diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/misc-tools/replay-transcript.js b/packages/SwingSet/misc-tools/replay-transcript.js
index 623b8d2e47d..5e658031d67 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/misc-tools/replay-transcript.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/misc-tools/replay-transcript.js
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ async function replay(transcriptFile) {
       const { hash, compressSeconds: saveSeconds } = await manager.makeSnapshot(
         lastTranscriptNum,
         snapStore,
+        false, // Do not restart, we'll do that ourselves if needed
       );
       fs.writeSync(
         snapshotActivityFd,
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/controller.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/controller.js
index 12d2d940530..b47d1ce58e3 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/controller.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/controller.js
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ export async function makeSwingsetController(
  *   slogCallbacks?: unknown;
  *   slogSender?: import('@agoric/telemetry').SlogSender;
  *   testTrackDecref?: unknown;
- *    warehousePolicy?: { maxVatsOnline?: number };
+ *   warehousePolicy?: import('../types-external.js').VatWarehousePolicy;
  * }} runtimeOptions
  * @param {Record<string, unknown>} deviceEndowments
  * @typedef { import('@agoric/swing-store').KVStore } KVStore
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/startXSnap.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/startXSnap.js
index 82bf48bbbc9..e9d1c3649bd 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/startXSnap.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/controller/startXSnap.js
@@ -5,6 +5,32 @@ import { xsnap, recordXSnap } from '@agoric/xsnap';
 
 const NETSTRING_MAX_CHUNK_SIZE = 12_000_000;
 
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} StartXSnapInitFromBundlesDetails
+ * @property {'bundles'} from
+ *
+ * TODO: Move bundleIDs here
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} StartXSnapInitFromSnapshotStreamDetails
+ * @property {'snapshotStream'} from
+ * @property {AsyncIterable<Uint8Array>} snapshotStream
+ * @property {string} [snapshotDescription]
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} StartXSnapInitFromSnapStoreDetails
+ * @property {'snapStore'} from
+ * @property {string} vatID
+ *
+ * TODO: transition to direct snapshot stream, and remove this option
+ */
+
+/** @typedef {StartXSnapInitFromBundlesDetails | StartXSnapInitFromSnapshotStreamDetails | StartXSnapInitFromSnapStoreDetails} StartXSnapInitDetails */
+
+/** @typedef {ReturnType<typeof makeStartXSnap>} StartXSnap */
+
 /**
  * @param {{
  *   bundleHandler: import('./bundle-handler.js').BundleHandler,
@@ -62,32 +88,62 @@ export function makeStartXSnap(options) {
     netstringMaxChunkSize: NETSTRING_MAX_CHUNK_SIZE,
   };
 
