A method and system for providing a user-controllable boot order via a hypervisor in a virtual machine system. A Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) receives a boot order list associated with a guest from the hypervisor. The boot order list is an ordered list that specifies an order of device names, according to which the BIOS searches for boot software when booting up the guest. In the boot order list, devices of the same device type are identified by different device names. Upon receipt of a command to boot up the guest, the BIOS searches for the boot software following the order of the device names specified by the boot order list. The BIOS then boots up the guest using the boot software located in one of the devices.