diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 4834d4a88..31b5a3328 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2319,6 +2319,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "devices",
  "epoll",
  "event_monitor",
+ "flume",
  "futures",
  "gdbstub",
  "gdbstub_arch",
diff --git a/event_monitor/src/lib.rs b/event_monitor/src/lib.rs
index b8f9b9ab9..c6cf10f6a 100644
--- a/event_monitor/src/lib.rs
+++ b/event_monitor/src/lib.rs
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ struct Event<'a> {
 
 pub struct Monitor {
     pub rx: flume::Receiver<String>,
-    pub file: File,
+    pub file: Option<File>,
     pub broadcast: Vec<flume::Sender<Arc<String>>>,
 }
 
 impl Monitor {
-    pub fn new(rx: flume::Receiver<String>, file: File) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(rx: flume::Receiver<String>, file: Option<File>) -> Self {
         Self {
             rx,
             file,
@@ -68,11 +68,14 @@ fn set_file_nonblocking(file: &File) -> io::Result<()> {
 
 /// This function must only be called once from the main thread before any threads
 /// are created to avoid race conditions.
-pub fn set_monitor(file: File) -> io::Result<Monitor> {
+pub fn set_monitor(file: Option<File>) -> io::Result<Monitor> {
     // SAFETY: there is only one caller of this function, so MONITOR is written to only once
     assert!(unsafe { MONITOR.is_none() });
 
-    set_file_nonblocking(&file)?;
+    if let Some(ref file) = file {
+        set_file_nonblocking(file)?;
+    }
+
     let (tx, rx) = flume::unbounded();
     let monitor = Monitor::new(rx, file);
 
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 780b282b3..ba49a4c14 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -449,18 +449,6 @@ fn start_vmm(toplevel: TopLevel) -> Result<Option<String>, Error> {
         (None, None)
     };
 
-    #[cfg(feature = "dbus_api")]
-    let dbus_options = match (&toplevel.dbus_name, &toplevel.dbus_path) {
-        (Some(ref name), Some(ref path)) => Ok(Some(DBusApiOptions {
-            service_name: name.to_owned(),
-            object_path: path.to_owned(),
-            system_bus: toplevel.dbus_system_bus,
-        })),
-        (Some(_), None) => Err(Error::MissingDBusObjectPath),
-        (None, Some(_)) => Err(Error::MissingDBusServiceName),
-        (None, None) => Ok(None),
-    }?;
-
     let (api_request_sender, api_request_receiver) = channel();
     let api_evt = EventFd::new(EFD_NONBLOCK).map_err(Error::CreateApiEventFd)?;
 
@@ -530,31 +518,67 @@ fn start_vmm(toplevel: TopLevel) -> Result<Option<String>, Error> {
 
     let exit_evt = EventFd::new(EFD_NONBLOCK).map_err(Error::CreateExitEventFd)?;
 
-    if let Some(ref monitor_config) = toplevel.event_monitor {
-        let mut parser = OptionParser::new();
-        parser.add("path").add("fd");
-        parser
-            .parse(monitor_config)
-            .map_err(Error::ParsingEventMonitor)?;
+    #[allow(unused_mut)]
+    let mut event_monitor = toplevel
+        .event_monitor
+        .as_ref()
+        .map(|monitor_config| {
+            let mut parser = OptionParser::new();
+            parser.add("path").add("fd");
+            parser
+                .parse(monitor_config)
+                .map_err(Error::ParsingEventMonitor)?;
 
-        let file = if parser.is_set("fd") {
-            let fd = parser
-                .convert("fd")
-                .map_err(Error::ParsingEventMonitor)?
-                .unwrap();
-            // SAFETY: fd is valid
-            unsafe { File::from_raw_fd(fd) }
-        } else if parser.is_set("path") {
-            std::fs::OpenOptions::new()
-                .write(true)
-                .create(true)
-                .open(parser.get("path").unwrap())
-                .map_err(Error::EventMonitorIo)?
-        } else {
-            return Err(Error::BareEventMonitor);
-        };
+            if parser.is_set("fd") {
+                let fd = parser
+                    .convert("fd")
+                    .map_err(Error::ParsingEventMonitor)?
+                    .unwrap();
+                // SAFETY: fd is valid
+                Ok(Some(unsafe { File::from_raw_fd(fd) }))
+            } else if parser.is_set("path") {
+                Ok(Some(
+                    std::fs::OpenOptions::new()
+                        .write(true)
+                        .create(true)
+                        .open(parser.get("path").unwrap())
+                        .map_err(Error::EventMonitorIo)?,
+                ))
+            } else {
+                Err(Error::BareEventMonitor)
+            }
+        })
+        .transpose()?
+        .map(|event_monitor_file| {
+            event_monitor::set_monitor(event_monitor_file).map_err(Error::EventMonitorIo)
+        })
+        .transpose()?;
 