+  /** @param {StartXSnapInitDetails} initDetails */
+  function getSnapshotLoadOptions(initDetails) {
+    switch (initDetails.from) {
+      case 'bundles':
+        return undefined;
+
+      case 'snapStore': {
+        if (!snapStore) {
+          // Fallback to load from bundles
+          return undefined;
+        }
+
+        const { vatID } = initDetails;
+        const { hash: snapshotID, snapPos } = snapStore.getSnapshotInfo(vatID);
+        // console.log('startXSnap from', { snapshotID });
+        const snapshotStream = snapStore.loadSnapshot(vatID);
+        const snapshotDescription = `${vatID}-${snapPos}-${snapshotID}`;
+        return { snapshotStream, snapshotDescription };
+      }
+
+      case 'snapshotStream': {
+        const { snapshotStream, snapshotDescription } = initDetails;
+        return { snapshotStream, snapshotDescription };
+      }
+
+      default:
+        // @ts-expect-error exhaustive check
+        throw Fail`Unexpected xsnap init type ${initDetails.type}`;
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
-   * @param {string} vatID
    * @param {string} name
    * @param {object} details
    * @param {import('../types-external.js').BundleID[]} details.bundleIDs
    * @param {(request: Uint8Array) => Promise<Uint8Array>} details.handleCommand
    * @param {boolean} [details.metered]
-   * @param {boolean} [details.reload]
+   * @param {StartXSnapInitDetails} [details.init]
    */
   async function startXSnap(
-    vatID,
     name,
-    { bundleIDs, handleCommand, metered, reload = false },
+    {
+      bundleIDs,
+      handleCommand,
+      metered,
+      init: initDetails = { from: 'bundles' },
+    },
   ) {
     const meterOpts = metered ? {} : { meteringLimit: 0 };
-    if (snapStore && reload) {
-      const { hash: snapshotID, snapPos } = snapStore.getSnapshotInfo(vatID);
-      // console.log('startXSnap from', { snapshotID });
-      const snapshotStream = snapStore.loadSnapshot(vatID);
+    const snapshotLoadOpts = getSnapshotLoadOptions(initDetails);
+    if (snapshotLoadOpts) {
       // eslint-disable-next-line @jessie.js/no-nested-await
       const xs = await doXSnap({
-        snapshotStream,
-        // TODO
-        snapshotDescription: `${vatID}-${snapPos}-${snapshotID}`,
         name,
         handleCommand,
+        ...snapshotLoadOpts,
         ...meterOpts,
         ...xsnapOpts,
       });
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/vatKeeper.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/vatKeeper.js
index 7b51a3cd8f4..fe15e7d746e 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/vatKeeper.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/vatKeeper.js
@@ -547,16 +547,21 @@ export function makeVatKeeper(
    * Store a snapshot, if given a snapStore.
    *
    * @param {VatManager} manager
+   * @param {boolean} [restartWorker]
    * @returns {Promise<void>}
    */
-  async function saveSnapshot(manager) {
+  async function saveSnapshot(manager, restartWorker) {
     if (!snapStore || !manager.makeSnapshot) {
       return;
     }
 
     // tell the manager to save a heap snapshot to the snapStore
     const endPosition = getTranscriptEndPosition();
-    const info = await manager.makeSnapshot(endPosition, snapStore);
+    const info = await manager.makeSnapshot(
+      endPosition,
+      snapStore,
+      restartWorker,
+    );
 
     const {
       hash: snapshotID,
@@ -586,6 +591,7 @@ export function makeVatKeeper(
       compressedSize,
       compressSeconds,
       endPosition,
+      restartWorker,
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-helper.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-helper.js
index 157f76d74c0..33f2e07df98 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-helper.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-helper.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
  * @typedef {import('@agoric/swingset-liveslots').VatSyscallObject} VatSyscallObject
  * @typedef {import('@agoric/swingset-liveslots').VatSyscallResult} VatSyscallResult
  * @typedef {import('../../types-internal.js').VatManager} VatManager
+ * @typedef {import('../../types-internal.js').MakeSnapshot} MakeSnapshot
  */
 
 // We use vat-centric terminology here, so "inbound" means "into a vat",
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ import {
 /**
  *
  * @typedef { { getManager: (shutdown: () => Promise<void>,
- *                           makeSnapshot?: (snapPos: number, ss: SnapStore) => Promise<SnapshotResult>) => VatManager,
+ *                           makeSnapshot?: MakeSnapshot) => VatManager,
  *              syscallFromWorker: (vso: VatSyscallObject) => VatSyscallResult,
  *              setDeliverToWorker: (dtw: unknown) => void,
  *            } } ManagerKit
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ function makeManagerKit(retainSyscall = false) {
   /**
    *
    * @param { () => Promise<void>} shutdown
-   * @param {(snapPos: number, ss: SnapStore) => Promise<SnapshotResult>} [makeSnapshot]
+   * @param {MakeSnapshot} [makeSnapshot]
    * @returns {VatManager}
    */
   function getManager(shutdown, makeSnapshot) {
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js
index ac80d870e47..e22cbed4478 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-loader/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { synchronizedTee } from '@agoric/internal';
 import { assert, Fail, q } from '@agoric/assert';
 import { ExitCode } from '@agoric/xsnap/api.js';
 import { makeManagerKit } from './manager-helper.js';
@@ -26,16 +27,31 @@ function parentLog(first, ...args) {
 const encoder = new TextEncoder();
 const decoder = new TextDecoder();
 
