diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
@@ -1540,6 +1540,9 @@
 	if (restore_file != NULL)
 		destroy_restore_state(&rstate);
 
+	/* initialize mutex/cond variables */
+	init_snapshot();
+
 	/*
 	 * checkpointing thread for communication with bhyvectl
 	 */
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.h b/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.h
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.h
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.h
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@
 int get_checkpoint_msg(int conn_fd, struct vmctx *ctx);
 void *checkpoint_thread(void *param);
 int init_checkpoint_thread(struct vmctx *ctx);
+void init_snapshot(void);
 
 int load_restore_file(const char *filename, struct restore_state *rstate);
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.c
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/snapshot.c
@@ -1493,6 +1493,22 @@
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+void
+init_snapshot(void)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	err = pthread_mutex_init(&vcpu_lock, NULL);
+	if (err != 0)
+		errc(1, err, "checkpoint mutex init");
+	err = pthread_cond_init(&vcpus_idle, NULL);
+	if (err != 0)
+		errc(1, err, "checkpoint cv init (vcpus_idle)");
+	err = pthread_cond_init(&vcpus_can_run, NULL);
+	if (err != 0)
+		errc(1, err, "checkpoint cv init (vcpus_can_run)");
+}
+
 /*
  * Create the listening socket for IPC with bhyvectl
  */
@@ -1508,15 +1524,6 @@
 
 	memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
 
-	err = pthread_mutex_init(&vcpu_lock, NULL);
-	if (err != 0)
-		errc(1, err, "checkpoint mutex init");
-	err = pthread_cond_init(&vcpus_idle, NULL);
-	if (err == 0)
-		err = pthread_cond_init(&vcpus_can_run, NULL);
-	if (err != 0)
-		errc(1, err, "checkpoint cv init");
-
 	socket_fd = socket(PF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 	if (socket_fd < 0) {
 		EPRINTLN("Socket creation failed: %s", strerror(errno));