diff --git a/qapi/misc.json b/qapi/misc.json
index ae2bb27b83..bd6d1805ab 100644
--- a/qapi/misc.json
+++ b/qapi/misc.json
@@ -1244,6 +1244,29 @@
 ##
 { 'command': 'cont' }
 
+##
+# @exit-preconfig:
+#
+# Exit from "preconfig" state
+#
+# This command makes QEMU exit the preconfig state and proceed with
+# VM initialization using configuration data provided on the command line
+# and via the QMP monitor during the preconfig state. The command is only
+# available during the preconfig state (i.e. when the --preconfig command
+# line option was in use).
+#
+# Since 3.0
+#
+# Returns: nothing
+#
+# Example:
+#
+# -> { "execute": "exit-preconfig" }
+# <- { "return": {} }
+#
+##
+{ 'command': 'exit-preconfig', 'allow-preconfig': true }
+
 ##
 # @system_wakeup:
 #
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 544ab77a2b..e893f72f3b 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 f9377b27fd..935f9e159c 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_ALLOW_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/qmp.c b/qmp.c
index 25fdc9a5b2..73e46d795f 100644
--- a/qmp.c
+++ b/qmp.c
@@ -161,6 +161,16 @@ SpiceInfo *qmp_query_spice(Error **errp)
 };
 #endif
 
+void qmp_exit_preconfig(Error **errp)
+{
+    if (!runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "The command is permitted only in '%s' state",
+                   RunState_str(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG));
+        return;
+    }
+    qemu_exit_preconfig_request();
+}
+
 void qmp_cont(Error **errp)
 {
     BlockBackend *blk;
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 038d7f8042..c4fe25560c 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);
     }
@@ -3667,6 +3687,9 @@ 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);
@@ -4031,6 +4054,12 @@ 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);
@@ -4548,6 +4577,10 @@ 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();
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index abbfa6ae9e..2f61ea42ee 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -3299,6 +3299,19 @@ 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 'exit-preconfig' 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/qemu-tech.texi b/qemu-tech.texi
index 52a56ae25e..dcecba83cb 100644
--- a/qemu-tech.texi
+++ b/qemu-tech.texi
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 * CPU emulation::
 * Translator Internals::
 * QEMU compared to other emulators::
+* Managed start up options::
 * Bibliography::
 @end menu
 
@@ -314,6 +315,45 @@ VirtualBox [9], Xen [10] and KVM [11] are based on QEMU. QEMU-SystemC
 [12] uses QEMU to simulate a system where some hardware devices are
 developed in SystemC.
 
+@node Managed start up options
+@section Managed start up options
+
+In system mode emulation, it's possible to create a VM in a paused state using
+the -S command line option. In this state the machine is completely initialized
+according to command line options and ready to execute VM code but VCPU threads
+are not executing any code. The VM state in this paused state depends on the way
+QEMU was started. It could be in:
+@table @asis
+@item initial state (after reset/power on state)
+@item with direct kernel loading, the initial state could be amended to execute
+code loaded by QEMU in the VM's RAM and with incoming migration
+@item with incoming migration, initial state will by amended with the migrated
+machine state after migration completes.
+@end table
+
+This paused state is typically used by users to query machine state and/or
+additionally configure the machine (by hotplugging devices) in runtime before
+allowing VM code to run.
+
+However, at the -S pause point, it's impossible to configure options that affect
+initial VM creation (like: -smp/-m/-numa ...) or cold plug devices. That's
+when the --preconfig command line option should be used. It allows pausing QEMU
+before the initial VM creation, in a new preconfig state, where additional
+queries and configuration can be performed via QMP before moving on to
+the resulting configuration startup. In the preconfig state, QEMU only allows
+a limited set of commands over the QMP monitor, where the commands do not
+depend on an initialized machine, including but not limited to:
+@table @asis
+@item qmp_capabilities
+@item query-qmp-schema
+@item query-commands
+@item query-status
+@item exit-preconfig
+@end table
+The full list of commands is in QMP schema which could be queried with
+query-qmp-schema, where commands supported at preconfig state have option
+'allow-preconfig' set to true.
+
 @node Bibliography
 @section Bibliography
 
