diff --git a/python/qemu/__init__.py b/python/qemu/__init__.py
index dbaf8a5311..dd577e9446 100644
--- a/python/qemu/__init__.py
+++ b/python/qemu/__init__.py
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
         self._events = []
         self._iolog = None
         self._socket_scm_helper = socket_scm_helper
+        self._qmp_set = True   # Enable QMP monitor by default.
         self._qmp = None
         self._qemu_full_args = None
         self._test_dir = test_dir
@@ -227,15 +228,7 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
                 self._iolog = iolog.read()
 
     def _base_args(self):
-        if isinstance(self._monitor_address, tuple):
-            moncdev = "socket,id=mon,host=%s,port=%s" % (
-                self._monitor_address[0],
-                self._monitor_address[1])
-        else:
-            moncdev = 'socket,id=mon,path=%s' % self._vm_monitor
-        args = ['-chardev', moncdev,
-                '-mon', 'chardev=mon,mode=control',
-                '-display', 'none', '-vga', 'none']
+        args = ['-display', 'none', '-vga', 'none']
         if self._machine is not None:
             args.extend(['-machine', self._machine])
         if self._console_set:
@@ -249,23 +242,33 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
             else:
                 device = '%s,chardev=console' % self._console_device_type
                 args.extend(['-device', device])
+        if self._qmp_set:
+            if isinstance(self._monitor_address, tuple):
+                moncdev = "socket,id=mon,host=%s,port=%s" % (
+                    self._monitor_address[0],
+                    self._monitor_address[1])
+            else:
+                moncdev = 'socket,id=mon,path=%s' % self._vm_monitor
+            args.extend(['-chardev', moncdev, '-mon', 'chardev=mon,mode=control'])
+
         return args
 
     def _pre_launch(self):
         self._temp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=self._test_dir)
-        if self._monitor_address is not None:
-            self._vm_monitor = self._monitor_address
-        else:
-            self._vm_monitor = os.path.join(self._temp_dir,
-                                            self._name + "-monitor.sock")
         self._qemu_log_path = os.path.join(self._temp_dir, self._name + ".log")
         self._qemu_log_file = open(self._qemu_log_path, 'wb')
 
-        self._qmp = qmp.QEMUMonitorProtocol(self._vm_monitor,
-                                            server=True)
-
+        if self._qmp_set:
+            if self._monitor_address is not None:
+                self._vm_monitor = self._monitor_address
+            else:
+                self._vm_monitor = os.path.join(self._temp_dir,
+                                            self._name + "-monitor.sock")
+            self._qmp = qmp.QEMUMonitorProtocol(self._vm_monitor,
+                                                    server=True)
     def _post_launch(self):
-        self._qmp.accept()
+        if self._qmp:
+            self._qmp.accept()
 
     def _post_shutdown(self):
         if self._qemu_log_file is not None:
@@ -328,7 +331,8 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
         Wait for the VM to power off
         """
         self._popen.wait()
-        self._qmp.close()
+        if self._qmp:
+            self._qmp.close()
         self._load_io_log()
         self._post_shutdown()
 
@@ -337,11 +341,14 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
         Terminate the VM and clean up
         """
         if self.is_running():
-            try:
-                self._qmp.cmd('quit')
-                self._qmp.close()
-            except:
-                self._popen.kill()
+            if self._qmp:
+                try:
+                    self._qmp.cmd('quit')
+                    self._qmp.close()
+                except:
+                    self._popen.kill()
+            else:
+                self._popen.terminate()
             self._popen.wait()
 
         self._load_io_log()
@@ -358,6 +365,23 @@ class QEMUMachine(object):
 
         self._launched = False
 
+    def set_qmp_monitor(self, disabled=False, monitor_address=None):
+        """
+        Set the QMP monitor.
+
+        @param disabled: if True, qmp monitor options will be removed from the
+                         base arguments of the resulting QEMU command line.
+        @param monitor_address: address for the QMP monitor.
+        @note: call this function before launch().
+        """
+        if disabled:
+            self._qmp_set = False
+            self._qmp = None
+        else:
+            self._qmp_set = True
+            if monitor_address:
+                self._monitor_address = monitor_address
+
     def qmp(self, cmd, conv_keys=True, **args):
         """
         Invoke a QMP command and return the response dict
