diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 9ff38195cb..10dbabda44 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -14634,7 +14634,7 @@ virDomainObjParseNode(xmlDocPtr xml,
 }
 
 
-static virDomainObjPtr
+virDomainObjPtr
 virDomainObjParseFile(const char *filename,
                       virCapsPtr caps,
                       virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 09ab194461..563c18bdbe 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2489,6 +2489,11 @@ virDomainDefPtr virDomainDefParseNode(xmlDocPtr doc,
                                       virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
                                       unsigned int expectedVirtTypes,
                                       unsigned int flags);
+virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjParseFile(const char *filename,
+                                      virCapsPtr caps,
+                                      virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
+                                      unsigned int expectedVirtTypes,
+                                      unsigned int flags);
 
 bool virDomainDefCheckABIStability(virDomainDefPtr src,
                                    virDomainDefPtr dst);
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
index 53a2c8d67f..f2c0b57853 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ typedef struct _virLXCController virLXCController;
 typedef virLXCController *virLXCControllerPtr;
 struct _virLXCController {
     char *name;
+    virDomainObjPtr vm;
     virDomainDefPtr def;
 
     int handshakeFd;
@@ -175,11 +176,12 @@ static virLXCControllerPtr virLXCControllerNew(const char *name)
                                           ctrl->name)) == NULL)
         goto error;
 
-    if ((ctrl->def = virDomainDefParseFile(configFile,
-                                           caps, xmlopt,
-                                           1 << VIR_DOMAIN_VIRT_LXC,
-                                           0)) == NULL)
+    if ((ctrl->vm = virDomainObjParseFile(configFile,
+                                          caps, xmlopt,
+                                          1 << VIR_DOMAIN_VIRT_LXC,
+                                          0)) == NULL)
         goto error;
+    ctrl->def = ctrl->vm->def;
 
     if ((ctrl->timerShutdown = virEventAddTimeout(-1,
                                                   virLXCControllerQuitTimer, ctrl,
@@ -269,7 +271,7 @@ static void virLXCControllerFree(virLXCControllerPtr ctrl)
 
     VIR_FREE(ctrl->devptmx);
 
-    virDomainDefFree(ctrl->def);
+    virObjectUnref(ctrl->vm);
     VIR_FREE(ctrl->name);
 
     if (ctrl->timerShutdown != -1)
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
index 5517cdab4d..01da344829 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
@@ -821,6 +821,9 @@ virLXCProcessBuildControllerCmd(virLXCDriverPtr driver,
     virCommandSetPidFile(cmd, pidfile);
     virCommandSetOutputFD(cmd, &logfd);
     virCommandSetErrorFD(cmd, &logfd);
+    /* So we can pause before exec'ing the controller to
+     * write the live domain status XML with the PID */
+    virCommandRequireHandshake(cmd);
 
     return cmd;
  cleanup:
@@ -1169,10 +1172,6 @@ int virLXCProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (virLXCProcessSetupInterfaces(conn, vm->def, &nveths, &veths) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    /* Save the configuration for the controller */
-    if (virDomainSaveConfig(cfg->stateDir, vm->def) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     if ((logfd = open(logfile, O_WRONLY | O_APPEND | O_CREAT,
              S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR)) < 0) {
         virReportSystemError(errno,
@@ -1271,6 +1270,23 @@ int virLXCProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
         goto error;
     }
 
+    if (VIR_CLOSE(handshakefds[1]) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno, "%s", _("could not close handshake fd"));
+        goto error;
+    }
+
+    if (virCommandHandshakeWait(cmd) < 0)
+        goto error;
+
+    /* Write domain status to disk for the controller to
+     * read when it starts */
+    if (virDomainSaveStatus(driver->xmlopt, cfg->stateDir, vm) < 0)
+        goto error;
+
+    /* Allow the child to exec the controller */
+    if (virCommandHandshakeNotify(cmd) < 0)
+        goto error;
+
     if (virAtomicIntInc(&driver->nactive) == 1 && driver->inhibitCallback)
         driver->inhibitCallback(true, driver->inhibitOpaque);
 
@@ -1328,15 +1344,6 @@ int virLXCProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
     /* We don't need the temporary NIC names anymore, clear them */
     virLXCProcessCleanInterfaces(vm->def);
 
-    /* Write domain status to disk.
-     *
-     * XXX: Earlier we wrote the plain "live" domain XML to this
-     * location for the benefit of libvirt_lxc. We're now overwriting
-     * it with the live status XML instead. This is a (currently
-     * harmless) inconsistency we should fix one day */
-    if (virDomainSaveStatus(driver->xmlopt, cfg->stateDir, vm) < 0)
-        goto error;
-
     /* finally we can call the 'started' hook script if any */
     if (virHookPresent(VIR_HOOK_DRIVER_LXC)) {
         char *xml = virDomainDefFormat(vm->def, 0);