diff --git a/tools/helpers/Makefile b/tools/helpers/Makefile
index 8e42997052..8d78ab1e90 100644
--- a/tools/helpers/Makefile
+++ b/tools/helpers/Makefile
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ init-xenstore-domain: $(INIT_XENSTORE_DOMAIN_OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(INIT_XENSTORE_DOMAIN_OBJS) $(LDLIBS_libxentoollog) $(LDLIBS_libxenstore) $(LDLIBS_libxenctrl) $(LDLIBS_libxenguest) $(LDLIBS_libxenlight) $(APPEND_LDFLAGS)
 
 init-dom0less: $(INIT_DOM0LESS_OBJS)
-	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(INIT_DOM0LESS_OBJS) $(LDLIBS_libxenctrl) $(LDLIBS_libxenevtchn) $(LDLIBS_libxentoollog) $(LDLIBS_libxenstore) $(LDLIBS_libxenlight) $(LDLIBS_libxenguest)  $(APPEND_LDFLAGS)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(INIT_DOM0LESS_OBJS) $(LDLIBS_libxenctrl) $(LDLIBS_libxenevtchn) $(LDLIBS_libxentoollog) $(LDLIBS_libxenstore) $(LDLIBS_libxenlight) $(LDLIBS_libxenguest) $(LDLIBS_libxenforeignmemory) $(APPEND_LDFLAGS)
 
 .PHONY: install
 install: all
diff --git a/tools/helpers/init-dom0less.c b/tools/helpers/init-dom0less.c
index dc9ccee868..329aa44da6 100644
--- a/tools/helpers/init-dom0less.c
+++ b/tools/helpers/init-dom0less.c
@@ -9,9 +9,12 @@
 #include <xenguest.h>
 #include <libxl.h>
 #include <xenevtchn.h>
+#include <xenforeignmemory.h>
 
 #include "init-dom-json.h"
 
+#define XS_CONNECTION_STATE_OFFSET       (2068/4)
+#define XS_CONNECTION_STATE_RECONNECTING 0x1
 #define XENSTORE_PFN_OFFSET 1
 #define STR_MAX_LENGTH 64
 
@@ -215,12 +218,18 @@ err:
 static int init_domain(struct xs_handle *xsh, libxl_dominfo *info)
 {
     struct xc_interface_core *xch;
+    xenforeignmemory_handle *xfh;
     libxl_uuid uuid;
     uint64_t xenstore_evtchn, xenstore_pfn;
     int rc;
+    uint32_t *page;
 
     printf("Init dom0less domain: %u\n", info->domid);
     xch = xc_interface_open(0, 0, 0);
+    xfh = xenforeignmemory_open(0, 0);
+
+    if (xch == NULL || xfh == NULL)
+        err(1, "Cannot open xc/xenforeignmemory interfaces\n");
 
     rc = xc_hvm_param_get(xch, info->domid, HVM_PARAM_STORE_EVTCHN,
                           &xenstore_evtchn);
@@ -235,6 +244,14 @@ static int init_domain(struct xs_handle *xsh, libxl_dominfo *info)
         return 1;
     }
 
+    page = xenforeignmemory_map(xfh, info->domid, XS_READ | XS_WRITE, 1, &xenstore_pfn, NULL);
+    if (!page) {
+        printf("Error mapping xenstore page\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+    page[XS_CONNECTION_STATE_OFFSET] = XS_CONNECTION_STATE_RECONNECTING;
+    xenforeignmemory_unmap(xfh, page, 1);
+
     rc = xc_dom_gnttab_seed(xch, info->domid, true,
                             (xen_pfn_t)-1, xenstore_pfn, 0, 0);
     if (rc)
diff --git a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c
index 0543f49670..7bb8c64d33 100644
--- a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c
@@ -494,6 +494,7 @@ static struct domain *introduce_domain(const void *ctx,
 		talloc_steal(domain->conn, domain);
 
 		/* Notify the domain that xenstore is available */
+		interface->connection = 0x0;
 		xenevtchn_notify(xce_handle, domain->port);
 
 		if (!is_master_domain && !restore)