diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/targetcontrol.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/targetcontrol.py
index c3aeb221dd..3255e3a5c6 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/targetcontrol.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/targetcontrol.py
@@ -183,11 +183,11 @@ class QemuTarget(BaseTarget):
         logger.info("Qemu log file: %s" % self.qemulog)
         super(QemuTarget, self).deploy()
 
-    def start(self, params=None, ssh=True, extra_bootparams='', runqemuparams='', launch_cmd=''):
+    def start(self, params=None, ssh=True, extra_bootparams='', runqemuparams='', launch_cmd='', discard_writes=True):
         if launch_cmd:
             start = self.runner.launch(get_ip=ssh, launch_cmd=launch_cmd)
         else:
-            start = self.runner.start(params, get_ip=ssh, extra_bootparams=extra_bootparams, runqemuparams=runqemuparams)
+            start = self.runner.start(params, get_ip=ssh, extra_bootparams=extra_bootparams, runqemuparams=runqemuparams, discard_writes=discard_writes)
 
         if start:
             if ssh:
diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/commands.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/commands.py
index 88c9bb15ed..2951dfb49c 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/commands.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/commands.py
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ def create_temp_layer(templayerdir, templayername, priority=999, recipepathspec=
 
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager
-def runqemu(pn, ssh=True, runqemuparams='', image_fstype=None, launch_cmd=None, qemuparams=None, overrides={}):
+def runqemu(pn, ssh=True, runqemuparams='', image_fstype=None, launch_cmd=None, qemuparams=None, overrides={}, discard_writes=True):
     """
     launch_cmd means directly run the command, don't need set rootfs or env vars.
     """
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ def runqemu(pn, ssh=True, runqemuparams='', image_fstype=None, launch_cmd=None,
     try:
         qemu.deploy()
         try:
-            qemu.start(params=qemuparams, ssh=ssh, runqemuparams=runqemuparams, launch_cmd=launch_cmd)
+            qemu.start(params=qemuparams, ssh=ssh, runqemuparams=runqemuparams, launch_cmd=launch_cmd, discard_writes=discard_writes)
         except bb.build.FuncFailed:
             raise Exception('Failed to start QEMU - see the logs in %s' % logdir)
 
diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemurunner.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemurunner.py
index b7816167e8..ba44b96f53 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemurunner.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemurunner.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class QemuRunner:
                 self._dump_host()
                 raise SystemExit
 
-    def start(self, qemuparams = None, get_ip = True, extra_bootparams = None, runqemuparams='', launch_cmd=None):
+    def start(self, qemuparams = None, get_ip = True, extra_bootparams = None, runqemuparams='', launch_cmd=None, discard_writes=True):
         if self.display:
             os.environ["DISPLAY"] = self.display
             # Set this flag so that Qemu doesn't do any grabs as SDL grabs
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class QemuRunner:
             os.environ["DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE"] = self.deploy_dir_image
 
         if not launch_cmd:
-            launch_cmd = 'runqemu snapshot %s' % runqemuparams
+            launch_cmd = 'runqemu %s %s ' % ('snapshot' if discard_writes else '', runqemuparams)
             if self.use_kvm:
                 logger.info('Using kvm for runqemu')
                 launch_cmd += ' kvm'
diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemutinyrunner.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemutinyrunner.py
index df5f9ddb82..1bf59007ff 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemutinyrunner.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/qemutinyrunner.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class QemuTinyRunner(QemuRunner):
             with open(self.logfile, "a") as f:
                 f.write("%s" % msg)
 
-    def start(self, qemuparams = None, ssh=True, extra_bootparams=None, runqemuparams=''):
+    def start(self, qemuparams = None, ssh=True, extra_bootparams=None, runqemuparams='', discard_writes=True):
 
         if self.display:
             os.environ["DISPLAY"] = self.display