diff --git a/include/qemu/osdep.h b/include/qemu/osdep.h
index 112ebdff21..4397a90680 100644
--- a/include/qemu/osdep.h
+++ b/include/qemu/osdep.h
@@ -631,6 +631,15 @@ bool qemu_write_pidfile(const char *pidfile, Error **errp);
 
 int qemu_get_thread_id(void);
 
+/**
+ * qemu_kill_thread:
+ * @tid: thread id.
+ * @sig: host signal.
+ *
+ * Send @sig to one of QEMU's own threads with identifier @tid.
+ */
+int qemu_kill_thread(int tid, int sig);
+
 #ifndef CONFIG_IOVEC
 struct iovec {
     void *iov_base;
diff --git a/util/oslib-posix.c b/util/oslib-posix.c
index 2bb34dade3..a697c602c6 100644
--- a/util/oslib-posix.c
+++ b/util/oslib-posix.c
@@ -111,6 +111,21 @@ int qemu_get_thread_id(void)
 #endif
 }
 
+int qemu_kill_thread(int tid, int sig)
+{
+#if defined(__linux__)
+    return syscall(__NR_tgkill, getpid(), tid, sig);
+#elif defined(__FreeBSD__)
+    return thr_kill2(getpid(), tid, sig);
+#elif defined(__NetBSD__)
+    return _lwp_kill(tid, sig);
+#elif defined(__OpenBSD__)
+    return thrkill(tid, sig, NULL);
+#else
+    return kill(tid, sig);
+#endif
+}
+
 int qemu_daemon(int nochdir, int noclose)
 {
     return daemon(nochdir, noclose);