diff --git a/src/libvirt_remote.syms b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
index 3cd84a0854..605271bcb2 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_remote.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ virNetDaemonNew;
 virNetDaemonNewPostExecRestart;
 virNetDaemonPreExecRestart;
 virNetDaemonQuit;
+virNetDaemonQuitExecRestart;
 virNetDaemonRemoveShutdownInhibition;
 virNetDaemonRun;
 virNetDaemonSetShutdownCallbacks;
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.c b/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.c
index 327540c4b4..14bc9e1335 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ struct _virNetDaemon {
     bool quit;
     bool finished;
     bool graceful;
+    bool execRestart;
 
     unsigned int autoShutdownTimeout;
     size_t autoShutdownInhibitions;
@@ -857,6 +858,10 @@ virNetDaemonRun(virNetDaemonPtr dmn)
 
         virHashForEach(dmn->servers, daemonServerProcessClients, NULL);
 
+        /* don't shutdown services when performing an exec-restart */
+        if (dmn->quit && dmn->execRestart)
+            goto cleanup;
+
         if (dmn->quit && dmn->finishTimer == -1) {
             virHashForEach(dmn->servers, daemonServerClose, NULL);
             if (dmn->shutdownPrepareCb && dmn->shutdownPrepareCb() < 0)
@@ -912,6 +917,20 @@ virNetDaemonQuit(virNetDaemonPtr dmn)
     virObjectUnlock(dmn);
 }
 
+
+void
+virNetDaemonQuitExecRestart(virNetDaemon *dmn)
+{
+    virObjectLock(dmn);
+
+    VIR_DEBUG("Exec-restart requested %p", dmn);
+    dmn->quit = true;
+    dmn->execRestart = true;
+
+    virObjectUnlock(dmn);
+}
+
+
 static int
 daemonServerClose(void *payload,
                   const char *key G_GNUC_UNUSED,
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.h b/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.h
index fcc6e1fdff..7ad5d25b96 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetdaemon.h
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ void virNetDaemonSetStateStopWorkerThread(virNetDaemonPtr dmn,
 void virNetDaemonRun(virNetDaemonPtr dmn);
 
 void virNetDaemonQuit(virNetDaemonPtr dmn);
+void virNetDaemonQuitExecRestart(virNetDaemon *dmn);
 
 bool virNetDaemonHasClients(virNetDaemonPtr dmn);