diff --git a/include/migration/migration.h b/include/migration/migration.h
index 8adaa45..65fe5db 100644
--- a/include/migration/migration.h
+++ b/include/migration/migration.h
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ typedef QLIST_HEAD(, LoadStateEntry) LoadStateEntry_Head;
 struct MigrationIncomingState {
     QEMUFile *file;
 
+    QEMUFile *return_path;
+
     /* See savevm.c */
     LoadStateEntry_Head loadvm_handlers;
 };
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 5869607..d8875ca 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -84,7 +84,9 @@ void qemu_announce_self(void);
 
 /* Subcommands for QEMU_VM_COMMAND */
 enum qemu_vm_cmd {
-    MIG_CMD_INVALID = 0,   /* Must be 0 */
+    MIG_CMD_INVALID = 0,       /* Must be 0 */
+    MIG_CMD_OPEN_RETURN_PATH,  /* Tell the dest to open the Return path */
+    MIG_CMD_PING,              /* Request a PONG on the RP */
 };
 
 bool qemu_savevm_state_blocked(Error **errp);
@@ -97,6 +99,8 @@ void qemu_savevm_state_cancel(void);
 uint64_t qemu_savevm_state_pending(QEMUFile *f, uint64_t max_size);
 void qemu_savevm_command_send(QEMUFile *f, enum qemu_vm_cmd command,
                               uint16_t len, uint8_t *data);
+void qemu_savevm_send_ping(QEMUFile *f, uint32_t value);
+void qemu_savevm_send_open_return_path(QEMUFile *f);
 int qemu_loadvm_state(QEMUFile *f);
 
 typedef enum DisplayType
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index 7ce9d21..a995014 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -703,6 +703,20 @@ void qemu_savevm_command_send(QEMUFile *f,
     qemu_fflush(f);
 }
 
+void qemu_savevm_send_ping(QEMUFile *f, uint32_t value)
+{
+    uint32_t buf;
+
+    trace_savevm_send_ping(value);
+    buf = cpu_to_be32(value);
+    qemu_savevm_command_send(f, MIG_CMD_PING, sizeof(value), (uint8_t *)&buf);
+}
+
+void qemu_savevm_send_open_return_path(QEMUFile *f)
+{
+    qemu_savevm_command_send(f, MIG_CMD_OPEN_RETURN_PATH, 0, NULL);
+}
+
 bool qemu_savevm_state_blocked(Error **errp)
 {
     SaveStateEntry *se;
@@ -999,20 +1013,66 @@ static SaveStateEntry *find_se(const char *idstr, int instance_id)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+static int loadvm_process_command_simple_lencheck(const char *name,
+                                                  unsigned int actual,
+                                                  unsigned int expected)
+{
+    if (actual != expected) {
+        error_report("%s received with bad length - expecting %d, got %d",
+                     name, expected, actual);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Process an incoming 'QEMU_VM_COMMAND'
  * negative return on error (will issue error message)
  */
 static int loadvm_process_command(QEMUFile *f)
 {
+    MigrationIncomingState *mis = migration_incoming_get_current();
     uint16_t cmd;
     uint16_t len;
+    uint32_t tmp32;
 
     cmd = qemu_get_be16(f);
     len = qemu_get_be16(f);
 
     trace_loadvm_process_command(cmd, len);
     switch (cmd) {
+    case MIG_CMD_OPEN_RETURN_PATH:
+        if (loadvm_process_command_simple_lencheck("CMD_OPEN_RETURN_PATH",
+                                                   len, 0)) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+        if (mis->return_path) {
+            error_report("CMD_OPEN_RETURN_PATH called when RP already open");
+            /* Not really a problem, so don't give up */
+            return 0;
+        }
+        mis->return_path = qemu_file_get_return_path(f);
+        if (!mis->return_path) {
+            error_report("CMD_OPEN_RETURN_PATH failed");
+            return -1;
+        }
+        break;
+
+    case MIG_CMD_PING:
+        if (loadvm_process_command_simple_lencheck("CMD_PING", len,
+                                                   sizeof(tmp32))) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+        tmp32 = qemu_get_be32(f);
+        trace_loadvm_process_command_ping(tmp32);
+        if (!mis->return_path) {
+            error_report("CMD_PING (0x%x) received with no return path",
+                         tmp32);
+            return -1;
+        }
+        /* migrate_send_rp_pong(mis, tmp32); TODO: gets added later */
+        break;
 
     default:
         error_report("VM_COMMAND 0x%x unknown (len 0x%x)", cmd, len);
diff --git a/trace-events b/trace-events
index 73a65c3..5967fdf 100644
--- a/trace-events
+++ b/trace-events
@@ -1184,8 +1184,10 @@ qemu_loadvm_state_section(unsigned int section_type) "%d"
 qemu_loadvm_state_section_partend(uint32_t section_id) "%u"
 qemu_loadvm_state_section_startfull(uint32_t section_id, const char *idstr, uint32_t instance_id, uint32_t version_id) "%u(%s) %u %u"
 loadvm_process_command(uint16_t com, uint16_t len) "com=0x%x len=%d"
+loadvm_process_command_ping(uint32_t val) "%x"
 savevm_section_start(const char *id, unsigned int section_id) "%s, section_id %u"
 savevm_section_end(const char *id, unsigned int section_id, int ret) "%s, section_id %u -> %d"
+savevm_send_ping(uint32_t val) "%x"
 savevm_state_begin(void) ""
 savevm_state_header(void) ""
 savevm_state_iterate(void) ""
