diff --git a/tools/include/xenctrl.h b/tools/include/xenctrl.h
index 2ef8b4e05422..499685594427 100644
--- a/tools/include/xenctrl.h
+++ b/tools/include/xenctrl.h
@@ -2555,7 +2555,8 @@ int xc_psr_get_hw_info(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t socket,
 #endif
 
 int xc_livepatch_upload(xc_interface *xch,
-                        char *name, unsigned char *payload, uint32_t size);
+                        char *name, unsigned char *payload, uint32_t size,
+                        bool force);
 
 int xc_livepatch_get(xc_interface *xch,
                      char *name,
diff --git a/tools/libs/ctrl/xc_misc.c b/tools/libs/ctrl/xc_misc.c
index 5ecdfa2c7934..50282fd60dcc 100644
--- a/tools/libs/ctrl/xc_misc.c
+++ b/tools/libs/ctrl/xc_misc.c
@@ -576,7 +576,8 @@ int xc_getcpuinfo(xc_interface *xch, int max_cpus,
 int xc_livepatch_upload(xc_interface *xch,
                         char *name,
                         unsigned char *payload,
-                        uint32_t size)
+                        uint32_t size,
+                        bool force)
 {
     int rc;
     struct xen_sysctl sysctl = {};
@@ -612,7 +613,7 @@ int xc_livepatch_upload(xc_interface *xch,
 
     sysctl.cmd = XEN_SYSCTL_livepatch_op;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.cmd = XEN_SYSCTL_LIVEPATCH_UPLOAD;
-    sysctl.u.livepatch.pad = 0;
+    sysctl.u.livepatch.flags = force ? LIVEPATCH_FLAG_FORCE : 0;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.u.upload.size = size;
     set_xen_guest_handle(sysctl.u.livepatch.u.upload.payload, local);
 
@@ -656,7 +657,6 @@ int xc_livepatch_get(xc_interface *xch,
 
     sysctl.cmd = XEN_SYSCTL_livepatch_op;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.cmd = XEN_SYSCTL_LIVEPATCH_GET;
-    sysctl.u.livepatch.pad = 0;
 
     sysctl.u.livepatch.u.get.status.state = 0;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.u.get.status.rc = 0;
@@ -985,7 +985,6 @@ static int _xc_livepatch_action(xc_interface *xch,
 
     sysctl.cmd = XEN_SYSCTL_livepatch_op;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.cmd = XEN_SYSCTL_LIVEPATCH_ACTION;
-    sysctl.u.livepatch.pad = 0;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.u.action.cmd = action;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.u.action.timeout = timeout;
     sysctl.u.livepatch.u.action.flags = flags;
diff --git a/tools/misc/xen-livepatch.c b/tools/misc/xen-livepatch.c
index a246e5dfd38e..cf2e5fada12d 100644
--- a/tools/misc/xen-livepatch.c
+++ b/tools/misc/xen-livepatch.c
@@ -19,11 +19,15 @@
 
 static xc_interface *xch;
 
+/* Global option to disable checks. */
+static bool force;
+
 void show_help(void)
 {
     fprintf(stderr,
             "xen-livepatch: live patching tool\n"
-            "Usage: xen-livepatch <command> [args] [command-flags]\n"
+            "Usage: xen-livepatch [--force] <command> [args] [command-flags]\n"
+            " Use --force option to bypass some checks.\n"
             " <name> An unique name of payload. Up to %d characters.\n"
             "Commands:\n"
             "  help                   display this help\n"
@@ -240,7 +244,7 @@ static int upload_func(int argc, char *argv[])
         return saved_errno;
     }
     printf("Uploading %s... ", filename);
-    rc = xc_livepatch_upload(xch, name, fbuf, len);
+    rc = xc_livepatch_upload(xch, name, fbuf, len, force);
     if ( rc )
     {
         rc = errno;
@@ -571,6 +575,19 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         show_help();
         return 0;
     }
+
+    if ( !strncmp("--force", argv[1], strlen("--force")) )
+    {
+        if ( argc <= 2 )
+        {
+            show_help();
+            return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        }
+        force = true;
+        argv++;
+        argc--;
+    }
+
     for ( i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(main_options); i++ )
         if (!strncmp(main_options[i].name, argv[1],
                      strlen(main_options[i].name)))
diff --git a/xen/common/livepatch.c b/xen/common/livepatch.c
index 351a3e0b9a60..1503a84457e4 100644
--- a/xen/common/livepatch.c
+++ b/xen/common/livepatch.c
@@ -2125,7 +2125,8 @@ int livepatch_op(struct xen_sysctl_livepatch_op *livepatch)
 {
     int rc;
 
-    if ( livepatch->pad )
+    if ( livepatch->flags & ~LIVEPATCH_FLAGS_MASK &&
+         !(livepatch->flags & LIVEPATCH_FLAG_FORCE) )
         return -EINVAL;
 
     switch ( livepatch->cmd )
diff --git a/xen/include/public/sysctl.h b/xen/include/public/sysctl.h
index 9b19679caeb1..febaa4b16ab7 100644
--- a/xen/include/public/sysctl.h
+++ b/xen/include/public/sysctl.h
@@ -1139,7 +1139,9 @@ struct xen_sysctl_livepatch_action {
 
 struct xen_sysctl_livepatch_op {
     uint32_t cmd;                           /* IN: XEN_SYSCTL_LIVEPATCH_*. */
-    uint32_t pad;                           /* IN: Always zero. */
+    uint32_t flags;                         /* IN, flags. */
+#define LIVEPATCH_FLAG_FORCE      (1u << 0) /* Skip some checks. */
+#define LIVEPATCH_FLAGS_MASK      LIVEPATCH_FLAG_FORCE
     union {
         struct xen_sysctl_livepatch_upload upload;
         struct xen_sysctl_livepatch_list list;