+/** @param { (item: Tagged) => unknown } [handleUpstream] */
+const makeRevokableHandleCommandKit = handleUpstream => {
+  /**
+   * @param {Uint8Array} msg
+   * @returns {Promise<Uint8Array>}
+   */
+  const handleCommand = async msg => {
+    // parentLog('handleCommand', { length: msg.byteLength });
+    if (!handleUpstream) {
+      throw Fail`Worker received command after revocation`;
+    }
+    const tagged = handleUpstream(JSON.parse(decoder.decode(msg)));
+    return encoder.encode(JSON.stringify(tagged));
+  };
+  const revoke = () => {
+    handleUpstream = undefined;
+  };
+  return harden({ handleCommand, revoke });
+};
+
 /**
  * @param {{
  *   kernelKeeper: KernelKeeper,
  *   kernelSlog: KernelSlog,
- *   startXSnap: (vatID: string, name: string,
- *                details: {
- *                 bundleIDs: BundleID[],
- *                 handleCommand: AsyncHandler,
- *                 metered?: boolean,
- *                 reload?: boolean } ) => Promise<XSnap>,
+ *   startXSnap: import('../../controller/startXSnap.js').StartXSnap,
  *   testLog: (...args: unknown[]) => void,
  * }} tools
  * @returns {VatManagerFactory}
@@ -110,13 +126,6 @@ export function makeXsSubprocessFactory({
       }
     }
 
-    /** @type { (msg: Uint8Array) => Promise<Uint8Array> } */
-    async function handleCommand(msg) {
-      // parentLog('handleCommand', { length: msg.byteLength });
-      const tagged = handleUpstream(JSON.parse(decoder.decode(msg)));
-      return encoder.encode(JSON.stringify(tagged));
-    }
-
     const vatKeeper = kernelKeeper.provideVatKeeper(vatID);
     const snapshotInfo = vatKeeper.getSnapshotInfo();
     if (snapshotInfo) {
@@ -128,12 +137,15 @@ export function makeXsSubprocessFactory({
     // a shell-escape attack
     const argName = `${vatID}:${vatName !== undefined ? vatName : ''}`;
 
+    /** @type {ReturnType<typeof makeRevokableHandleCommandKit> | undefined} */
+    let handleCommandKit = makeRevokableHandleCommandKit(handleUpstream);
+
     // start the worker and establish a connection
-    const worker = await startXSnap(vatID, argName, {
+    let worker = await startXSnap(argName, {
       bundleIDs,
-      handleCommand,
+      handleCommand: handleCommandKit.handleCommand,
       metered,
-      reload: !!snapshotInfo,
+      init: snapshotInfo && { from: 'snapStore', vatID },
     });
 
     /** @type { (item: Tagged) => Promise<WorkerResults> } */
@@ -215,19 +227,63 @@ export function makeXsSubprocessFactory({
     mk.setDeliverToWorker(deliverToWorker);
 
