diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
index 9dd776bc2d..0e8241e5ef 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
@@ -143,15 +143,26 @@ conf_init_err:
  */
 static int
 nwfilterDriverReload(void) {
+    virConnectPtr conn;
+
     if (!driverState) {
         return -1;
     }
 
-    nwfilterDriverLock(driverState);
-    virNWFilterPoolLoadAllConfigs(NULL,
-                                  &driverState->pools,
-                                  driverState->configDir);
-    nwfilterDriverUnlock(driverState);
+    conn = virConnectOpen("qemu:///system");
+
+    if (conn) {
+        /* shut down all threads -- they will be restarted if necessary */
+        virNWFilterLearnThreadsTerminate(true);
+
+        nwfilterDriverLock(driverState);
+        virNWFilterPoolLoadAllConfigs(conn,
+                                      &driverState->pools,
+                                      driverState->configDir);
+        nwfilterDriverUnlock(driverState);
+
+        virConnectClose(conn);
+    }
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.c
index b4536a8f59..7c94fc24ce 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.c
@@ -857,6 +857,17 @@ virNWFilterLearnInit(void) {
 }
 
 
+void
+virNWFilterLearnThreadsTerminate(bool allowNewThreads) {
+    threadsTerminate = true;
+
+    while (virHashSize(pendingLearnReq) != 0)
+        usleep((PKT_TIMEOUT_MS * 1000) / 3);
+
+    if (allowNewThreads)
+        threadsTerminate = false;
+}
+
 /**
  * virNWFilterLearnShutdown
  * Shutdown of this layer
@@ -864,10 +875,7 @@ virNWFilterLearnInit(void) {
 void
 virNWFilterLearnShutdown(void) {
 
-    threadsTerminate = true;
-
-    while (virHashSize(pendingLearnReq) != 0)
-        usleep((PKT_TIMEOUT_MS * 1000) / 3);
+    virNWFilterLearnThreadsTerminate(false);
 
     virHashFree(pendingLearnReq, freeLearnReqEntry);
     pendingLearnReq = NULL;
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.h b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.h
index ebe65c2c9e..e4b9811a4b 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.h
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_learnipaddr.h
@@ -71,5 +71,6 @@ void virNWFilterUnlockIface(const char *ifname);
 
 int virNWFilterLearnInit(void);
 void virNWFilterLearnShutdown(void);
+void virNWFilterLearnThreadsTerminate(bool allowNewThreads);
 
 #endif /* __NWFILTER_LEARNIPADDR_H */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index e718816c94..cb420986ba 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -170,6 +170,9 @@ static int qemuDetectVcpuPIDs(struct qemud_driver *driver,
 static int qemuUpdateActivePciHostdevs(struct qemud_driver *driver,
                                        virDomainDefPtr def);
 
+static int qemudVMFiltersInstantiate(virConnectPtr conn,
+                                     virDomainDefPtr def);
+
 static struct qemud_driver *qemu_driver = NULL;
 
 
@@ -1423,6 +1426,10 @@ error:
     return ret;
 }
 
+struct virReconnectDomainData {
+    virConnectPtr conn;
+    struct qemud_driver *driver;
+};
 /*
  * Open an existing VM's monitor, re-detect VCPU threads
  * and re-reserve the security labels in use
@@ -1431,9 +1438,11 @@ static void
 qemuReconnectDomain(void *payload, const char *name ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, void *opaque)
 {
     virDomainObjPtr obj = payload;
-    struct qemud_driver *driver = opaque;
+    struct virReconnectDomainData *data = opaque;
+    struct qemud_driver *driver = data->driver;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
     unsigned long long qemuCmdFlags;
+    virConnectPtr conn = data->conn;
 
     virDomainObjLock(obj);
 
@@ -1467,6 +1476,9 @@ qemuReconnectDomain(void *payload, const char *name ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, void *opaq
                                                            obj) < 0)
         goto error;
 
+    if (qemudVMFiltersInstantiate(conn, obj->def))
+        goto error;
+
     if (obj->def->id >= driver->nextvmid)
         driver->nextvmid = obj->def->id + 1;
 
@@ -1491,9 +1503,10 @@ error:
  * about.
  */
 static void
-qemuReconnectDomains(struct qemud_driver *driver)
+qemuReconnectDomains(virConnectPtr conn, struct qemud_driver *driver)
 {
-    virHashForEach(driver->domains.objs, qemuReconnectDomain, driver);
+    struct virReconnectDomainData data = {conn, driver};
+    virHashForEach(driver->domains.objs, qemuReconnectDomain, &data);
 }
 
 
@@ -1691,6 +1704,7 @@ qemudStartup(int privileged) {
     char *base = NULL;
     char driverConf[PATH_MAX];
     int rc;
+    virConnectPtr conn = NULL;
 
     if (VIR_ALLOC(qemu_driver) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -1912,7 +1926,11 @@ qemudStartup(int privileged) {
                                 1, NULL, NULL) < 0)
         goto error;
 
-    qemuReconnectDomains(qemu_driver);
+    conn = virConnectOpen(qemu_driver->privileged ?
+                          "qemu:///system" :
+                          "qemu:///session");
+
+    qemuReconnectDomains(conn, qemu_driver);
 
     /* Then inactive persistent configs */
     if (virDomainLoadAllConfigs(qemu_driver->caps,
@@ -1930,6 +1948,8 @@ qemudStartup(int privileged) {
 
     qemudAutostartConfigs(qemu_driver);
 
+    if (conn)
+        virConnectClose(conn);
 
     return 0;
 
@@ -1938,6 +1958,8 @@ out_of_memory:
 error:
     if (qemu_driver)
         qemuDriverUnlock(qemu_driver);
+    if (conn)
+        virConnectClose(conn);
     VIR_FREE(base);
     qemudShutdown();
     return -1;
@@ -12738,6 +12760,28 @@ qemudVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+qemudVMFiltersInstantiate(virConnectPtr conn,
+                          virDomainDefPtr def)
+{
+    int err = 0;
+    int i;
+
+    if (!conn)
+        return 1;
+
+    for (i = 0 ; i < def->nnets ; i++) {
+        virDomainNetDefPtr net = def->nets[i];
+        if ((net->filter) && (net->ifname)) {
+           if (virDomainConfNWFilterInstantiate(conn, net)) {
+                err = 1;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return err;
+}
 
 static virNWFilterCallbackDriver qemuCallbackDriver = {
     .name = "QEMU",