diff --git a/block/src/factory.rs b/block/src/factory.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9925dc162
--- /dev/null
+++ b/block/src/factory.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Cloud Hypervisor Authors. All rights reserved.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+//! Disk image factory.
+//!
+//! [`open_disk`] is the single entry point for opening a disk image.
+//! It opens the file, detects the image format, probes async I/O
+//! support, and constructs the appropriate backend. Callers receive
+//! a trait object that is ready for use by virtio queue workers.
+
+use std::os::unix::fs::OpenOptionsExt;
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::sync::OnceLock;
+use std::{fmt, fs};
+
+use log::info;
+
+use crate::disk_file::AsyncFullDiskFile;
+use crate::error::{BlockError, BlockErrorKind, BlockResult};
+#[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]
+use crate::fixed_vhd_async::FixedVhdDiskAsync;
+use crate::fixed_vhd_sync::FixedVhdDiskSync;
+#[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]
+use crate::qcow_async::QcowDiskAsync;
+use crate::qcow_sync::QcowDiskSync;
+use crate::raw_async_aio::RawFileDiskAio;
+use crate::raw_sync::RawFileDiskSync;
+use crate::vhdx_sync::VhdxDiskSync;
+use crate::{
+    ImageType, block_aio_is_supported, detect_image_type, open_disk_image, preallocate_disk,
+};
+#[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]
+use crate::{block_io_uring_is_supported, raw_async::RawFileDisk};
+
+/// Options for opening a disk image via [`open_disk`].
+pub struct DiskOpenOptions<'a> {
+    pub path: &'a Path,
+    pub readonly: bool,
+    pub direct: bool,
+    pub sparse: bool,
+    pub backing_files: bool,
+    pub disable_io_uring: bool,
+    pub disable_aio: bool,
+}
+
+/// Result of [`open_disk`], carrying the detected image type alongside
+/// the constructed backend.
+pub struct OpenedDisk {
+    pub image_type: ImageType,
+    pub disk: Box<dyn AsyncFullDiskFile>,
+}
+
+impl fmt::Debug for OpenedDisk {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_struct("OpenedDisk")
+            .field("image_type", &self.image_type)
+            .finish_non_exhaustive()
+    }
+}
+
+/// Returns true when io_uring is supported on the running kernel.
+///
+/// The result is cached so the probe runs at most once per process.
+#[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]
+fn io_uring_supported() -> bool {
+    static SUPPORTED: OnceLock<bool> = OnceLock::new();
+    *SUPPORTED.get_or_init(block_io_uring_is_supported)
+}
+
+/// Returns true when Linux AIO is supported on the running kernel.
+///
+/// The result is cached so the probe runs at most once per process.
+fn aio_supported() -> bool {
+    static SUPPORTED: OnceLock<bool> = OnceLock::new();
+    *SUPPORTED.get_or_init(block_aio_is_supported)
+}
+
+/// Open a disk image and construct the appropriate async backend.
+///
+/// - Opens the file with the requested access mode and flags.
+/// - Detects the image format from the file header.
+/// - Probes io_uring and Linux AIO support on the running kernel.
+/// - Constructs the most capable backend available for the detected
+///   format, preferring io_uring over AIO over synchronous fallback.
+///
+/// The returned [`OpenedDisk`] exposes the detected [`ImageType`] so
+/// callers can perform post construction validation (e.g. type mismatch
+/// checks, configuration warnings).
