diff --git a/xen/common/domain.c b/xen/common/domain.c
index 5aebcf265f..11eb1778a3 100644
--- a/xen/common/domain.c
+++ b/xen/common/domain.c
@@ -363,6 +363,9 @@ struct domain *domain_create(domid_t domid, unsigned int domcr_flags,
             goto fail;
         init_status |= INIT_gnttab;
 
+        if ( domid == 0 && grant_table_init(d) )
+            goto fail;
+
         poolid = 0;
 
         err = -ENOMEM;
@@ -998,7 +1001,8 @@ int __domain_pause_by_systemcontroller(struct domain *d,
         prev = cmpxchg(&d->controller_pause_count, old, new);
     } while ( prev != old );
 
-    pause_fn(d);
+    if ( pause_fn )
+        pause_fn(d);
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -1006,6 +1010,7 @@ int __domain_pause_by_systemcontroller(struct domain *d,
 int domain_unpause_by_systemcontroller(struct domain *d)
 {
     int old, new, prev = d->controller_pause_count;
+    int ret;
 
     do
     {
@@ -1029,8 +1034,16 @@ int domain_unpause_by_systemcontroller(struct domain *d)
      * Creation is considered finished when the controller reference count
      * first drops to 0.
      */
-    if ( new == 0 )
+    if ( new == 0 && !d->creation_finished )
+    {
+        ret = grant_table_init(d);
+        if ( ret )
+        {
+            __domain_pause_by_systemcontroller(d, NULL);
+            return ret;
+        }
         d->creation_finished = true;
+    }
 
     domain_unpause(d);
 
diff --git a/xen/common/grant_table.c b/xen/common/grant_table.c
index a94dfdda7b..b50c334f70 100644
--- a/xen/common/grant_table.c
+++ b/xen/common/grant_table.c
@@ -1719,6 +1719,78 @@ active_alloc_failed:
     return 0;
 }
 
+int
+grant_table_init(struct domain *d)
+{
+    struct grant_table *gt = d->grant_table;
+    unsigned int i, j;
+
+    if ( gt->nr_grant_frames )
+        return 0;
+
+    gt->nr_grant_frames = INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES;
+
+    /* Active grant table. */
+    if ( (gt->active = xzalloc_array(struct active_grant_entry *,
+                                     max_nr_active_grant_frames)) == NULL )
+        goto no_mem_1;
+    for ( i = 0;
+          i < num_act_frames_from_sha_frames(INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES); i++ )
+    {
+        if ( (gt->active[i] = alloc_xenheap_page()) == NULL )
+            goto no_mem_2;
+        clear_page(gt->active[i]);
+        for ( j = 0; j < ACGNT_PER_PAGE; j++ )
+            spin_lock_init(&gt->active[i][j].lock);
+    }
+
+    /* Tracking of mapped foreign frames table */
+    gt->maptrack = vzalloc(max_maptrack_frames * sizeof(*gt->maptrack));
+    if ( gt->maptrack == NULL )
+        goto no_mem_2;
+
+    /* Shared grant table. */
+    if ( (gt->shared_raw = xzalloc_array(void *, max_grant_frames)) == NULL )
+        goto no_mem_3;
+    for ( i = 0; i < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES; i++ )
+    {
+        if ( (gt->shared_raw[i] = alloc_xenheap_page()) == NULL )
+            goto no_mem_4;
+        clear_page(gt->shared_raw[i]);
+    }
+
+    /* Status pages for grant table - for version 2 */
+    gt->status = xzalloc_array(grant_status_t *,
+                               grant_to_status_frames(max_grant_frames));
+    if ( gt->status == NULL )
+        goto no_mem_4;
+
+    for ( i = 0; i < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES; i++ )
+        gnttab_create_shared_page(d, gt, i);
+
+    gt->nr_status_frames = 0;
+
+    return 0;
+
+ no_mem_4:
+    for ( i = 0; i < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES; i++ )
+        free_xenheap_page(gt->shared_raw[i]);
+    xfree(gt->shared_raw);
+    gt->shared_raw = NULL;
+ no_mem_3:
+    vfree(gt->maptrack);
+    gt->maptrack = NULL;
+ no_mem_2:
+    for ( i = 0;
+          i < num_act_frames_from_sha_frames(INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES); i++ )
+        free_xenheap_page(gt->active[i]);
+    xfree(gt->active);
+    gt->active = NULL;
+ no_mem_1:
+    gt->nr_grant_frames = 0;
+    return -ENOMEM;
+}
+
 static long
 gnttab_setup_table(
     XEN_GUEST_HANDLE_PARAM(gnttab_setup_table_t) uop, unsigned int count)
@@ -1764,7 +1836,14 @@ gnttab_setup_table(
     grant_write_lock(gt);
 
