if (child == -1) {
+				EPRINTLN("Monitor mode fork failed: %s",
+				    strerror(errno));
+				exit(BHYVE_EXIT_ERROR);
+			}
+			if (child == 0)
+				break;
+			while ((error = waitpid(child, &status, 0)) == -1 && errno == EINTR)
+			    ;
+			if (error == -1) {
+				EPRINTLN("Monitor mode wait failed: %s",
+				    strerror(errno));
+				exit(BHYVE_EXIT_ERROR);
+			}
+			if (WIFSIGNALED(status)) {
+				EPRINTLN("Child process was killed by signal %d",
+				    WTERMSIG(status));
+				exit(BHYVE_EXIT_ERROR);
+			} else {
+				status = WEXITSTATUS(status);
+				if (status != BHYVE_EXIT_RESET)
+					exit(status);
+			}
+			if (vm_reinit(ctx) != 0) {
+				EPRINTLN("Monitor mode reinit failed: %s",
+				    strerror(errno));
+				exit(BHYVE_EXIT_ERROR);
+			};
+		}
+	}
+
 	bsp = vm_vcpu_open(ctx, BSP);
 	max_vcpus = num_vcpus_allowed(ctx, bsp);
 	if (guest_ncpus > max_vcpus) {
@@ -880,23 +937,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			vcpu_info[vcpuid].vcpu = vm_vcpu_open(ctx, vcpuid);
 	}
 
-	calc_mem_affinity(memsize);
-	memflags = 0;
-	if (get_config_bool_default("memory.wired", false))
-		memflags |= VM_MEM_F_WIRED;
-	if (get_config_bool_default("memory.guest_in_core", false))
-		memflags |= VM_MEM_F_INCORE;
-	vm_set_memflags(ctx, memflags);
-	error = vm_setup_memory_domains(ctx, VM_MMAP_ALL, guest_domains,
-	    guest_ndomains);
-	if (error) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to setup memory (%d)\n", errno);
-		exit(4);
-	}
-
-	set_vcpu_affinities();
-	init_mem(guest_ncpus);
-	init_bootrom(ctx);
 	if (bhyve_init_platform(ctx, bsp) != 0)
 		exit(BHYVE_EXIT_ERROR);
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/riscv/bhyverun_machdep.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/riscv/bhyverun_machdep.c
index f4c248ee662a..a90a508901bc 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/riscv/bhyverun_machdep.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/riscv/bhyverun_machdep.c
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ bhyve_usage(int code)
 	    "       -D: destroy on power-off\n"
 	    "       -h: help\n"
 	    "       -k: key=value flat config file\n"
+	    "       -M: monitor mode\n"
 	    "       -m: memory size\n"
 	    "       -o: set config 'var' to 'value'\n"
 	    "       -p: pin 'vcpu' to 'hostcpu'\n"
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ bhyve_optparse(int argc, char **argv)
 	const char *optstr;
 	int c;
 
-	optstr = "hCDSWk:f:o:p:c:s:m:U:";
+	optstr = "hCDMSWk:f:o:p:c:s:m:U:";
 	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, optstr)) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'c':
@@ -137,6 +138,9 @@ bhyve_optparse(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 'k':
 			bhyve_parse_simple_config_file(optarg);
 			break;
+		case 'M':
+			set_config_bool("monitor", true);
+			break;
 		case 'm':
 			set_config_value("memory.size", optarg);
 			break;