diff --git a/hw/core/machine-qmp-cmds.c b/hw/core/machine-qmp-cmds.c
index 5362c80a18..cb9387c5f5 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine-qmp-cmds.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine-qmp-cmds.c
@@ -286,9 +286,8 @@ HotpluggableCPUList *qmp_query_hotpluggable_cpus(Error **errp)
 
 void qmp_set_numa_node(NumaOptions *cmd, Error **errp)
 {
-    if (!runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "The command is permitted only in '%s' state",
-                   RunState_str(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG));
+    if (qdev_hotplug) {
+         error_setg(errp, "The command is permitted only before the machine has been created");
          return;
     }
 
diff --git a/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h b/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h
index af8d96c570..1486cac3ef 100644
--- a/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h
+++ b/include/qapi/qmp/dispatch.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ void qmp_disable_command(QmpCommandList *cmds, const char *name);
 void qmp_enable_command(QmpCommandList *cmds, const char *name);
 
 bool qmp_command_is_enabled(const QmpCommand *cmd);
+bool qmp_command_available(const QmpCommand *cmd, Error **errp);
 const char *qmp_command_name(const QmpCommand *cmd);
 bool qmp_has_success_response(const QmpCommand *cmd);
 QDict *qmp_error_response(Error *err);
diff --git a/monitor/hmp.c b/monitor/hmp.c
index f13ef455e2..0027f1465d 100644
--- a/monitor/hmp.c
+++ b/monitor/hmp.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include <dirent.h>
+#include "hw/qdev-core.h"
 #include "monitor-internal.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qdict.h"
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ static bool cmd_can_preconfig(const HMPCommand *cmd)
 
 static bool cmd_available(const HMPCommand *cmd)
 {
-    return !runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG) || cmd_can_preconfig(cmd);
+    return qdev_hotplug || cmd_can_preconfig(cmd);
 }
 
 static void help_cmd_dump_one(Monitor *mon,
@@ -658,8 +659,8 @@ static const HMPCommand *monitor_parse_command(MonitorHMP *hmp_mon,
         return NULL;
     }
     if (!cmd_available(cmd)) {
-        monitor_printf(mon, "Command '%.*s' not available with -preconfig "
-                            "until after exit_preconfig.\n",
+        monitor_printf(mon, "Command '%.*s' not available "
+                            "until machine initialization has completed.\n",
                        (int)(p - cmdp_start), cmdp_start);
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/monitor/qmp-cmds.c b/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
index a08143b323..7c10b182e4 100644
--- a/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
+++ b/monitor/qmp-cmds.c
@@ -104,9 +104,8 @@ void qmp_system_powerdown(Error **errp)
 
 void qmp_x_exit_preconfig(Error **errp)
 {
-    if (!runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "The command is permitted only in '%s' state",
-                   RunState_str(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG));
+    if (qdev_hotplug) {
+        error_setg(errp, "The command is permitted only before machine initialization");
         return;
     }
     qemu_exit_preconfig_request();
diff --git a/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c b/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
index 9a2d7dd29a..0a2b20a4e4 100644
--- a/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
+++ b/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
@@ -167,10 +167,7 @@ QDict *qmp_dispatch(const QmpCommandList *cmds, QObject *request,
         goto out;
     }
 
-    if (runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG) &&
-        !(cmd->options & QCO_ALLOW_PRECONFIG)) {
-        error_setg(&err, "The command '%s' isn't permitted in '%s' state",
-                   cmd->name, RunState_str(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG));
+    if (!qmp_command_available(cmd, &err)) {
         goto out;
     }
 
diff --git a/qapi/run-state.json b/qapi/run-state.json
index 964c8ef391..38194b0e44 100644
--- a/qapi/run-state.json
+++ b/qapi/run-state.json
@@ -50,15 +50,12 @@
 # @colo: guest is paused to save/restore VM state under colo checkpoint,
 #        VM can not get into this state unless colo capability is enabled
 #        for migration. (since 2.8)
-# @preconfig: QEMU is paused before board specific init callback is executed.
-#             The state is reachable only if the --preconfig CLI option is used.
-#             (Since 3.0)
 ##
 { 'enum': 'RunState',
   'data': [ 'debug', 'inmigrate', 'internal-error', 'io-error', 'paused',
             'postmigrate', 'prelaunch', 'finish-migrate', 'restore-vm',
             'running', 'save-vm', 'shutdown', 'suspended', 'watchdog',
-            'guest-panicked', 'colo', 'preconfig' ] }
+            'guest-panicked', 'colo' ] }
 
 ##
 # @ShutdownCause:
diff --git a/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c b/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c
index bcfcbac181..00720eb827 100644
--- a/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "sysemu/arch_init.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qapi/qapi-commands-qdev.h"
+#include "qapi/qmp/dispatch.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qdict.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qerror.h"
 #include "qemu/config-file.h"
@@ -997,3 +998,14 @@ int qemu_global_option(const char *str)
 
     return 0;
 }
+
+bool qmp_command_available(const QmpCommand *cmd, Error **errp)
+{
+    if (!qdev_hotplug &&
+        !(cmd->options & QCO_ALLOW_PRECONFIG)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "The command '%s' is permitted only after machine initialization has completed",
+                   cmd->name);
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index edabd17dac..68acd24d01 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ static int default_driver_check(void *opaque, QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 /***********************************************************/
 /* QEMU state */
 
-static RunState current_run_state = RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG;
+static RunState current_run_state = RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH;
 
 /* We use RUN_STATE__MAX but any invalid value will do */
 static RunState vmstop_requested = RUN_STATE__MAX;
@@ -586,13 +586,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } RunStateTransition;
 
 static const RunStateTransition runstate_transitions_def[] = {
-    /*     from      ->     to      */
-    { RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG, RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH },
-      /* Early switch to inmigrate state to allow  -incoming CLI option work
-       * as it used to. TODO: delay actual switching to inmigrate state to
-       * the point after machine is built and remove this hack.
-       */
-    { RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG, RUN_STATE_INMIGRATE },
+    { RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH, RUN_STATE_INMIGRATE },
 
     { RUN_STATE_DEBUG, RUN_STATE_RUNNING },
     { RUN_STATE_DEBUG, RUN_STATE_FINISH_MIGRATE },
@@ -1633,9 +1627,6 @@ static bool main_loop_should_exit(void)
     ShutdownCause request;
 
     if (preconfig_exit_requested) {
-        if (runstate_check(RUN_STATE_PRECONFIG)) {
-            runstate_set(RUN_STATE_PRELAUNCH);
-        }
         preconfig_exit_requested = false;
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/stubs/meson.build b/stubs/meson.build
index 82b7ba60ab..cc56c83063 100644
--- a/stubs/meson.build
+++ b/stubs/meson.build
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ stub_ss.add(files('pci-bus.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('pci-host-piix.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('qemu-timer-notify-cb.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('qmp_memory_device.c'))
+stub_ss.add(files('qmp-command-available.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('qtest.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('ram-block.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('ramfb.c'))
diff --git a/stubs/qmp-command-available.c b/stubs/qmp-command-available.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..46540af7bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stubs/qmp-command-available.c
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qapi/qmp/dispatch.h"
+
+bool qmp_command_available(const QmpCommand *cmd, Error **errp)
+{
+    return true;
+}
