diff --git a/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/default.nix
index e5620b6ce456..3714e6b2dd58 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/default.nix
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 with stdenv.lib;
 let
-  version = "2.8.0";
+  version = "2.8.1";
   audio = optionalString (hasSuffix "linux" stdenv.system) "alsa,"
     + optionalString pulseSupport "pa,"
     + optionalString sdlSupport "sdl,";
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   src = fetchurl {
     url = "http://wiki.qemu.org/download/qemu-${version}.tar.bz2";
-    sha256 = "0qjy3rcrn89n42y5iz60kgr0rrl29hpnj8mq2yvbc1wrcizmvzfs";
+    sha256 = "1kdv8aa800rbsz9qnm4saw79vr052p83by21ryah68ics9z4r3h1";
   };
 
   buildInputs =
@@ -64,80 +64,52 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ./no-etc-install.patch
 
     # bugfixes
-    (fetchurl {
-      name = "qemu-vnc-do-not-disconnect-on-EAGAIN.patch";
-      url = "https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-qemu/qemu.git/plain/debian/patches/vnc-do-not-disconnect-on-EAGAIN.patch?h=debian/qemu_2.8%2bdfsg-3";
-      sha256 = "1nqhfgfw1pzhid094pk204qy36r6n7w1yilsiwabgcsyxs5bymnh";
-    })
-
+    # xhci: fix event queue IRQ handling
     (upstreamPatch "qemu-fix-win7-xhci" "7da76e12cc5cc902dda4c168d8d608fd4e61cbc5"
       "0m1ggbxziy7vqz9007ypzg23cni8cc4db36wlnhxz0kdpq70c6x0")
 
+    # xhci: only free completed transfers
     (upstreamPatch "qemu-xhci-free-completed-transfers" "f94d18d6c6df388fde196d3ab252f57e33843a8b"
       "0lk19qss6ky7cqnvis54742cr2z0vl8c64chhch0kp6n83hray9x")
 
-    # security fixes from debian
-    (fetchurl {
-      name = "CVE-2016-9602.patch";
-      url = "https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-qemu/qemu.git/plain/debian/patches/9pfs-symlink-attack-fixes-CVE-2016-9602.patch?h=debian/qemu_2.8%2bdfsg-3";
-      sha256 = "0f7m1k3hbw9v0dwqn53ds36s7s334vlidvbn0682s9r2sq0sjlkv";
-    })
-
-    (fetchurl {
-      name = "CVE-2017-2630.patch";
-      url = "https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-qemu/qemu.git/plain/debian/patches/nbd_client-fix-drop_sync-CVE-2017-2630.patch?h=debian/qemu_2.8%2bdfsg-3";
-      sha256 = "1gdxaari53iwgj3gyczz30rhg8lj6xqycxym4snw9z5vmkyj1bbq";
-    })
-
-    (fetchurl {
-      name = "CVE-2017-6058.patch";
-      url = "https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-qemu/qemu.git/plain/debian/patches/vmxnet3-fix-memory-corruption-on-vlan-header-stripping-CVE-2017-6058.patch?h=debian/qemu_2.8%2bdfsg-3";
-      sha256 = "0w8az2cr116mnijxjd4aprl8dvfdj76gm7ddajmngdslxiax601f";
-    })
-
     # security fixes from upstream
+    # net: imx: limit buffer descriptor count
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2016-7907" "81f17e0d435c3db3a3e67e0d32ebf9c98973211f"
       "0dzghbm3jmnyw34kd40a6akrr1cpizd9hdzqmhlc2ljab7pr1rcb")
 
+    # watchdog: 6300esb: add exit function
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2016-10155" "eb7a20a3616085d46aa6b4b4224e15587ec67e6e"
       "1xk00fyls0hdza11dyfrnzcn6gibmmcrwy7sxgp6iizp6wgzi3vw")
 
-    (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-2615" "62d4c6bd5263bb8413a06c80144fc678df6dfb64"
-      "0miph2x4d474issa44hmc542zxmkc7lsr4ncb7pwarq6j7v52l8h")
-
-    (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-2620" "92f2b88cea48c6aeba8de568a45f2ed958f3c298"
-      "1kz12qmvfccy7xilsrxahbs67jycv4zjfbijxivadvx9klxs1n58")
-
+    # audio: ac97: add exit function
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5525" "12351a91da97b414eec8cdb09f1d9f41e535a401"
       "190b4aqr35p4lb3rjarknfi1ip1c9zizliqp1dd6frx4364y5yp2")
 
+    # audio: es1370: add exit function
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5526" "069eb7b2b8fc47c7cb52e5a4af23ea98d939e3da"
       "05xgzd3zldk3x2vqpjag9z5ilhdkpkyh633fb5kvnz8scns6v86f")
 
+    # serial: fix memory leak in serial exit
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5579" "8409dc884a201bf74b30a9d232b6bbdd00cb7e2b"
       "0lbcyhif1kdcy8my0bv8aqr2f421kmljcch3plrjzj9pgcm4sv83")
 
-    (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5667" "42922105beb14c2fc58185ea022b9f72fb5465e9"
-      "049vq70is3fj9bf4ysfj3s44iz93qhyqn6xijck32w1x6yyzqyx4")
-
-    (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5667-fix" "913a87885f589d263e682c2eb6637c6e14538061"
-      "0nm1k2r9n6r86dvjr16hxak2vcsinj7ijlqw5i6f4y5h2sh37wr5")
-
+    # megasas: fix guest-triggered memory leak
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5856" "765a707000e838c30b18d712fe6cb3dd8e0435f3"
       "03pjkn8l8rp9ip5h5rm1dp0nrwd43nmgpwamz4z1vy3rli1z3yjw")
 
+    # virtio-gpu: fix resource leak in virgl_cmd_resource_unref
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5857" "5e8e3c4c75c199aa1017db816fca02be2a9f8798"
       "1kz14rmxf049zl5m27apzpbvy8dk0g47n9gnwy0nm70g65rl1dh8")
 
+    # usb: ccid: check ccid apdu length
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5898" "c7dfbf322595ded4e70b626bf83158a9f3807c6a"
       "1y2j0qw04s8fl0cs8i619y08kj75lxn3c0y19g710fzpk3rq8dvn")
 
-    (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5931" "a08aaff811fb194950f79711d2afe5a892ae03a4"
-      "0hlih9jhbb1mb174hvxs7pf7lgcs7s9g705ri9rliw7wrhqdpja5")
-
+    # xhci: apply limits to loops
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5973" "f89b60f6e5fee3923bedf80e82b4e5efc1bb156b"
       "06niyighjxb4p5z2as3mqfmrwrzn4sq47j7raipbq9gnda7x9sw6")
 
+    # sd: sdhci: check transfer mode register in multi block transfer
     (upstreamPatch "CVE-2017-5987" "6e86d90352adf6cb08295255220295cf23c4286e"
       "09yfxf93cisx8rhm0h48ib1ibwfs420k5pqpz8dnz33nci9567jm")
 
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/no-etc-install.patch b/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/no-etc-install.patch
index 833f030bed35..fbc5d1c7f765 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/no-etc-install.patch
+++ b/pkgs/applications/virtualization/qemu/no-etc-install.patch
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 --- a/Makefile
 +++ b/Makefile
-@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@
+@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@
  
  
  install: all $(if $(BUILD_DOCS),install-doc) \