diff --git a/qemu.confd b/qemu.confd
index 9dfd1cf..6733b08 100644
--- a/qemu.confd
+++ b/qemu.confd
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@
 # Path of the QEMU monitor socket for this VM.
 #monitor_socket="/run/qemu/${VM_NAME}/monitor.sock"
 
+# Path of the QEMU Guest Agent socket for this VM.
+#qemu_ga_socket="/run/qemu/${VM_NAME}/qemu_ga.sock"
 
 ##
 # Network interfaces
diff --git a/qemu.initd b/qemu.initd
index 9cfb3c7..ee87243 100644
--- a/qemu.initd
+++ b/qemu.initd
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ VM_NAME="${RC_SVCNAME#qemu.}"
 : ${vnc_listen:=0.0.0.0}
 : ${hugepages_path:=/dev/hugepages}
 : ${monitor_socket:=/run/qemu/${VM_NAME}/monitor.sock}
+: ${qemu_ga_socket:=/run/qemu/${VM_NAME}/qemu-ga.sock}
 : ${extra_args:=}
 
 name="VM $VM_NAME"
@@ -54,7 +55,10 @@ command_args="
 	-vga $vga
 	-device virtio-rng-pci
 	-device virtio-scsi-pci,id=scsi
-	-monitor unix:$monitor_socket,server,nowait"
+	-monitor unix:$monitor_socket,server,nowait
+	-chardev socket,path=$qemu_ga_socket,server,nowait,id=qga0
+	-device virtio-serial
+	-device virtserialport,chardev=qga0,name=org.qemu.guest_agent.0"
 command_background='yes'
 command_user="$user"
 command_group="$group"
@@ -102,7 +106,7 @@ start_pre() {
 		einfo "Command: $command $(printf '%s ' $command_args)"
 	fi
 
-	local path; for path in "$pidfile" "$monitor_socket" "$logfile"; do
+	local path; for path in "$pidfile" "$monitor_socket" "$qemu_ga_socket" "$logfile"; do
 		# checkpath doesn't create intermediate directories
 		mkdir -p "$(dirname "$path")"
 		checkpath -d -m 0750 -o $user:$group "$(dirname "$path")"
@@ -112,8 +116,8 @@ start_pre() {
 }
 
 start_post() {
-	ewaitfile 5 "$monitor_socket" || {
-		eerror 'Monitor socket has not been created!'; return 1
+	ewaitfile 5 "$monitor_socket" "$qemu_ga_socket" || {
+		eerror 'Monitor socket or guest agent socket have not been created!'; return 1
 	}
 	if [ -n "$vnc_password" ]; then
 		qemush "set_password vnc $vnc_password" || eerror 'Failed to set VNC password!'
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ stop() {
 
 	ebegin "Stopping $name"
 
-	if is_running && qemush 'system_powerdown'; then
+	if is_running && guestcmd '{"execute":"guest-shutdown"}' && qemush 'system_powerdown'; then
 		count="$shutdown_timeout"
 
 		printf "   Waiting $count seconds for VM shutdown "
@@ -152,6 +156,7 @@ stop() {
 
 stop_post() {
 	[ -S "$monitor_socket" ] && rm -f "$monitor_socket"
+	[ -S "$qemu_ga_socket" ] && rm -f "$qemu_ga_socket"
 	[ -f "$pidfile" ] && rm -f "$pidfile"
 	return 0
 }
@@ -290,6 +295,11 @@ qemush_show() {
 	printf "%b\n" "$*" | socat - "UNIX-CONNECT:${monitor_socket}" | tail -n +3 | head -n -1
 }
 
+guestcmd() {
+	local IFS=$'\n'
+	printf "%b\n" "$*" | socat - "UNIX-CONNECT:${qemu_ga_socket}" 1>/dev/null
+}
+
 gen_macaddr() {
 	printf "$1" | md5sum | sed -E 's/^(..)(..)(..)(..).*$/52:54:\1:\2:\3:\4/'
 }