diff --git a/qemu-seccomp.c b/qemu-seccomp.c
index a25f2fa..9c68af5 100644
--- a/qemu-seccomp.c
+++ b/qemu-seccomp.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
  * GNU GPL, version 2 or (at your option) any later version.
  */
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <seccomp.h>
 #include "qemu-seccomp.h"
 
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ struct QemuSeccompSyscall {
     uint8_t priority;
 };
 
-static const struct QemuSeccompSyscall seccomp_whitelist[] = {
+static const struct QemuSeccompSyscall seccomp_whitelist_init[] = {
     { SCMP_SYS(timer_settime), 255 },
     { SCMP_SYS(timer_gettime), 254 },
     { SCMP_SYS(futex), 253 },
@@ -118,27 +119,102 @@ static const struct QemuSeccompSyscall seccomp_whitelist[] = {
     { SCMP_SYS(accept4), 242 }
 };
 
-int seccomp_start(void)
+static const struct QemuSeccompSyscall seccomp_whitelist_main_loop[] = {
+    { SCMP_SYS(timer_settime), 255 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(timer_gettime), 254 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(futex), 253 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(select), 252 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(recvfrom), 251 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(sendto), 250 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(read), 249 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(brk), 248 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(mmap), 247 },
+#if defined(__i386__)
+    { SCMP_SYS(fcntl64), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(fstat64), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(stat64), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(getgid32), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(getegid32), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(getuid32), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(geteuid32), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(sigreturn), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(_newselect), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(_llseek), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(mmap2), 245},
+    { SCMP_SYS(sigprocmask), 245 },
+#endif
+    { SCMP_SYS(exit), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(timer_delete), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(exit_group), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(rt_sigreturn), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(madvise), 245 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(write), 244 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(fcntl), 243 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(tgkill), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(rt_sigaction), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(pipe2), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(munmap), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(mremap), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(getsockname), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(getpeername), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(close), 242 },
+    { SCMP_SYS(accept4), 242 }
+};
+
+static int
+process_whitelist(const struct QemuSeccompSyscall *whitelist,
+                  unsigned int size, scmp_filter_ctx *ctx)
 {
     int rc = 0;
+
     unsigned int i = 0;
-    scmp_filter_ctx ctx;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
+        rc = seccomp_rule_add(ctx, SCMP_ACT_ALLOW, whitelist[i].num, 0);
+        if (rc < 0) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+
+        rc = seccomp_syscall_priority(ctx, whitelist[i].num,
+                                      whitelist[i].priority);
+        if (rc < 0) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int
+seccomp_start(enum whitelist_mode mode, scmp_filter_ctx *ctx)
+{
+    int rc = 0;
 
     ctx = seccomp_init(SCMP_ACT_KILL);
     if (ctx == NULL) {
+        rc = -1;
         goto seccomp_return;
     }
 
-    for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(seccomp_whitelist); i++) {
-        rc = seccomp_rule_add(ctx, SCMP_ACT_ALLOW, seccomp_whitelist[i].num, 0);
-        if (rc < 0) {
+    switch (mode) {
+    case INIT:
+        if (process_whitelist
+            (seccomp_whitelist_init,
+             ARRAY_SIZE(seccomp_whitelist_init), ctx) < 0) {
+            rc = -1;
             goto seccomp_return;
         }
-        rc = seccomp_syscall_priority(ctx, seccomp_whitelist[i].num,
-                                      seccomp_whitelist[i].priority);
-        if (rc < 0) {
+        break;
+    case MAIN_LOOP:
+        if (process_whitelist
+            (seccomp_whitelist_main_loop,
+             ARRAY_SIZE(seccomp_whitelist_main_loop), ctx) < 0) {
+            rc = -1;
             goto seccomp_return;
         }
+        break;
+    default:
+        rc = -1;
+        goto seccomp_return;
     }
 
     rc = seccomp_load(ctx);
diff --git a/qemu-seccomp.h b/qemu-seccomp.h
index b2fc3f8..1c97978 100644
--- a/qemu-seccomp.h
+++ b/qemu-seccomp.h
@@ -18,5 +18,10 @@
 #include <seccomp.h>
 #include "osdep.h"
 
-int seccomp_start(void);
+enum whitelist_mode {
+    INIT = 0,
+    MAIN_LOOP = 1,
+};
+
+int seccomp_start(enum whitelist_mode mode, scmp_filter_ctx *ctx);
 #endif
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index bec68cd..773d488 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ static int default_vga = 1;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SECCOMP
 bool seccomp_on = true;
+scmp_filter_ctx ctx;
 #endif
 
 static struct {
@@ -777,7 +778,7 @@ static int bt_parse(const char *opt)
 static int install_seccomp_filters(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SECCOMP
-    if (seccomp_start() < 0) {
+    if (seccomp_start(INIT, &ctx) < 0) {
         qerror_report(ERROR_CLASS_GENERIC_ERROR,
                 "failed to install seccomp syscall filter in the kernel");
         return -1;
@@ -3794,6 +3795,16 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 
     os_setup_post();
 
+    if (seccomp_on) {
+#ifdef CONFIG_SECCOMP
+        if (seccomp_start(MAIN_LOOP, &ctx) < 0) {
+            qerror_report(ERROR_CLASS_GENERIC_ERROR,
+                          "failed to install seccomp syscall filter in the kernel");
+            return -1;
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+
     resume_all_vcpus();
     main_loop();
     bdrv_close_all();