     function shutdown() {
+      handleCommandKit?.revoke();
+      handleCommandKit = undefined;
       return worker.close().then(_ => undefined);
     }
     /**
      * @param {number} snapPos
      * @param {SnapStore} snapStore
+     * @param {boolean} [restartWorker]
      * @returns {Promise<SnapshotResult>}
      */
-    function makeSnapshot(snapPos, snapStore) {
-      return snapStore.saveSnapshot(
-        vatID,
-        snapPos,
-        worker.makeSnapshotStream(`${vatID}-${snapPos}`),
+    async function makeSnapshot(snapPos, snapStore, restartWorker) {
+      const snapshotDescription = `${vatID}-${snapPos}`;
+      const snapshotStream = worker.makeSnapshotStream(snapshotDescription);
+
+      if (!restartWorker) {
+        return snapStore.saveSnapshot(vatID, snapPos, snapshotStream);
+      }
+
+      /** @type {AsyncGenerator<Uint8Array, void, void>[]} */
+      const [restartWorkerStream, snapStoreSaveStream] = synchronizedTee(
+        snapshotStream,
+        2,
       );
+
+      handleCommandKit?.revoke();
+      handleCommandKit = makeRevokableHandleCommandKit(handleUpstream);
+
+      let snapshotResults;
+      const closeP = worker.close();
+      [worker, snapshotResults] = await Promise.all([
+        startXSnap(argName, {
+          bundleIDs,
+          handleCommand: handleCommandKit.handleCommand,
+          metered,
+          init: {
+            from: 'snapshotStream',
+            snapshotStream: restartWorkerStream,
+            snapshotDescription,
+          },
+        }),
+        snapStore.saveSnapshot(vatID, snapPos, snapStoreSaveStream),
+      ]);
+      await closeP;
+
+      /** @type {Partial<import('@agoric/swing-store/src/snapStore.js').SnapshotInfo>} */
+      const reloadSnapshotInfo = {
+        snapPos,
+        hash: snapshotResults.hash,
+      };
+
+      kernelSlog.write({
+        type: 'heap-snapshot-load',
+        vatID,
+        ...reloadSnapshotInfo,
+      });
+
+      return snapshotResults;
     }
 
     return mk.getManager(shutdown, makeSnapshot);
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-warehouse.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-warehouse.js
index b78cc7a5eb0..ea2633f3106 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-warehouse.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vat-warehouse.js
@@ -243,7 +243,8 @@ export function makeVatWarehouse({
   panic,
   warehousePolicy,
 }) {
-  const { maxVatsOnline = 50 } = warehousePolicy || {};
+  const { maxVatsOnline = 50, restartWorkerOnSnapshot = true } =
+    warehousePolicy || {};
   // Often a large contract evaluation is among the first few deliveries,
   // so let's do a snapshot after just a few deliveries.
   const snapshotInitial = kernelKeeper.getSnapshotInitial();
@@ -603,8 +604,10 @@ export function makeVatWarehouse({
     // vatKeeper.saveSnapshot() pushes a save-snapshot transcript
     // entry, then starts a new transcript span, then pushes a
     // load-snapshot entry, so that the current span always starts
-    // with an initialize-snapshot or load-snapshot pseudo-delivery
-    await vatKeeper.saveSnapshot(manager);
+    // with an initialize-snapshot or load-snapshot pseudo-delivery,
+    // regardless of whether the worker was restarted from snapshot
+    // or not.
+    await vatKeeper.saveSnapshot(manager, restartWorkerOnSnapshot);
     return true;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/types-external.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/types-external.js
index 76d15bffd85..382fb425622 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/types-external.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/types-external.js
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ export {};
  *
  * @typedef {object} VatWarehousePolicy
  * @property { number } [maxVatsOnline]     Limit the number of simultaneous workers
+ * @property { boolean } [restartWorkerOnSnapshot]     Reload worker immediately upon snapshot creation
  */
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/types-internal.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/types-internal.js
index e57977ad8c6..e40391d33c5 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/types-internal.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/types-internal.js
@@ -57,9 +57,11 @@ export {};
  *   bundle?: Bundle,
  * }} ManagerOptions
  *
+ * @typedef {(snapPos: number, ss: SnapStore, restartWorker?: boolean) => Promise<SnapshotResult>} MakeSnapshot
+ *
  * @typedef { { deliver: (delivery: VatDeliveryObject, vatSyscallHandler: VatSyscallHandler)
  *                       => Promise<VatDeliveryResult>,
- *              makeSnapshot?: undefined | ((snapPos: number, ss: SnapStore) => Promise<SnapshotResult>),
+ *              makeSnapshot?: undefined | MakeSnapshot,
  *              shutdown: () => Promise<void>,
  *            } } VatManager
  * @typedef { { createFromBundle: (vatID: string,
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-controller.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-controller.js
index 892041a6d45..545cb182ab5 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-controller.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-controller.js
@@ -255,6 +255,9 @@ test('static vats are unmetered on XS', async t => {
         limited.push(args.includes('-l'));
         return spawn(command, args, options);
       },
+      warehousePolicy: {
+        restartWorkerOnSnapshot: false,
+      },
     },
   );
   t.teardown(c.shutdown);
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-xsnap-metering.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-xsnap-metering.js
index d706bf5bf82..33dd057903f 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-xsnap-metering.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-xsnap-metering.js
@@ -52,11 +52,10 @@ async function doTest(t, metered) {
   const store = makeSnapStore(db, () => {}, makeSnapStoreIO());
 
