diff --git a/src/jtag/aice/aice_usb.c b/src/jtag/aice/aice_usb.c
index a5cccfef4..442754209 100644
--- a/src/jtag/aice/aice_usb.c
+++ b/src/jtag/aice/aice_usb.c
@@ -2111,7 +2111,7 @@ static int aice_usb_open(struct aice_port_param_s *param)
 	const uint16_t pids[] = { param->pid, 0 };
 	struct libusb_device_handle *devh;
 
-	if (jtag_libusb_open(vids, pids, NULL, &devh) != ERROR_OK)
+	if (jtag_libusb_open(vids, pids, NULL, &devh, NULL) != ERROR_OK)
 		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	/* BE ***VERY CAREFUL*** ABOUT MAKING CHANGES IN THIS
@@ -2135,7 +2135,7 @@ static int aice_usb_open(struct aice_port_param_s *param)
 	/* reopen jlink after usb_reset
 	 * on win32 this may take a second or two to re-enumerate */
 	int retval;
-	while ((retval = jtag_libusb_open(vids, pids, NULL, &devh)) != ERROR_OK) {
+	while ((retval = jtag_libusb_open(vids, pids, NULL, &devh, NULL)) != ERROR_OK) {
 		usleep(1000);
 		timeout--;
 		if (!timeout)
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/ft232r.c b/src/jtag/drivers/ft232r.c
index 4812362a3..c9ed304a8 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/ft232r.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/ft232r.c
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ static int ft232r_init(void)
 {
 	uint16_t avids[] = {ft232r_vid, 0};
 	uint16_t apids[] = {ft232r_pid, 0};
-	if (jtag_libusb_open(avids, apids, ft232r_serial_desc, &adapter)) {
+	if (jtag_libusb_open(avids, apids, ft232r_serial_desc, &adapter, NULL)) {
 		LOG_ERROR("ft232r not found: vid=%04x, pid=%04x, serial=%s\n",
 			ft232r_vid, ft232r_pid, (ft232r_serial_desc == NULL) ? "[any]" : ft232r_serial_desc);
 		return ERROR_JTAG_INIT_FAILED;
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/kitprog.c b/src/jtag/drivers/kitprog.c
index 0c1e74c42..28ed7ac61 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/kitprog.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/kitprog.c
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ static int kitprog_usb_open(void)
 	const uint16_t pids[] = { PID, 0 };
 
 	if (jtag_libusb_open(vids, pids, kitprog_serial,
-			&kitprog_handle->usb_handle) != ERROR_OK) {
+			&kitprog_handle->usb_handle, NULL) != ERROR_OK) {
 		LOG_ERROR("Failed to open or find the device");
 		return ERROR_FAIL;
 	}
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.c b/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.c
index 5a8129cb9..fbbfb4114 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ static int jtag_libusb_error(int err)
 	}
 }
 
-static bool jtag_libusb_match(struct libusb_device_descriptor *dev_desc,
+static bool jtag_libusb_match_ids(struct libusb_device_descriptor *dev_desc,
 		const uint16_t vids[], const uint16_t pids[])
 {
 	for (unsigned i = 0; vids[i]; i++) {
@@ -123,9 +123,40 @@ static bool string_descriptor_equal(libusb_device_handle *device, uint8_t str_in
 	return matched;
 }
 
+static bool jtag_libusb_match_serial(libusb_device_handle *device,
+		struct libusb_device_descriptor *dev_desc, const char *serial,
+		adapter_get_alternate_serial_fn adapter_get_alternate_serial)
+{
+	if (string_descriptor_equal(device, dev_desc->iSerialNumber, serial))
+		return true;
+
+	/* check the alternate serial helper */
+	if (!adapter_get_alternate_serial)
+		return false;
+
+	/* get the alternate serial */
+	char *alternate_serial = adapter_get_alternate_serial(device, dev_desc);
+
+	/* check possible failures */
+	if (alternate_serial == NULL)
+		return false;
+
+	/* then compare and free the alternate serial */
+	bool match = false;
+	if (strcmp(serial, alternate_serial) == 0)
+		match = true;
+	else
+		LOG_DEBUG("Device alternate serial number '%s' doesn't match requested serial '%s'",
+				alternate_serial, serial);
+
+	free(alternate_serial);
+	return match;
+}
+
 int jtag_libusb_open(const uint16_t vids[], const uint16_t pids[],
 		const char *serial,
-		struct libusb_device_handle **out)
+		struct libusb_device_handle **out,
+		adapter_get_alternate_serial_fn adapter_get_alternate_serial)
 {
 	int cnt, idx, errCode;
 	int retval = ERROR_FAIL;
@@ -143,7 +174,7 @@ int jtag_libusb_open(const uint16_t vids[], const uint16_t pids[],
 		if (libusb_get_device_descriptor(devs[idx], &dev_desc) != 0)
 			continue;
 
-		if (!jtag_libusb_match(&dev_desc, vids, pids))
+		if (!jtag_libusb_match_ids(&dev_desc, vids, pids))
 			continue;
 
 		if (jtag_usb_get_location() && !jtag_libusb_location_equal(devs[idx]))
@@ -159,7 +190,7 @@ int jtag_libusb_open(const uint16_t vids[], const uint16_t pids[],
 
 		/* Device must be open to use libusb_get_string_descriptor_ascii. */
 		if (serial != NULL &&
-				!string_descriptor_equal(libusb_handle, dev_desc.iSerialNumber, serial)) {
+				!jtag_libusb_match_serial(libusb_handle, &dev_desc, serial, adapter_get_alternate_serial)) {
 			serial_mismatch = true;
 			libusb_close(libusb_handle);
 			continue;
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.h b/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.h
index 46e4954e7..74bb23c52 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.h
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/libusb_helper.h
@@ -22,9 +22,15 @@
 
