diff --git a/src/include/mx/api/PartData.h b/src/include/mx/api/PartData.h
index e0d69975..4a1e6624 100644
--- a/src/include/mx/api/PartData.h
+++ b/src/include/mx/api/PartData.h
@@ -28,7 +28,27 @@ struct MidiData
 {
     std::string virtualLibrary;
     std::string virtualName;
+
+    // The name of the playback device or sound bank for this instrument — for example the name of a
+    // MIDI output device, or a sound or bank label. This is often left empty.
     std::string device;
+
+    // An optional port (or cable) number, from 1 to 16, that says which output the device uses. It
+    // has no value when the file doesn't specify one, and most files leave it unset — you only need
+    // it when you are aiming at a particular MIDI port. You don't have to attach the device to this
+    // part's instrument yourself; the library keeps them together automatically when the music is
+    // written out.
+    std::optional<int> devicePort;
+
+    // Most users can ignore this; leave it unspecified. It only controls whether the saved file
+    // spells out the little link that ties this part's playback device to its instrument. unspecified
+    // (the default) does the sensible thing on its own: it leaves that link out, because each part
+    // here has a single instrument and so the link isn't needed. yes/no force it to be written or left
+    // out. You never have to set this when you are creating music — when the library reads a file that
+    // did spell the link out, it sets this for you, so that saving the file brings it back the same way
+    // it came in.
+    Bool writeDeviceId;
+
     std::string name;
 
     // VALUE_UNSPECIFIED indicates absence of value
@@ -56,13 +76,34 @@ struct MidiData
     bool isElevationSpecified;
 
     MidiData()
-        : virtualLibrary{}, virtualName{}, device{}, name{}, bank{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED}, channel{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED},
-          program{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED}, unpitched{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED}, volume{0.0}, isVolumeSpecified{false}, pan{0.0},
-          isPanSpecified{false}, elevation{0.0}, isElevationSpecified{false}
+        : virtualLibrary{}, virtualName{}, device{}, devicePort{}, writeDeviceId{Bool::unspecified}, name{},
+          bank{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED}, channel{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED}, program{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED}, unpitched{VALUE_UNSPECIFIED},
+          volume{0.0}, isVolumeSpecified{false}, pan{0.0}, isPanSpecified{false}, elevation{0.0},
+          isElevationSpecified{false}
     {
     }
 };
 
+// Describes the instrument that a part is played on. In this library every part has exactly one
+// instrument, and the name and playback settings you set here (the playback settings live in
+// midiData) apply to the whole part, from the first measure to the last.
+//
+// MusicXML itself allows a single part to carry more than one instrument. The most common case is
+// a drum kit or percussion part, where the bass drum, snare, ride cymbal, and so on are each
+// treated as a separate instrument. You also see it when a part layers or doubles two sounds that
+// play together — two sampled instruments sounding at once, or a single "Clarinet 1 & 2" line that
+// really holds two separate instruments.
+//
+// For now this library brings in only the first instrument of such a part. Any additional
+// instruments in the file are not available here and are not written back out. We're sorry for the
+// limitation: we looked for a way to offer several instruments per part without making the ordinary
+// single-instrument case — which covers the vast majority of music — harder to understand and use,
+// and we didn't find one we were happy with, so it stays one instrument per part for the time
+// being.
+//
+// One more thing worth knowing: MusicXML also lets a piece switch a part's instrument, or change
+// its playback settings, partway through the music. This library does not offer those mid-piece
+// changes. Whatever you set here is in effect for the entire part, start to finish.
 struct InstrumentData
 {
     std::string uniqueId;
@@ -230,6 +271,8 @@ MXAPI_EQUALS_BEGIN(MidiData)
 MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(virtualLibrary)
 MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(virtualName)
 MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(device)
+MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(devicePort)
+MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(writeDeviceId)
 MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(name)
 MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(bank)
 MXAPI_EQUALS_MEMBER(channel)
diff --git a/src/private/mx/impl/PartReader.cpp b/src/private/mx/impl/PartReader.cpp
index 27cc090e..748dc74b 100644
--- a/src/private/mx/impl/PartReader.cpp
+++ b/src/private/mx/impl/PartReader.cpp
@@ -299,6 +299,16 @@ void PartReader::parseMidiDeviceInstrumentGroup(const core::ScorePartMIDIGroup &
     if (grp.midiDevice().has_value())
     {
         myOutPartData.instrumentData.midiData.device = grp.midiDevice()->value();
+
+        if (grp.midiDevice()->port().has_value())
+        {
+            myOutPartData.instrumentData.midiData.devicePort = grp.midiDevice()->port()->value();
+        }
+
+        if (grp.midiDevice()->id().has_value())
+        {
+            myOutPartData.instrumentData.midiData.writeDeviceId = api::Bool::yes;
+        }
     }
 
     if (grp.midiInstrument().has_value())
diff --git a/src/private/mx/impl/PartWriter.cpp b/src/private/mx/impl/PartWriter.cpp
index 502918e9..cec80b88 100644
--- a/src/private/mx/impl/PartWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/private/mx/impl/PartWriter.cpp
@@ -177,10 +177,25 @@ core::ScorePart PartWriter::getScorePart() const
     core::MIDIInstrument midiInstrument{};
     midiInstrument.setID(core::Token{myPartData.instrumentData.uniqueId});
 
