diff --git a/accel/tcg/tcg-runtime.c b/accel/tcg/tcg-runtime.c
index bc21bc34e0..95a03a590d 100644
--- a/accel/tcg/tcg-runtime.c
+++ b/accel/tcg/tcg-runtime.c
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/main-loop.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
-void libafl_save_qemu_snapshot(char *name);
-void libafl_load_qemu_snapshot(char *name);
+void libafl_save_qemu_snapshot(char *name, bool sync);
+void libafl_load_qemu_snapshot(char *name, bool sync);
 
 static void save_snapshot_cb(void* opaque)
 {
@@ -52,11 +54,26 @@ static void save_snapshot_cb(void* opaque)
         error_report_err(err);
         error_report("Could not save snapshot");
     }
+    free(opaque);
 }
 
-void libafl_save_qemu_snapshot(char *name)
+void libafl_save_qemu_snapshot(char *name, bool sync)
 {
-    aio_bh_schedule_oneshot_full(qemu_get_aio_context(), save_snapshot_cb, (void*)name, "save_snapshot");
+    // use snapshots synchronously, use if main loop is not running
+    if (sync) {
+        //TODO: eliminate this code duplication
+        //by passing a heap-allocated buffer from rust to c,
+        //which c needs to free
+        Error *err = NULL;
+        if(!save_snapshot(name, true, NULL, false, NULL, &err)) {
+            error_report_err(err);
+            error_report("Could not save snapshot");
+        }
+        return;
+    }
+    char* name_buffer = malloc(strlen(name)+1);
+    strcpy(name_buffer, name);
+    aio_bh_schedule_oneshot_full(qemu_get_aio_context(), save_snapshot_cb, (void*)name_buffer, "save_snapshot");
 }
 
 static void load_snapshot_cb(void* opaque)
@@ -76,11 +93,33 @@ static void load_snapshot_cb(void* opaque)
     if (loaded && saved_vm_running) {
         vm_start();
     }
+    free(opaque);
 }
 
-void libafl_load_qemu_snapshot(char *name)
+void libafl_load_qemu_snapshot(char *name, bool sync)
 {
-    aio_bh_schedule_oneshot_full(qemu_get_aio_context(), load_snapshot_cb, (void*)name, "load_snapshot");
+    // use snapshots synchronously, use if main loop is not running
+    if (sync) {
+        //TODO: see libafl_save_qemu_snapshot
+        Error *err = NULL;
+
+        int saved_vm_running = runstate_is_running();
+        vm_stop(RUN_STATE_RESTORE_VM);
+
+        bool loaded = load_snapshot(name, NULL, false, NULL, &err);
+
+        if(!loaded) {
+            error_report_err(err);
+            error_report("Could not load snapshot");
+        }
+        if (loaded && saved_vm_running) {
+            vm_start();
+        }
+        return;
+    }
+    char* name_buffer = malloc(strlen(name)+1);
+    strcpy(name_buffer, name);
+    aio_bh_schedule_oneshot_full(qemu_get_aio_context(), load_snapshot_cb, (void*)name_buffer, "load_snapshot");
 }
 
 #endif
@@ -93,12 +132,16 @@ void libafl_qemu_trigger_breakpoint(CPUState* cpu);
 
 void libafl_qemu_trigger_breakpoint(CPUState* cpu)
 {
+#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
+    qemu_system_debug_request();
+#else
     if (cpu->running) {
         cpu->exception_index = EXCP_LIBAFL_BP;
         cpu_loop_exit(cpu);
     } else {
         libafl_qemu_break_asap = 1;
     }
+#endif
 }
 
 void HELPER(libafl_qemu_handle_breakpoint)(CPUArchState *env)
diff --git a/softmmu/runstate.c b/softmmu/runstate.c
index 1e68680b9d..84102e4c3e 100644
--- a/softmmu/runstate.c
+++ b/softmmu/runstate.c
@@ -670,6 +670,9 @@ static bool main_loop_should_exit(int *status)
 
     if (qemu_debug_requested()) {
         vm_stop(RUN_STATE_DEBUG);
+//// --- Begin LibAFL code ---
+        return true;    // exit back to fuzzing harness
+//// --- End LibAFL code ---
     }
     if (qemu_suspend_requested()) {
         qemu_system_suspend();