 #include <libusb.h>
 
+/* this callback should return a non NULL value only when the serial could not
+ * be retrieved by the standard 'libusb_get_string_descriptor_ascii' */
+typedef char * (*adapter_get_alternate_serial_fn)(libusb_device_handle *device,
+		struct libusb_device_descriptor *dev_desc);
+
 int jtag_libusb_open(const uint16_t vids[], const uint16_t pids[],
 		const char *serial,
-		struct libusb_device_handle **out);
+		struct libusb_device_handle **out,
+		adapter_get_alternate_serial_fn adapter_get_alternate_serial);
 void jtag_libusb_close(struct libusb_device_handle *dev);
 int jtag_libusb_control_transfer(struct libusb_device_handle *dev,
 		uint8_t requestType, uint8_t request, uint16_t wValue,
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/opendous.c b/src/jtag/drivers/opendous.c
index 7298a2a10..6812ef649 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/opendous.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/opendous.c
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ struct opendous_jtag *opendous_usb_open(void)
 	struct opendous_jtag *result;
 
 	struct libusb_device_handle *devh;
-	if (jtag_libusb_open(opendous_probe->VID, opendous_probe->PID, NULL, &devh) != ERROR_OK)
+	if (jtag_libusb_open(opendous_probe->VID, opendous_probe->PID, NULL, &devh, NULL) != ERROR_OK)
 		return NULL;
 
 	jtag_libusb_set_configuration(devh, 0);
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/openjtag.c b/src/jtag/drivers/openjtag.c
index 6131df914..7eab5c130 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/openjtag.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/openjtag.c
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ static int openjtag_init_cy7c65215(void)
 	int ret;
 
 	usbh = NULL;
-	ret = jtag_libusb_open(cy7c65215_vids, cy7c65215_pids, NULL, &usbh);
+	ret = jtag_libusb_open(cy7c65215_vids, cy7c65215_pids, NULL, &usbh, NULL);
 	if (ret != ERROR_OK) {
 		LOG_ERROR("unable to open cy7c65215 device");
 		goto err;
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/osbdm.c b/src/jtag/drivers/osbdm.c
index aea126d0d..dc236660e 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/osbdm.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/osbdm.c
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ static int osbdm_flush(struct osbdm *osbdm, struct queue *queue)
 static int osbdm_open(struct osbdm *osbdm)
 {
 	(void)memset(osbdm, 0, sizeof(*osbdm));
-	if (jtag_libusb_open(osbdm_vid, osbdm_pid, NULL, &osbdm->devh) != ERROR_OK)
+	if (jtag_libusb_open(osbdm_vid, osbdm_pid, NULL, &osbdm->devh, NULL) != ERROR_OK)
 		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
 	if (libusb_claim_interface(osbdm->devh, 0) != ERROR_OK)
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/stlink_usb.c b/src/jtag/drivers/stlink_usb.c
index ca7a4df4e..d8d8d67e3 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/stlink_usb.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/stlink_usb.c
@@ -2778,7 +2778,8 @@ static int stlink_usb_open(struct hl_interface_param_s *param, void **fd)
 	  in order to become operational.
 	 */
 	do {
-		if (jtag_libusb_open(param->vid, param->pid, param->serial, &h->fd) != ERROR_OK) {
+		if (jtag_libusb_open(param->vid, param->pid, param->serial,
+				&h->fd, NULL) != ERROR_OK) {
 			LOG_ERROR("open failed");
 			goto error_open;
 		}
diff --git a/src/jtag/drivers/usb_blaster/ublast2_access_libusb.c b/src/jtag/drivers/usb_blaster/ublast2_access_libusb.c
index 4f7ee6300..b406c0321 100644
--- a/src/jtag/drivers/usb_blaster/ublast2_access_libusb.c
+++ b/src/jtag/drivers/usb_blaster/ublast2_access_libusb.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static int ublast2_libusb_init(struct ublast_lowlevel *low)
 	bool renumeration = false;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (jtag_libusb_open(vids, pids, NULL, &temp) == ERROR_OK) {
+	if (jtag_libusb_open(vids, pids, NULL, &temp, NULL) == ERROR_OK) {
 		LOG_INFO("Altera USB-Blaster II (uninitialized) found");
 		LOG_INFO("Loading firmware...");
 		ret = load_usb_blaster_firmware(temp, low);
@@ -209,13 +209,15 @@ static int ublast2_libusb_init(struct ublast_lowlevel *low)
 	const uint16_t pids_renum[] = { low->ublast_pid, 0 };
 
 	if (renumeration == false) {
-		if (jtag_libusb_open(vids_renum, pids_renum, NULL, &low->libusb_dev) != ERROR_OK) {
+		if (jtag_libusb_open(vids_renum, pids_renum, NULL,
+				&low->libusb_dev, NULL) != ERROR_OK) {
 			LOG_ERROR("Altera USB-Blaster II not found");
 			return ERROR_FAIL;
 		}
 	} else {
 		int retry = 10;
-		while (jtag_libusb_open(vids_renum, pids_renum, NULL, &low->libusb_dev) != ERROR_OK && retry--) {
+		while (jtag_libusb_open(vids_renum, pids_renum, NULL,
+				&low->libusb_dev, NULL) != ERROR_OK && retry--) {
 			usleep(1000000);
 			LOG_INFO("Waiting for renumerate...");
 		}