-        let monitor = event_monitor::set_monitor(file).map_err(Error::EventMonitorIo)?;
+    #[cfg(feature = "dbus_api")]
+    let dbus_options = match (&toplevel.dbus_name, &toplevel.dbus_path) {
+        (Some(ref name), Some(ref path)) => {
+            // monitor is either set (file based) or not.
+            // if it's not set, create one without file support.
+            let mut monitor = match event_monitor.take() {
+                Some(monitor) => monitor,
+                None => event_monitor::set_monitor(None).map_err(Error::EventMonitorIo)?,
+            };
+            let options = DBusApiOptions {
+                service_name: name.to_owned(),
+                object_path: path.to_owned(),
+                system_bus: toplevel.dbus_system_bus,
+                event_monitor_rx: monitor.subscribe(),
+            };
+
+            event_monitor = Some(monitor);
+            Ok(Some(options))
+        }
+        (Some(_), None) => Err(Error::MissingDBusObjectPath),
+        (None, Some(_)) => Err(Error::MissingDBusServiceName),
+        (None, None) => Ok(None),
+    }?;
+
+    if let Some(monitor) = event_monitor {
         vmm::start_event_monitor_thread(
             monitor,
             &seccomp_action,
diff --git a/vmm/Cargo.toml b/vmm/Cargo.toml
index 15a6a06a3..8437792ca 100644
--- a/vmm/Cargo.toml
+++ b/vmm/Cargo.toml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ blocking = { version = "1.3.0", optional = true }
 devices = { path = "../devices" }
 epoll = "4.3.3"
 event_monitor = { path = "../event_monitor" }
+flume = "0.10.14"
 futures = { version = "0.3.27", optional = true }
 gdbstub = { version = "0.6.4", optional = true }
 gdbstub_arch = { version = "0.2.4", optional = true }
diff --git a/vmm/src/api/dbus/mod.rs b/vmm/src/api/dbus/mod.rs
index 5306a0970..c063e1008 100644
--- a/vmm/src/api/dbus/mod.rs
+++ b/vmm/src/api/dbus/mod.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ pub struct DBusApiOptions {
     pub service_name: String,
     pub object_path: String,
     pub system_bus: bool,
+    pub event_monitor_rx: flume::Receiver<Arc<String>>,
 }
 
 pub struct DBusApi {
@@ -297,6 +298,10 @@ impl DBusApi {
             .await
             .map(|_| ())
     }
+
+    // implementation of this function is provided by the `dbus_interface` macro
+    #[dbus_interface(signal)]
+    async fn event(ctxt: &zbus::SignalContext<'_>, event: Arc<String>) -> zbus::Result<()>;
 }
 
 pub fn start_dbus_thread(
@@ -308,19 +313,26 @@ pub fn start_dbus_thread(
     hypervisor_type: HypervisorType,
 ) -> VmmResult<(thread::JoinHandle<VmmResult<()>>, DBusApiShutdownChannels)> {
     let dbus_iface = DBusApi::new(api_notifier, api_sender);
-    let connection = executor::block_on(async move {
+    let (connection, iface_ref) = executor::block_on(async move {
         let conn_builder = if dbus_options.system_bus {
             ConnectionBuilder::system()?
         } else {
             ConnectionBuilder::session()?
         };
 
-        conn_builder
+        let conn = conn_builder
             .internal_executor(false)
             .name(dbus_options.service_name)?
-            .serve_at(dbus_options.object_path, dbus_iface)?
+            .serve_at(dbus_options.object_path.as_str(), dbus_iface)?
             .build()
-            .await
+            .await?;
+
+        let iface_ref = conn
+            .object_server()
+            .interface::<_, DBusApi>(dbus_options.object_path)
+            .await?;
+
+        Ok((conn, iface_ref))
     })
     .map_err(VmmError::CreateDBusSession)?;
 
@@ -359,6 +371,11 @@ pub fn start_dbus_thread(
                                 send_done.send(()).ok();
                                 break;
                             },
+                            ret = dbus_options.event_monitor_rx.recv_async() => {
+                                if let Ok(event) = ret {
+                                    DBusApi::event(iface_ref.signal_context(), event).await.ok();
+                                }
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 })
diff --git a/vmm/src/lib.rs b/vmm/src/lib.rs
index 06d13cd51..23c9298f4 100644
--- a/vmm/src/lib.rs
+++ b/vmm/src/lib.rs
@@ -321,8 +321,10 @@ pub fn start_event_monitor_thread(
                 while let Ok(event) = monitor.rx.recv() {
                     let event = Arc::new(event);
 
-                    monitor.file.write_all(event.as_bytes().as_ref()).ok();
-                    monitor.file.write_all(b"\n\n").ok();
+                    if let Some(ref mut file) = monitor.file {
+                        file.write_all(event.as_bytes().as_ref()).ok();
+                        file.write_all(b"\n\n").ok();
+                    }
 
                     for tx in monitor.broadcast.iter() {
                         tx.send(event.clone()).ok();