diff --git a/src/qemu/THREADS.txt b/src/qemu/THREADS.txt
index add2a35508..dfa372b5bd 100644
--- a/src/qemu/THREADS.txt
+++ b/src/qemu/THREADS.txt
@@ -160,6 +160,11 @@ To acquire the QEMU monitor lock
     - Acquires the virDomainObjPtr lock
 
   These functions must not be used by an asynchronous job.
+  Note that the virDomainObj is unlocked during the time in
+  monitor and it can be changed, e.g. if QEMU dies, qemuProcessStop
+  may free the live domain definition and put the persistent
+  definition back in vm->def. The callers should check the return
+  value of ExitMonitor to see if the domain is still alive.
 
 
 To acquire the QEMU monitor lock as part of an asynchronous job
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index b75b4e08f1..0b4913bbf0 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -1586,11 +1586,23 @@ void qemuDomainObjEnterMonitor(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 /* obj must NOT be locked before calling
  *
  * Should be paired with an earlier qemuDomainObjEnterMonitor() call
+ *
+ * Returns -1 if the domain is no longer alive after exiting the monitor.
+ * In that case, the caller should be careful when using obj's data,
+ * e.g. the live definition in vm->def has been freed by qemuProcessStop
+ * and replaced by the persistent definition, so pointers stolen
+ * from the live definition could no longer be valid.
  */
-void qemuDomainObjExitMonitor(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
-                              virDomainObjPtr obj)
+int qemuDomainObjExitMonitor(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
+                             virDomainObjPtr obj)
 {
     qemuDomainObjExitMonitorInternal(driver, obj);
+    if (!virDomainObjIsActive(obj)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED, "%s",
+                       _("domain is no longer running"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
index 6b52f03522..fd91d837ff 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
@@ -245,8 +245,8 @@ void qemuDomainObjReleaseAsyncJob(virDomainObjPtr obj);
 void qemuDomainObjEnterMonitor(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                virDomainObjPtr obj)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
-void qemuDomainObjExitMonitor(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
-                              virDomainObjPtr obj)
+int qemuDomainObjExitMonitor(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
+                             virDomainObjPtr obj)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
 int qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorAsync(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                    virDomainObjPtr obj,