   const { p: p1, startXSnap: start1 } = make(store);
-  const worker1 = await start1('vat', 'name', {
+  const worker1 = await start1('name', {
     bundleIDs: [],
     handleCommand,
     metered,
-    reload: false,
   });
   const spawnArgs1 = await p1;
   checkMetered(t, spawnArgs1, metered);
@@ -68,11 +67,11 @@ async function doTest(t, metered) {
 
   // and load it into a new worker
   const { p: p2, startXSnap: start2 } = make(store);
-  const worker2 = await start2('vat', 'name', {
+  const worker2 = await start2('name', {
     bundleIDs: [],
     handleCommand,
     metered,
-    reload: true,
+    init: { from: 'snapStore', vatID: 'vat' },
   });
   const spawnArgs2 = await p2;
   checkMetered(t, spawnArgs2, metered);
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-warehouse/test-reload-snapshot.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-warehouse/test-reload-snapshot.js
index c09778a2830..0baf741f2d1 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-warehouse/test-reload-snapshot.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-warehouse/test-reload-snapshot.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
 } from '@agoric/swing-store';
 import { initializeSwingset, makeSwingsetController } from '../../src/index.js';
 
-test('vat reload from snapshot', async t => {
+const vatReloadFromSnapshot = async (t, restartWorkerOnSnapshot) => {
   const config = {
     defaultReapInterval: 'never',
     snapshotInitial: 3,
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ test('vat reload from snapshot', async t => {
   const argv = [];
   await initializeSwingset(config, argv, kernelStorage);
 
-  const c1 = await makeSwingsetController(kernelStorage, null);
+  const warehousePolicy = { restartWorkerOnSnapshot };
+  const runtimeOptions = { warehousePolicy };
+
+  const c1 = await makeSwingsetController(kernelStorage, null, runtimeOptions);
   c1.pinVatRoot('target');
   const vatID = c1.vatNameToID('target');
 
@@ -97,4 +100,7 @@ test('vat reload from snapshot', async t => {
   t.deepEqual(c2.dump().log, expected2); // note: *not* 0-11
   t.deepEqual(getPositions(), [18, 19, 23]);
   await c2.shutdown();
-});
+};
+
+test('vat reload from snapshot (restart worker)', vatReloadFromSnapshot, true);
+test('vat reload from snapshot (reuse worker)', vatReloadFromSnapshot, false);
diff --git a/packages/swing-store/src/snapStore.js b/packages/swing-store/src/snapStore.js
index cdef408bb39..b3862fa0784 100644
--- a/packages/swing-store/src/snapStore.js
+++ b/packages/swing-store/src/snapStore.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import { buffer } from './util.js';
  *
  * @typedef {{
  *   loadSnapshot: (vatID: string) => AsyncIterableIterator<Uint8Array>,
- *   saveSnapshot: (vatID: string, snapPos: number, snapshotStream: AsyncIterableIterator<Uint8Array>) => Promise<SnapshotResult>,
+ *   saveSnapshot: (vatID: string, snapPos: number, snapshotStream: AsyncIterable<Uint8Array>) => Promise<SnapshotResult>,
  *   deleteAllUnusedSnapshots: () => void,
  *   deleteVatSnapshots: (vatID: string) => void,
  *   stopUsingLastSnapshot: (vatID: string) => void,
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ export function makeSnapStore(
    *
    * @param {string} vatID
    * @param {number} snapPos
-   * @param {AsyncIterableIterator<Uint8Array>} snapshotStream
+   * @param {AsyncIterable<Uint8Array>} snapshotStream
    * @returns {Promise<SnapshotResult>}
    */
   async function saveSnapshot(vatID, snapPos, snapshotStream) {