diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index f4951cafbc..40b5b56f66 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ typedef struct QMPRequest QMPRequest;
 /* Protects mon_list, monitor_event_state.  */
 static QemuMutex monitor_lock;
 
+/* Protects mon_fdsets */
+static QemuMutex mon_fdsets_lock;
+
 static QTAILQ_HEAD(mon_list, Monitor) mon_list;
 static QLIST_HEAD(mon_fdsets, MonFdset) mon_fdsets;
 static int mon_refcount;
@@ -270,6 +273,16 @@ static QEMUClockType event_clock_type = QEMU_CLOCK_REALTIME;
 static void monitor_command_cb(void *opaque, const char *cmdline,
                                void *readline_opaque);
 
+/*
+ * This lock can be used very early, even during param parsing.
+ * Meanwhile it can also be used even at the end of main.  Let's keep
+ * it initialized for the whole lifecycle of QEMU.
+ */
+static void __attribute__((constructor)) mon_fdsets_lock_init(void)
+{
+    qemu_mutex_init(&mon_fdsets_lock);
+}
+
 /**
  * Is @mon a QMP monitor?
  */
@@ -2308,9 +2321,11 @@ static void monitor_fdsets_cleanup(void)
     MonFdset *mon_fdset;
     MonFdset *mon_fdset_next;
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     QLIST_FOREACH_SAFE(mon_fdset, &mon_fdsets, next, mon_fdset_next) {
         monitor_fdset_cleanup(mon_fdset);
     }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
 }
 
 AddfdInfo *qmp_add_fd(bool has_fdset_id, int64_t fdset_id, bool has_opaque,
@@ -2345,6 +2360,7 @@ void qmp_remove_fd(int64_t fdset_id, bool has_fd, int64_t fd, Error **errp)
     MonFdsetFd *mon_fdset_fd;
     char fd_str[60];
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     QLIST_FOREACH(mon_fdset, &mon_fdsets, next) {
         if (mon_fdset->id != fdset_id) {
             continue;
@@ -2364,10 +2380,12 @@ void qmp_remove_fd(int64_t fdset_id, bool has_fd, int64_t fd, Error **errp)
             goto error;
         }
         monitor_fdset_cleanup(mon_fdset);
+        qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
         return;
     }
 
 error:
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     if (has_fd) {
         snprintf(fd_str, sizeof(fd_str), "fdset-id:%" PRId64 ", fd:%" PRId64,
                  fdset_id, fd);
@@ -2383,6 +2401,7 @@ FdsetInfoList *qmp_query_fdsets(Error **errp)
     MonFdsetFd *mon_fdset_fd;
     FdsetInfoList *fdset_list = NULL;
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     QLIST_FOREACH(mon_fdset, &mon_fdsets, next) {
         FdsetInfoList *fdset_info = g_malloc0(sizeof(*fdset_info));
         FdsetFdInfoList *fdsetfd_list = NULL;
@@ -2412,6 +2431,7 @@ FdsetInfoList *qmp_query_fdsets(Error **errp)
         fdset_info->next = fdset_list;
         fdset_list = fdset_info;
     }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
 
     return fdset_list;
 }
@@ -2424,6 +2444,7 @@ AddfdInfo *monitor_fdset_add_fd(int fd, bool has_fdset_id, int64_t fdset_id,
     MonFdsetFd *mon_fdset_fd;
     AddfdInfo *fdinfo;
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     if (has_fdset_id) {
         QLIST_FOREACH(mon_fdset, &mon_fdsets, next) {
             /* Break if match found or match impossible due to ordering by ID */
@@ -2444,6 +2465,7 @@ AddfdInfo *monitor_fdset_add_fd(int fd, bool has_fdset_id, int64_t fdset_id,
             if (fdset_id < 0) {
                 error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "fdset-id",
                            "a non-negative value");
+                qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
                 return NULL;
             }
             /* Use specified fdset ID */
@@ -2494,6 +2516,7 @@ AddfdInfo *monitor_fdset_add_fd(int fd, bool has_fdset_id, int64_t fdset_id,
     fdinfo->fdset_id = mon_fdset->id;
     fdinfo->fd = mon_fdset_fd->fd;
 
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     return fdinfo;
 }
 
@@ -2531,29 +2554,38 @@ int monitor_fdset_dup_fd_add(int64_t fdset_id, int dup_fd)
 {
     MonFdset *mon_fdset;
     MonFdsetFd *mon_fdset_fd_dup;
+    int ret = -1;
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     QLIST_FOREACH(mon_fdset, &mon_fdsets, next) {
         if (mon_fdset->id != fdset_id) {
             continue;
         }
         QLIST_FOREACH(mon_fdset_fd_dup, &mon_fdset->dup_fds, next) {
             if (mon_fdset_fd_dup->fd == dup_fd) {
-                return -1;
+                ret = -1;
+                goto out;
             }
         }
         mon_fdset_fd_dup = g_malloc0(sizeof(*mon_fdset_fd_dup));
         mon_fdset_fd_dup->fd = dup_fd;
         QLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&mon_fdset->dup_fds, mon_fdset_fd_dup, next);
-        return 0;
+        ret = 0;
+        break;
     }
-    return -1;
+
+out:
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static int monitor_fdset_dup_fd_find_remove(int dup_fd, bool remove)
 {
     MonFdset *mon_fdset;
     MonFdsetFd *mon_fdset_fd_dup;
+    int ret = -1;
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
     QLIST_FOREACH(mon_fdset, &mon_fdsets, next) {
         QLIST_FOREACH(mon_fdset_fd_dup, &mon_fdset->dup_fds, next) {
             if (mon_fdset_fd_dup->fd == dup_fd) {
@@ -2562,14 +2594,18 @@ static int monitor_fdset_dup_fd_find_remove(int dup_fd, bool remove)
                     if (QLIST_EMPTY(&mon_fdset->dup_fds)) {
                         monitor_fdset_cleanup(mon_fdset);
                     }
-                    return -1;
+                    ret = -1;
+                    goto out;
                 } else {
-                    return mon_fdset->id;
+                    ret = mon_fdset->id;
+                    goto out;
                 }
             }
         }
     }
-    return -1;
+out:
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&mon_fdsets_lock);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int monitor_fdset_dup_fd_find(int dup_fd)
