diff --git a/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h b/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h
index ffb4652..6242cfc 100644
--- a/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h
+++ b/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ typedef enum QmpCommandOptions
     QCO_NO_OPTIONS            =  0x0,
     QCO_NO_SUCCESS_RESP       =  (1U << 0),
     QCO_ALLOW_OOB             =  (1U << 1),
+    QCO_ALLOWED_IN_PRECONFIG  =  (1U << 2),
 } QmpCommandOptions;
 
 typedef struct QmpCommand
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 2b42151..5085978 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ typedef enum WakeupReason {
     QEMU_WAKEUP_REASON_OTHER,
 } WakeupReason;
 
+void qemu_exit_preconfig_request(void);
 void qemu_system_reset_request(ShutdownCause reason);
 void qemu_system_suspend_request(void);
 void qemu_register_suspend_notifier(Notifier *notifier);
diff --git a/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c b/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
index dd05907..2604115 100644
--- a/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
+++ b/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "qapi/qmp/qdict.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qjson.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qbool.h"
+#include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 
 QDict *qmp_dispatch_check_obj(const QObject *request, Error **errp)
 {
@@ -101,6 +102,13 @@ static QObject *do_qmp_dispatch(QmpCommandList *cmds, QObject *request,
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    if (runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG) &&
+        !(cmd->options & QCO_ALLOWED_IN_PRECONFIG)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "The command '%s' isn't permitted in '%s' state",
+                   cmd->name, RunState_str(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG));
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     if (!qdict_haskey(dict, "arguments")) {
         args = qdict_new();
     } else {
diff --git a/qapi/run-state.json b/qapi/run-state.json
index 1c9fff3..9694a9f 100644
--- a/qapi/run-state.json
+++ b/qapi/run-state.json
@@ -49,12 +49,15 @@
 # @colo: guest is paused to save/restore VM state under colo checkpoint,
 #        VM can not get into this state unless colo capability is enabled
 #        for migration. (since 2.8)
+# @preconfig: QEMU is paused before board specific init callback is executed.
+#             The state is reachable only if the --preconfig CLI option is used.
+#             (Since 2.13)
 ##
 { 'enum': 'RunState',
   'data': [ 'debug', 'inmigrate', 'internal-error', 'io-error', 'paused',
             'postmigrate', 'prelaunch', 'finish-migrate', 'restore-vm',
             'running', 'save-vm', 'shutdown', 'suspended', 'watchdog',
-            'guest-panicked', 'colo' ] }
+            'guest-panicked', 'colo', 'preconfig' ] }
 
 ##
 # @StatusInfo:
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 3ece30d..f8818ee 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -3304,6 +3304,19 @@ STEXI
 Run the emulation in single step mode.
 ETEXI
 
+DEF("preconfig", 0, QEMU_OPTION_preconfig, \
+    "--preconfig     pause QEMU before machine is initialized\n",
+    QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
+STEXI
+@item --preconfig
+@findex --preconfig
+Pause QEMU for interactive configuration before the machine is created,
+which allows querying and configuring properties that will affect
+machine initialization. Use the QMP command 'cont' to exit the preconfig
+state and move to the next state (ie. run guest if -S isn't used or
+pause the second time if -S is used).
+ETEXI
+
 DEF("S", 0, QEMU_OPTION_S, \
     "-S              freeze CPU at startup (use 'c' to start execution)\n",
     QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
diff --git a/qmp.c b/qmp.c
index f722616..cd1b62f 100644
--- a/qmp.c
+++ b/qmp.c
@@ -166,6 +166,11 @@ void qmp_cont(Error **errp)
     BlockBackend *blk;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
 
+    if (runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG)) {
+        qemu_exit_preconfig_request();
+        return;
+    }
+
     /* if there is a dump in background, we should wait until the dump
      * finished */
     if (dump_in_progress()) {
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index fce1fd1..0d56908 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ static int default_driver_check(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 /***********************************************************/
 /* QEMU state */
 
-static RunState current_run_state = RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH;
+static RunState current_run_state = RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG;
 
 /* We use RUN_STATE__MAX but any invalid value will do */
 static RunState vmstop_requested = RUN_STATE__MAX;
@@ -607,6 +607,13 @@ typedef struct {
 
 static const RunStateTransition runstate_transitions_def[] = {
     /*     from      ->     to      */
+    { RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG, RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH },
+      /* Early switch to inmigrate state to allow  -incoming CLI option work
+       * as it used to. TODO: delay actual switching to inmigrate state to
+       * the point after machine is built and remove this hack.
+       */
+    { RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG, RUN_STATE_INMIGRATE },
+
     { RUN_STATE_DEBUG, RUN_STATE_RUNNING },
     { RUN_STATE_DEBUG, RUN_STATE_FINISH_MIGRATE },
     { RUN_STATE_DEBUG, RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH },
@@ -1630,6 +1637,7 @@ static pid_t shutdown_pid;
 static int powerdown_requested;
 static int debug_requested;
 static int suspend_requested;
+static bool preconfig_exit_requested = true;
 static WakeupReason wakeup_reason;
 static NotifierList powerdown_notifiers =
     NOTIFIER_LIST_INITIALIZER(powerdown_notifiers);
@@ -1714,6 +1722,11 @@ static int qemu_debug_requested(void)
     return r;
 }
 
+void qemu_exit_preconfig_request(void)
+{
+    preconfig_exit_requested = true;
+}
+
 /*
  * Reset the VM. Issue an event unless @reason is SHUTDOWN_CAUSE_NONE.
  */
@@ -1887,6 +1900,13 @@ static bool main_loop_should_exit(void)
     RunState r;
     ShutdownCause request;
 
+    if (preconfig_exit_requested) {
+        if (runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG)) {
+            runstate_set(RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH);
+        }
+        preconfig_exit_requested = false;
+        return true;
+    }
     if (qemu_debug_requested()) {
         vm_stop(RUN_STATE_DEBUG);
     }
@@ -3704,6 +3724,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                     exit(1);
                 }
                 break;
+            case QEMU_OPTION_preconfig:
+                preconfig_exit_requested = false;
+                break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_enable_kvm:
                 olist = qemu_find_opts("machine");
                 qemu_opts_parse_noisily(olist, "accel=kvm", false);
@@ -4073,6 +4096,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 
     replay_configure(icount_opts);
 
+    if (incoming && !preconfig_exit_requested) {
+        error_report("'preconfig' and 'incoming' options are "
+                     "mutually exclusive");
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+
     machine_class = select_machine();
 
     set_memory_options(&ram_slots, &maxram_size, machine_class);
@@ -4604,6 +4633,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     }
     parse_numa_opts(current_machine);
 
+    /* do monitor/qmp handling at preconfig state if requested */
+    main_loop();
+
+    /* from here on runstate is RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH */
     machine_run_board_init(current_machine);
 
     realtime_init();