     if ( gt->gt_version == 0 )
+    {
+        if ( grant_table_init(d) )
+        {
+            op.status = GNTST_general_error;
+            goto unlock;
+        }
         gt->gt_version = 1;
+    }
 
     if ( (op.nr_frames > nr_grant_frames(gt) ||
           ((gt->gt_version > 1) &&
@@ -3378,75 +3457,17 @@ grant_table_create(
     struct domain *d)
 {
     struct grant_table *t;
-    unsigned int i, j;
 
     if ( (t = xzalloc(struct grant_table)) == NULL )
-        goto no_mem_0;
+        return -ENOMEM;
 
     /* Simple stuff. */
     percpu_rwlock_resource_init(&t->lock, grant_rwlock);
     spin_lock_init(&t->maptrack_lock);
-    t->nr_grant_frames = INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES;
-
-    /* Active grant table. */
-    if ( (t->active = xzalloc_array(struct active_grant_entry *,
-                                    max_nr_active_grant_frames)) == NULL )
-        goto no_mem_1;
-    for ( i = 0;
-          i < num_act_frames_from_sha_frames(INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES); i++ )
-    {
-        if ( (t->active[i] = alloc_xenheap_page()) == NULL )
-            goto no_mem_2;
-        clear_page(t->active[i]);
-        for ( j = 0; j < ACGNT_PER_PAGE; j++ )
-            spin_lock_init(&t->active[i][j].lock);
-    }
-
-    /* Tracking of mapped foreign frames table */
-    t->maptrack = vzalloc(max_maptrack_frames * sizeof(*t->maptrack));
-    if ( t->maptrack == NULL )
-        goto no_mem_2;
-
-    /* Shared grant table. */
-    if ( (t->shared_raw = xzalloc_array(void *, max_grant_frames)) == NULL )
-        goto no_mem_3;
-    for ( i = 0; i < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES; i++ )
-    {
-        if ( (t->shared_raw[i] = alloc_xenheap_page()) == NULL )
-            goto no_mem_4;
-        clear_page(t->shared_raw[i]);
-    }
-
-    /* Status pages for grant table - for version 2 */
-    t->status = xzalloc_array(grant_status_t *,
-                              grant_to_status_frames(max_grant_frames));
-    if ( t->status == NULL )
-        goto no_mem_4;
-
-    for ( i = 0; i < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES; i++ )
-        gnttab_create_shared_page(d, t, i);
-
-    t->nr_status_frames = 0;
 
     /* Okay, install the structure. */
     d->grant_table = t;
     return 0;
-
- no_mem_4:
-    for ( i = 0; i < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES; i++ )
-        free_xenheap_page(t->shared_raw[i]);
-    xfree(t->shared_raw);
- no_mem_3:
-    vfree(t->maptrack);
- no_mem_2:
-    for ( i = 0;
-          i < num_act_frames_from_sha_frames(INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES); i++ )
-        free_xenheap_page(t->active[i]);
-    xfree(t->active);
- no_mem_1:
-    xfree(t);
- no_mem_0:
-    return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/xen/include/xen/grant_table.h b/xen/include/xen/grant_table.h
index 43b07e60c5..84a8d61616 100644
--- a/xen/include/xen/grant_table.h
+++ b/xen/include/xen/grant_table.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ extern unsigned int max_grant_frames;
 /* Create/destroy per-domain grant table context. */
 int grant_table_create(
     struct domain *d);
+int grant_table_init(
+    struct domain *d);
 void grant_table_destroy(
     struct domain *d);
 void grant_table_init_vcpu(struct vcpu *v);
