diff --git a/tools/libxc/xc_suspend.c b/tools/libxc/xc_suspend.c
index 1ace411860..eed3be22ed 100644
--- a/tools/libxc/xc_suspend.c
+++ b/tools/libxc/xc_suspend.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ int xc_suspend_evtchn_release(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int
     return unlock_suspend_event(xch, domid);
 }
 
-int xc_suspend_evtchn_init(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int port)
+int xc_suspend_evtchn_init_sane(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int port)
 {
     int rc, suspend_evtchn = -1;
 
@@ -121,9 +121,6 @@ int xc_suspend_evtchn_init(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int por
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    /* event channel is pending immediately after binding */
-    xc_await_suspend(xch, xce, suspend_evtchn);
-
     return suspend_evtchn;
 
 cleanup:
@@ -132,3 +129,17 @@ cleanup:
 
     return -1;
 }
+
+int xc_suspend_evtchn_init_exclusive(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int port)
+{
+    int suspend_evtchn;
+
+    suspend_evtchn = xc_suspend_evtchn_init_sane(xch, xce, domid, port);
+    if (suspend_evtchn < 0)
+        return suspend_evtchn;
+
+    /* event channel is pending immediately after binding */
+    xc_await_suspend(xch, xce, suspend_evtchn);
+
+    return suspend_evtchn;
+}
diff --git a/tools/libxc/xenguest.h b/tools/libxc/xenguest.h
index a0e30e1c98..ce5456c178 100644
--- a/tools/libxc/xenguest.h
+++ b/tools/libxc/xenguest.h
@@ -256,10 +256,21 @@ int xc_hvm_build_target_mem(xc_interface *xch,
 
 int xc_suspend_evtchn_release(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int suspend_evtchn);
 
-int xc_suspend_evtchn_init(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int port);
+/**
+ * This function eats the initial notification.
+ * xce must not be used for anything else
+ */
+int xc_suspend_evtchn_init_exclusive(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int port);
 
+/* xce must not be used for anything else */
 int xc_await_suspend(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int suspend_evtchn);
 
+/**
+ * The port will be signaled immediately after this call
+ * The caller should check the domain status and look for the next event
+ */
+int xc_suspend_evtchn_init_sane(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int port);
+
 int xc_get_bit_size(xc_interface *xch,
                     const char *image_name, const char *cmdline,
                     const char *features, int *type);
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c
index 55f74b23d8..4b4285613f 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom.c
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ void libxl__domain_suspend(libxl__egc *egc, libxl__domain_suspend_state *dss)
 
         if (port >= 0) {
             dss->suspend_eventchn =
-                xc_suspend_evtchn_init(CTX->xch, dss->xce, dss->domid, port);
+                xc_suspend_evtchn_init_exclusive(CTX->xch, dss->xce, dss->domid, port);
 
             if (dss->suspend_eventchn < 0)
                 LOG(WARN, "Suspend event channel initialization failed");
diff --git a/tools/misc/xen-hptool.c b/tools/misc/xen-hptool.c
index f8570f25cd..1923be93ba 100644
--- a/tools/misc/xen-hptool.c
+++ b/tools/misc/xen-hptool.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ static int suspend_guest(xc_interface *xch, xc_evtchn *xce, int domid, int *evtc
         fprintf(stderr, "DOM%d: No suspend port, try live migration\n", domid);
         goto failed;
     }
-    suspend_evtchn = xc_suspend_evtchn_init(xch, xce, domid, port);
+    suspend_evtchn = xc_suspend_evtchn_init_exclusive(xch, xce, domid, port);
     if (suspend_evtchn < 0)
     {
         fprintf(stderr, "Suspend evtchn initialization failed\n");
diff --git a/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/checkpoint/libcheckpoint.c b/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/checkpoint/libcheckpoint.c
index 01c0d47c12..817d2720dc 100644
--- a/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/checkpoint/libcheckpoint.c
+++ b/tools/python/xen/lowlevel/checkpoint/libcheckpoint.c
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ static int setup_suspend_evtchn(checkpoint_state* s)
     return -1;
   }
 
-  s->suspend_evtchn = xc_suspend_evtchn_init(s->xch, s->xce, s->domid, port);
+  s->suspend_evtchn = xc_suspend_evtchn_init_exclusive(s->xch, s->xce, s->domid, port);
   if (s->suspend_evtchn < 0) {
       s->errstr = "failed to bind suspend event channel";
       return -1;
diff --git a/tools/xcutils/xc_save.c b/tools/xcutils/xc_save.c
index 654c9c25cd..aaa09b0df7 100644
--- a/tools/xcutils/xc_save.c
+++ b/tools/xcutils/xc_save.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         else
         {
             si.suspend_evtchn =
-              xc_suspend_evtchn_init(si.xch, si.xce, si.domid, port);
+              xc_suspend_evtchn_init_exclusive(si.xch, si.xce, si.domid, port);
 
             if (si.suspend_evtchn < 0)
                 warnx("suspend event channel initialization failed, "