diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
index 23fab9013f769cb0e32c80b50e9b5735ab228731..9dbb299b1083fd8989d7221b5cdb02b1303289e6 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ bhyveDomainDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml)
                                    0, &oldDef)))
         goto cleanup;
     def = NULL;
+    vm->persistent = 1;
 
     dom = virGetDomain(conn, vm->def->name, vm->def->uuid);
     if (dom)