diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index 6e26d2ec2a..969329f83e 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -2032,6 +2032,7 @@ F: include/sysemu/runstate.h
 F: util/main-loop.c
 F: util/qemu-timer.c
 F: softmmu/vl.c
+F: softmmu/main.c
 F: qapi/run-state.json
 
 Human Monitor (HMP)
diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 06c36d1161..6f4dd72022 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ endif
 COMMON_LDADDS = ../libqemuutil.a
 
 # build either PROG or PROGW
-$(QEMU_PROG_BUILD): $(all-obj-y) $(COMMON_LDADDS)
+$(QEMU_PROG_BUILD): $(all-obj-y) $(COMMON_LDADDS) $(softmmu-main-y)
 	$(call LINK, $(filter-out %.mak, $^))
 ifdef CONFIG_DARWIN
 	$(call quiet-command,Rez -append $(SRC_PATH)/pc-bios/qemu.rsrc -o $@,"REZ","$(TARGET_DIR)$@")
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index c0678c1ca3..dec64fcc17 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ QemuOpts *qemu_get_machine_opts(void);
 
 bool defaults_enabled(void);
 
+void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp);
+void qemu_main_loop(void);
+void qemu_cleanup(void);
+
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_legacy_drive_opts;
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_common_drive_opts;
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_drive_opts;
diff --git a/softmmu/Makefile.objs b/softmmu/Makefile.objs
index d80a5ffe5a..dd15c24346 100644
--- a/softmmu/Makefile.objs
+++ b/softmmu/Makefile.objs
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+softmmu-main-y = softmmu/main.o
 obj-y += vl.o
 vl.o-cflags := $(GPROF_CFLAGS) $(SDL_CFLAGS)
diff --git a/softmmu/main.c b/softmmu/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7adc530c73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/softmmu/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+ * QEMU System Emulator
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2020 Fabrice Bellard
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu-common.h"
+#include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_SDL
+#if defined(__APPLE__) || defined(main)
+#include <SDL.h>
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    return qemu_main(argc, argv, NULL);
+}
+#undef main
+#define main qemu_main
+#endif
+#endif /* CONFIG_SDL */
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_COCOA
+#undef main
+#define main qemu_main
+#endif /* CONFIG_COCOA */
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
+{
+    qemu_init(argc, argv, envp);
+    qemu_main_loop();
+    qemu_cleanup();
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 794f2e5733..080d3b5106 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -36,25 +36,6 @@
 #include "sysemu/seccomp.h"
 #include "sysemu/tcg.h"
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SDL
-#if defined(__APPLE__) || defined(main)
-#include <SDL.h>
-int qemu_main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp);
-int main(int argc, char **argv)
-{
-    return qemu_main(argc, argv, NULL);
-}
-#undef main
-#define main qemu_main
-#endif
-#endif /* CONFIG_SDL */
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_COCOA
-#undef main
-#define main qemu_main
-#endif /* CONFIG_COCOA */
-
-
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/sockets.h"
 #include "sysemu/accel.h"
@@ -1670,7 +1651,7 @@ static bool main_loop_should_exit(void)
     return false;
 }
 
-static void main_loop(void)
+void qemu_main_loop(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
     int64_t ti;
@@ -2805,7 +2786,7 @@ static void configure_accelerators(const char *progname)
     }
 }
 
-int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
+void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 {
     int i;
     int snapshot, linux_boot;
@@ -3357,7 +3338,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
             case QEMU_OPTION_watchdog:
                 if (watchdog) {
                     error_report("only one watchdog option may be given");
-                    return 1;
+                    exit(1);
                 }
                 watchdog = optarg;
                 break;
@@ -4269,7 +4250,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     parse_numa_opts(current_machine);
 
     /* do monitor/qmp handling at preconfig state if requested */
-    main_loop();
+    qemu_main_loop();
 
     audio_init_audiodevs();
 
@@ -4387,7 +4368,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     if (vmstate_dump_file) {
         /* dump and exit */
         dump_vmstate_json_to_file(vmstate_dump_file);
-        return 0;
+        exit(0);
     }
 
     if (incoming) {
@@ -4404,8 +4385,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     accel_setup_post(current_machine);
     os_setup_post();
 
-    main_loop();
+    return;
+}
 
+void qemu_cleanup(void)
+{
     gdbserver_cleanup();
 
     /*
@@ -4442,6 +4426,4 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     qemu_chr_cleanup();
     user_creatable_cleanup();
     /* TODO: unref root container, check all devices are ok */
-
-    return 0;
 }