diff --git a/include/sysemu/runstate.h b/include/sysemu/runstate.h
index e210a37..11c7ff3 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/runstate.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/runstate.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 RunState runstate_get(void);
 bool runstate_is_running(void);
 bool runstate_needs_reset(void);
+void runstate_replay_enable(void);
 
 typedef void VMChangeStateHandler(void *opaque, bool running, RunState state);
 
diff --git a/replay/replay.c b/replay/replay.c
index a2c576c..b8564a4 100644
--- a/replay/replay.c
+++ b/replay/replay.c
@@ -385,6 +385,8 @@
         replay_fetch_data_kind();
     }
 
+    runstate_replay_enable();
+
     replay_init_events();
 }
 
diff --git a/system/runstate.c b/system/runstate.c
index c833316..a0e2a5f 100644
--- a/system/runstate.c
+++ b/system/runstate.c
@@ -181,6 +181,12 @@
     { RUN_STATE__MAX, RUN_STATE__MAX },
 };
 
+static const RunStateTransition replay_play_runstate_transitions_def[] = {
+    { RUN_STATE_SHUTDOWN, RUN_STATE_RUNNING},
+
+    { RUN_STATE__MAX, RUN_STATE__MAX },
+};
+
 static bool runstate_valid_transitions[RUN_STATE__MAX][RUN_STATE__MAX];
 
 bool runstate_check(RunState state)
@@ -188,14 +194,33 @@
     return current_run_state == state;
 }
 
-static void runstate_init(void)
+static void transitions_set_valid(const RunStateTransition *rst)
 {
     const RunStateTransition *p;
 
-    memset(&runstate_valid_transitions, 0, sizeof(runstate_valid_transitions));
-    for (p = &runstate_transitions_def[0]; p->from != RUN_STATE__MAX; p++) {
+    for (p = rst; p->from != RUN_STATE__MAX; p++) {
         runstate_valid_transitions[p->from][p->to] = true;
     }
+}
+
+void runstate_replay_enable(void)
+{
+    assert(replay_mode != REPLAY_MODE_NONE);
+
+    if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        /*
+         * When reverse-debugging, it is possible to move state from
+         * shutdown to running.
+         */
+        transitions_set_valid(&replay_play_runstate_transitions_def[0]);
+    }
+}
+
+static void runstate_init(void)
+{
+    memset(&runstate_valid_transitions, 0, sizeof(runstate_valid_transitions));
+
+    transitions_set_valid(&runstate_transitions_def[0]);
 
     qemu_mutex_init(&vmstop_lock);
 }