diff --git a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c
index 0dddf24327..6f556d49ef 100644
--- a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ static int xce_pollfd_idx = -1;
 static struct pollfd *fds;
 static unsigned int current_array_size;
 static unsigned int nr_fds;
+static unsigned int delayed_requests;
 
 static int sock = -1;
 
@@ -255,6 +256,53 @@ static bool write_messages(struct connection *conn)
 	return true;
 }
 
+static int undelay_request(void *_req)
+{
+	struct delayed_request *req = _req;
+
+	list_del(&req->list);
+	delayed_requests--;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void call_delayed(struct connection *conn, struct delayed_request *req)
+{
+	assert(conn->in == NULL);
+	conn->in = req->in;
+
+	if (req->func(req)) {
+		undelay_request(req);
+		talloc_set_destructor(req, NULL);
+	}
+
+	conn->in = NULL;
+}
+
+int delay_request(struct connection *conn, struct buffered_data *in,
+		  bool (*func)(struct delayed_request *), void *data)
+{
+	struct delayed_request *req;
+
+	req = talloc(in, struct delayed_request);
+	if (!req)
+		return ENOMEM;
+
+	/* For the case of connection being closed. */
+	talloc_set_destructor(req, undelay_request);
+
+	req->in = in;
+	req->func = func;
+	req->data = data;
+
+	delayed_requests++;
+	list_add(&req->list, &conn->delayed);
+
+	conn->in = NULL;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int destroy_conn(void *_conn)
 {
 	struct connection *conn = _conn;
@@ -321,7 +369,8 @@ static void initialize_fds(int *p_sock_pollfd_idx, int *ptimeout)
 		memset(fds, 0, sizeof(struct pollfd) * current_array_size);
 	nr_fds = 0;
 
-	*ptimeout = -1;
+	/* In case of delayed requests pause for max 1 second. */
+	*ptimeout = delayed_requests ? 1000 : -1;
 
 	if (sock != -1)
 		*p_sock_pollfd_idx = set_fd(sock, POLLIN|POLLPRI);
@@ -1524,6 +1573,7 @@ struct connection *new_connection(connwritefn_t *write, connreadfn_t *read)
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&new->out_list);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&new->watches);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&new->transaction_list);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&new->delayed);
 
 	list_add_tail(&new->list, &connections);
 	talloc_set_destructor(new, destroy_conn);
@@ -2215,6 +2265,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			}
 		}
 
+		if (delayed_requests) {
+			list_for_each_entry(conn, &connections, list) {
+				struct delayed_request *req, *tmp;
+
+				list_for_each_entry_safe(req, tmp,
+							 &conn->delayed, list)
+					call_delayed(conn, req);
+			}
+		}
+
 		initialize_fds(&sock_pollfd_idx, &timeout);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.h b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.h
index 27826c125c..d5cdf17160 100644
--- a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.h
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.h
@@ -61,6 +61,20 @@ struct buffered_data
 	char default_buffer[DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE];
 };
 
+struct delayed_request {
+	/* Next delayed request. */
+	struct list_head list;
+
+	/* The delayed request. */
+	struct buffered_data *in;
+
+	/* Function to call. */
+	bool (*func)(struct delayed_request *req);
+
+	/* Further data. */
+	void *data;
+};
+
 struct connection;
 typedef int connwritefn_t(struct connection *, const void *, unsigned int);
 typedef int connreadfn_t(struct connection *, void *, unsigned int);
@@ -94,6 +108,9 @@ struct connection
 	uint32_t next_transaction_id;
 	unsigned int transaction_started;
 
+	/* List of delayed requests. */
+	struct list_head delayed;
+
 	/* The domain I'm associated with, if any. */
 	struct domain *domain;
 
@@ -177,6 +194,10 @@ bool is_valid_nodename(const char *node);
 /* Get name of parent node. */
 char *get_parent(const void *ctx, const char *node);
 
+/* Delay a request. */
+int delay_request(struct connection *conn, struct buffered_data *in,
+		  bool (*func)(struct delayed_request *), void *data);
+
 /* Tracing infrastructure. */
 void trace_create(const void *data, const char *type);
 void trace_destroy(const void *data, const char *type);