diff --git a/linux/systemd/qubes-core.service b/linux/systemd/qubes-core.service
index 34ce40fde..3786250e4 100644
--- a/linux/systemd/qubes-core.service
+++ b/linux/systemd/qubes-core.service
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [Unit]
 Description=Qubes Dom0 startup setup
-After=qubes-db-dom0.service libvirtd.service xenconsoled.service qubesd.service qubes-qmemman.service
+After=qubes-db-dom0.service libvirtd.service virtxend.socket xenconsoled.service qubesd.service qubes-qmemman.service
 # Cover legacy init.d script
 
 [Service]
diff --git a/qubes/app.py b/qubes/app.py
index fd65eb9fb..4031f8386 100644
--- a/qubes/app.py
+++ b/qubes/app.py
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ def _reconnect_if_dead(self):
             self._vm = self._connection._conn.lookupByUUID(self._vm.UUID())
         return is_dead
 
+    def close(self):
+        self._vm = None
+        self._connection = None
+
     def __getattr__(self, attrname):
         attr = getattr(self._vm, attrname)
         if not isinstance(attr, collections.abc.Callable):
@@ -100,12 +104,14 @@ def __getattr__(self, attrname):
         @functools.wraps(attr)
         def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
             try:
-                return attr(*args, **kwargs)
+                return getattr(self._vm, attrname)(*args, **kwargs)
             except libvirt.libvirtError:
                 if self._reconnect_if_dead():
                     return getattr(self._vm, attrname)(*args, **kwargs)
                 raise
 
+        del wrapper.__wrapped__
+        del attr
         return wrapper
 
 
@@ -531,15 +537,7 @@ def __delitem__(self, key):
         if not vm.is_halted():
             raise qubes.exc.QubesVMNotHaltedError(vm)
         self.app.fire_event('domain-pre-delete', pre_event=True, vm=vm)
-        try:
-            if vm.libvirt_domain:
-                vm.libvirt_domain.undefine()
-            # pylint: disable=protected-access
-            vm._libvirt_domain = None
-        except libvirt.libvirtError as e:
-            if e.get_error_code() == libvirt.VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN:
-                # already undefined
-                pass
+        vm.libvirt_undefine()
         del self._dict[vm.qid]
         self.app.fire_event('domain-delete', vm=vm)
         if getattr(vm, 'dispid', None):
diff --git a/qubes/tests/init.py b/qubes/tests/init.py
index fa4cc66c6..e52605032 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/init.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/init.py
@@ -351,6 +351,9 @@ def is_halted(self):
     def get_power_state(self):
         return "Halted"
 
+    def libvirt_undefine(self):
+        pass
+
 
 class TestApp(qubes.tests.TestEmitter):
     pass
diff --git a/qubes/tests/integ/basic.py b/qubes/tests/integ/basic.py
index c659f4d74..1f574dd3e 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/integ/basic.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/integ/basic.py
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def test_140_libvirt_events_reconnect(self):
         self.loop.run_until_complete(self.vm.create_on_disk())
         self.loop.run_until_complete(self.vm.start())
         p = self.loop.run_until_complete(asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-            'systemctl', 'restart', 'libvirtd'))
+            'systemctl', 'restart', 'virtxend'))
         self.loop.run_until_complete(p.communicate())
         # check if events still works
         self.domain_paused_received = False
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ def test_141_libvirt_objects_reconnect(self):
         # make sure libvirt object is cached
         self.app.domains[0].libvirt_domain.isActive()
         p = self.loop.run_until_complete(asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-            'systemctl', 'restart', 'libvirtd'))
+            'systemctl', 'restart', 'virtxend'))
         self.loop.run_until_complete(p.communicate())
         # trigger reconnect
         with self.assertNotRaises(libvirt.libvirtError):
diff --git a/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py b/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py
index c90ce0b6f..a91b258ce 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py
@@ -536,6 +536,8 @@ async def _test_300_bug_1028_gui_memory_pinning(self):
 
         # exclude from memory balancing
         self.testvm1.features['service.meminfo-writer'] = False
+        # prevent Whonix startup notifications from interfering
+        self.testvm1.features['service.whonix-tor-disable'] = True
         await self.testvm1.start()
         await self.wait_for_session(self.testvm1)
 
diff --git a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
index f4571ffc2..299908e76 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
@@ -1930,6 +1930,19 @@ async def clone_disk_files(self, src, pool=None, pools=None, ):
         # fire hooks
         await self.fire_event_async('domain-clone-files', src=src)
 
+    def libvirt_undefine(self):
+        """Undefine domain object in libvirt"""
+        try:
+            if self.libvirt_domain:
+                self.libvirt_domain.undefine()
+        except libvirt.libvirtError as e:
+            if e.get_error_code() == libvirt.VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN:
+                # already undefined
+                pass
+        if self._libvirt_domain is not None:
+            self._libvirt_domain.close()
+            self._libvirt_domain = None
+
     #
     # methods for querying domain state
     #