+pub fn open_disk(options: &DiskOpenOptions<'_>) -> BlockResult<OpenedDisk> {
+    let mut fs_options = fs::OpenOptions::new();
+    fs_options.read(true);
+    fs_options.write(!options.readonly);
+    if options.direct {
+        fs_options.custom_flags(libc::O_DIRECT);
+    }
+
+    let mut file = open_disk_image(options.path, &fs_options)?;
+    let image_type = detect_image_type(&mut file)?;
+
+    let disk: Box<dyn AsyncFullDiskFile> = match image_type {
+        ImageType::FixedVhd => open_fixed_vhd(file, options)?,
+        ImageType::Raw => open_raw(file, options)?,
+        ImageType::Qcow2 => open_qcow2(file, options)?,
+        ImageType::Vhdx => open_vhdx(file, options)?,
+        ImageType::Unknown => {
+            return Err(
+                BlockError::from_kind(BlockErrorKind::UnsupportedFeature).with_path(options.path)
+            );
+        }
+    };
+
+    Ok(OpenedDisk { image_type, disk })
+}
+
+fn open_vhdx(
+    file: fs::File,
+    options: &DiskOpenOptions<'_>,
+) -> BlockResult<Box<dyn AsyncFullDiskFile>> {
+    info!("Opening VHDX disk file with synchronous backend");
+    Ok(Box::new(
+        VhdxDiskSync::new(file).map_err(|e| e.with_path(options.path))?,
+    ))
+}
+
+fn open_fixed_vhd(
+    file: fs::File,
+    options: &DiskOpenOptions<'_>,
+) -> BlockResult<Box<dyn AsyncFullDiskFile>> {
+    #[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]
+    if !options.disable_io_uring {
+        if io_uring_supported() {
+            info!("Opening fixed VHD disk file with io_uring backend");
+            return Ok(Box::new(
+                FixedVhdDiskAsync::new(file).map_err(|e| e.with_path(options.path))?,
+            ));
+        }
+        info!("io_uring runtime probe failed for fixed VHD, using synchronous backend");
+    }
+
+    info!("Opening fixed VHD disk file with synchronous backend");
+    Ok(Box::new(
+        FixedVhdDiskSync::new(file).map_err(|e| e.with_path(options.path))?,
+    ))
+}
+
+fn open_raw(
+    file: fs::File,
+    options: &DiskOpenOptions<'_>,
+) -> BlockResult<Box<dyn AsyncFullDiskFile>> {
+    if !options.readonly && !options.sparse {
+        preallocate_disk(&file, options.path);
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]
+    if !options.disable_io_uring {
+        if io_uring_supported() {
+            info!("Opening RAW disk file with io_uring backend");
+            return Ok(Box::new(RawFileDisk::new(file)));
+        }
+        info!("io_uring runtime probe failed for RAW, trying next backend");
+    }
+
+    if !options.disable_aio {
+        if aio_supported() {
+            info!("Opening RAW disk file with AIO backend");
+            return Ok(Box::new(RawFileDiskAio::new(file)));
+        }
+        info!("AIO runtime probe failed for RAW, using synchronous backend");
+    }
+
+    info!("Opening RAW disk file with synchronous backend");
+    Ok(Box::new(RawFileDiskSync::new(file)))
+}
+
+fn open_qcow2(
+    file: fs::File,
+    options: &DiskOpenOptions<'_>,
+) -> BlockResult<Box<dyn AsyncFullDiskFile>> {
+    #[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]
+    if !options.disable_io_uring {
+        if io_uring_supported() {
+            info!("Opening QCOW2 disk file with io_uring backend");
+            return Ok(Box::new(
+                QcowDiskAsync::new(file, options.direct, options.backing_files, options.sparse)
+                    .map_err(|e| e.with_path(options.path))?,
+            ));
+        }
+        info!("io_uring runtime probe failed for QCOW2, using synchronous backend");
+    }
+
+    info!("Opening QCOW2 disk file with synchronous backend");
+    Ok(Box::new(
+        QcowDiskSync::new(file, options.direct, options.backing_files, options.sparse)
+            .map_err(|e| e.with_path(options.path))?,
+    ))
+}
diff --git a/block/src/lib.rs b/block/src/lib.rs
index da836aaaa..c7385e6f2 100644
--- a/block/src/lib.rs
+++ b/block/src/lib.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 pub mod async_io;
 pub mod disk_file;
 pub mod error;
+pub mod factory;
 pub mod fcntl;
 pub mod fixed_vhd;
 #[cfg(feature = "io_uring")]