-    if (myPartData.instrumentData.midiData.device.size() > 0)
+    const auto &apiMidiData = myPartData.instrumentData.midiData;
+    if (apiMidiData.device.size() > 0 || apiMidiData.devicePort.has_value())
     {
         addMidiElement = true;
-        midiDevice.setValue(myPartData.instrumentData.midiData.device);
+        midiDevice.setValue(apiMidiData.device);
+
+        if (apiMidiData.devicePort.has_value())
+        {
+            midiDevice.setPort(core::MIDI16{*apiMidiData.devicePort});
+        }
+
+        // The midi-device attaches to this part's instrument, the same instrument the
+        // midi-instrument below is written for. Emit that link only when the source stated it;
+        // for a single-instrument part it is otherwise implied.
+        if (apiMidiData.writeDeviceId == api::Bool::yes && myPartData.instrumentData.uniqueId.size() > 0)
+        {
+            midiDevice.setID(core::Token{myPartData.instrumentData.uniqueId});
+        }
+
         midiGroup.setMIDIDevice(midiDevice);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/private/mxtest/api/MidiNameRoundTripTest.cpp b/src/private/mxtest/api/MidiNameRoundTripTest.cpp
index d247bbcc..a33c0ca2 100644
--- a/src/private/mxtest/api/MidiNameRoundTripTest.cpp
+++ b/src/private/mxtest/api/MidiNameRoundTripTest.cpp
@@ -53,4 +53,33 @@ TEST(midiNameRoundTrip, survivesWriteAndRead)
     CHECK_EQUAL(expected, out.parts.at(0).instrumentData.midiData.name);
 }
 
+TEST(midiDeviceRoundTrip, portSurvivesWriteAndRead)
+{
+    // A midi-device carrying only attributes (empty text) must still round-trip, e.g.
+    // <midi-device port="1"></midi-device>. writeDeviceId defaults to unspecified, so no id is
+    // emitted here; only the port is exercised.
+    auto in = makeScoreWithMidiName("Flute Player One");
+    in.parts.at(0).instrumentData.midiData.devicePort = 1;
+
+    const auto out = mxtest::roundTrip(in);
+    REQUIRE(out.parts.size() == 1);
+    const auto &midiData = out.parts.at(0).instrumentData.midiData;
+    REQUIRE(midiData.devicePort.has_value());
+    CHECK_EQUAL(1, *midiData.devicePort);
+}
+
+TEST(midiDeviceRoundTrip, writeDeviceIdSurvivesWriteAndRead)
+{
+    // When a source spells out the device-to-instrument link, mx re-emits it as
+    // <midi-device id="P1-I1" ...>, taking the id from the part's instrument (uniqueId "P1-I1"
+    // here), so the flag survives the round-trip.
+    auto in = makeScoreWithMidiName("Flute Player One");
+    in.parts.at(0).instrumentData.midiData.devicePort = 1;
+    in.parts.at(0).instrumentData.midiData.writeDeviceId = Bool::yes;
+
+    const auto out = mxtest::roundTrip(in);
+    REQUIRE(out.parts.size() == 1);
+    CHECK(out.parts.at(0).instrumentData.midiData.writeDeviceId == Bool::yes);
+}
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/private/mxtest/api/roundtrip-baseline.txt b/src/private/mxtest/api/roundtrip-baseline.txt
index f0c4d98c..662abba8 100644
--- a/src/private/mxtest/api/roundtrip-baseline.txt
+++ b/src/private/mxtest/api/roundtrip-baseline.txt
@@ -425,3 +425,10 @@ musuite/testTempo1.xml
 # the chord instead of absorbing the main chord's first note.
 lysuite/ly24b_ChordAsGraceNote.xml
 musuite/testGrace2.xml
+
+# Unblocked by MidiData::devicePort: the midi-device port attribute now round-trips
+# (its id is written automatically from the part's instrument), and an attribute-only
+# (empty-text) midi-device is no longer dropped.
+custom/musescore-slur-start-stop.musicxml
+musuite/testChord.xml
+musuite/testPiano.xml