Index: head/sys/amd64/include/vmm.h
===================================================================
--- head/sys/amd64/include/vmm.h
+++ head/sys/amd64/include/vmm.h
@@ -546,6 +546,9 @@
 struct vie {
 	uint8_t		inst[VIE_INST_SIZE];	/* instruction bytes */
 	uint8_t		num_valid;		/* size of the instruction */
+
+/* The following fields are all zeroed upon restart. */
+#define	vie_startzero	num_processed
 	uint8_t		num_processed;
 
 	uint8_t		addrsize:4, opsize:4;	/* address and operand sizes */
Index: head/sys/amd64/include/vmm_instruction_emul.h
===================================================================
--- head/sys/amd64/include/vmm_instruction_emul.h
+++ head/sys/amd64/include/vmm_instruction_emul.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
     uint64_t gla, int prot, uint64_t *gpa, int *is_fault);
 #endif /* _KERNEL */
 
+void vie_restart(struct vie *vie);
 void vie_init(struct vie *vie, const char *inst_bytes, int inst_length);
 
 /*
Index: head/sys/amd64/vmm/vmm_instruction_emul.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/amd64/vmm/vmm_instruction_emul.c
+++ head/sys/amd64/vmm/vmm_instruction_emul.c
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@
 #include <err.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <strings.h>
 #include <vmmapi.h>
 #define	KASSERT(exp,msg)	assert((exp))
@@ -1990,22 +1992,36 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Prepare a partially decoded vie for a 2nd attempt.
+ */
 void
-vie_init(struct vie *vie, const char *inst_bytes, int inst_length)
+vie_restart(struct vie *vie)
 {
-	KASSERT(inst_length >= 0 && inst_length <= VIE_INST_SIZE,
-	    ("%s: invalid instruction length (%d)", __func__, inst_length));
+	_Static_assert(
+	    offsetof(struct vie, inst) < offsetof(struct vie, vie_startzero) &&
+	    offsetof(struct vie, num_valid) < offsetof(struct vie, vie_startzero),
+	    "restart should not erase instruction length or contents");
 
-	bzero(vie, sizeof(struct vie));
+	memset((char *)vie + offsetof(struct vie, vie_startzero), 0,
+	    sizeof(*vie) - offsetof(struct vie, vie_startzero));
 
 	vie->base_register = VM_REG_LAST;
 	vie->index_register = VM_REG_LAST;
 	vie->segment_register = VM_REG_LAST;
+}
 
-	if (inst_length) {
-		bcopy(inst_bytes, vie->inst, inst_length);
-		vie->num_valid = inst_length;
-	}
+void
+vie_init(struct vie *vie, const char *inst_bytes, int inst_length)
+{
+	KASSERT(inst_length >= 0 && inst_length <= VIE_INST_SIZE,
+	    ("%s: invalid instruction length (%d)", __func__, inst_length));
+
+	vie_restart(vie);
+	memset(vie->inst, 0, sizeof(vie->inst));
+	if (inst_length != 0)
+		memcpy(vie->inst, inst_bytes, inst_length);
+	vie->num_valid = inst_length;
 }
 
 #ifdef _KERNEL
Index: head/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
===================================================================
--- head/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
+++ head/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
 #ifndef WITHOUT_CAPSICUM
 #include <machine/vmm_dev.h>
 #endif
+#include <machine/vmm_instruction_emul.h>
 #include <vmmapi.h>
 
 #include "bhyverun.h"
@@ -746,12 +747,26 @@
 static int
 vmexit_inst_emul(struct vmctx *ctx, struct vm_exit *vmexit, int *pvcpu)
 {
-	int err, i;
+	int err, i, cs_d;
 	struct vie *vie;
+	enum vm_cpu_mode mode;
 
 	stats.vmexit_inst_emul++;
 
 	vie = &vmexit->u.inst_emul.vie;
+	if (!vie->decoded) {
+		/*
+		 * Attempt to decode in userspace as a fallback.  This allows
+		 * updating instruction decode in bhyve without rebooting the
+		 * kernel (rapid prototyping), albeit with much slower
+		 * emulation.
+		 */
+		vie_restart(vie);
+		mode = vmexit->u.inst_emul.paging.cpu_mode;
+		cs_d = vmexit->u.inst_emul.cs_d;
+		(void)vmm_decode_instruction(mode, cs_d, vie);
+	}
+
 	err = emulate_mem(ctx, *pvcpu, vmexit->u.inst_emul.gpa,
 	    vie, &vmexit->u.inst_emul.paging);