
+    xs_set_usb_used True
+else
+    xs_set_usb_used False
+fi
+
 # Make sure that block backend is loaded
 /sbin/modprobe xen-blkback 2> /dev/null || /sbin/modprobe blkbk
diff --git a/udev/udev-qubes-vbd.rules b/udev/udev-qubes-vbd.rules
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..86ebbd0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/udev/udev-qubes-vbd.rules
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Re-evaluate exported block devices when a xen vbd disappears.
+#
+# Not on the udev watch event: it fires when blkback closes the device,
+# still before the vbd is unregistered, so a refresh there would see it as
+# attached!
+# By now physical_device is gone too, so we cannot tell which device it was,
+# hence we check all; the block rules drop the irrelevant ones early.
+# This works for `detach`; `attach` is handled by `qubes.RefreshBlockDevices`.
+SUBSYSTEM=="xen-backend", KERNEL=="vbd-*", ACTION=="remove", \
+  RUN+="/usr/bin/udevadm trigger --action=change --subsystem-match=block"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/udev/udev-usb-add-change b/udev/udev-usb-add-change
index 36144441..6f3e85d7 100755
--- a/udev/udev-usb-add-change
+++ b/udev/udev-usb-add-change
@@ -28,11 +28,15 @@ fi
 
 QDB_KEY="/qubes-usb-devices/$XSNAME"
 
+USED=`qubesdb-read -q "$QDB_KEY/used" 2>/dev/null`
+[ -n "$USED" ] || USED=False
+
 # The last one is meant to trigger watches
 qubesdb-write \
     "$QDB_KEY/desc" "$DESC" \
     "$QDB_KEY/usb-ver" "$VERSION" \
     "$QDB_KEY/interfaces" "$ID_USB_INTERFACES" \
+    "$QDB_KEY/used" "$USED" \
     /qubes-usb-devices ''
 
 # Make sure PVUSB backend driver is loaded.