diff --git a/lib/libfrr.c b/lib/libfrr.c
index e890057269..33237df5fc 100644
--- a/lib/libfrr.c
+++ b/lib/libfrr.c
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ void frr_config_fork(void)
 	zlog_tls_buffer_init();
 }
 
-static void frr_vty_serv(void)
+void frr_vty_serv_start(void)
 {
 	/* allow explicit override of vty_path in the future
 	 * (not currently set anywhere) */
@@ -1058,7 +1058,15 @@ static void frr_vty_serv(void)
 		di->vty_path = vtypath_default;
 	}
 
-	vty_serv_sock(di->vty_addr, di->vty_port, di->vty_path);
+	vty_serv_start(di->vty_addr, di->vty_port, di->vty_path);
+}
+
+void frr_vty_serv_stop(void)
+{
+	vty_serv_stop();
+
+	if (di->vty_path)
+		unlink(di->vty_path);
 }
 
 static void frr_check_detach(void)
@@ -1155,7 +1163,8 @@ void frr_run(struct event_loop *master)
 {
 	char instanceinfo[64] = "";
 
-	frr_vty_serv();
+	if (!(di->flags & FRR_MANUAL_VTY_START))
+		frr_vty_serv_start();
 
 	if (di->instance)
 		snprintf(instanceinfo, sizeof(instanceinfo), "instance %u ",
diff --git a/lib/libfrr.h b/lib/libfrr.h
index c05bc01e4f..b260a54dfe 100644
--- a/lib/libfrr.h
+++ b/lib/libfrr.h
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ extern "C" {
  * Does nothing if -d isn't used.
  */
 #define FRR_DETACH_LATER	(1 << 6)
+/* If FRR_MANUAL_VTY_START is used, frr_run() will not automatically start
+ * listening on for vty connection (either TCP or Unix socket based). The daemon
+ * is responsible for calling frr_vty_serv() itself.
+ */
+#define FRR_MANUAL_VTY_START (1 << 7)
 
 PREDECL_DLIST(log_args);
 struct log_arg {
@@ -150,6 +155,8 @@ extern void frr_config_fork(void);
 
 extern void frr_run(struct event_loop *master);
 extern void frr_detach(void);
+extern void frr_vty_serv_start(void);
+extern void frr_vty_serv_stop(void);
 
 extern bool frr_zclient_addr(struct sockaddr_storage *sa, socklen_t *sa_len,
 			     const char *path);
diff --git a/lib/vty.c b/lib/vty.c
index e763379efe..1e17f18a23 100644
--- a/lib/vty.c
+++ b/lib/vty.c
@@ -2374,7 +2374,7 @@ static void vtysh_write(struct event *thread)
 #endif /* VTYSH */
 
 /* Determine address family to bind. */
-void vty_serv_sock(const char *addr, unsigned short port, const char *path)
+void vty_serv_start(const char *addr, unsigned short port, const char *path)
 {
 	/* If port is set to 0, do not listen on TCP/IP at all! */
 	if (port)
@@ -2385,6 +2385,20 @@ void vty_serv_sock(const char *addr, unsigned short port, const char *path)
 #endif /* VTYSH */
 }
 
+void vty_serv_stop(void)
+{
+	struct vty_serv *vtyserv;
+
+	while ((vtyserv = vtyservs_pop(vty_servs))) {
+		EVENT_OFF(vtyserv->t_accept);
+		close(vtyserv->sock);
+		XFREE(MTYPE_VTY_SERV, vtyserv);
+	}
+
+	vtyservs_fini(vty_servs);
+	vtyservs_init(vty_servs);
+}
+
 static void vty_error_delete(void *arg)
 {
 	struct vty_error *ve = arg;
@@ -3393,13 +3407,10 @@ static void vty_mgmt_server_connected(uintptr_t lib_hndl, uintptr_t usr_data,
 	mgmt_fe_connected = connected;
 
 	/* Start or stop listening for vty connections */
-	if (connected) {
-		zlog_info("mgmtd: starting vty servers");
+	if (connected)
 		frr_vty_serv_start();
-	} else {
-		zlog_info("mgmtd: stopping vty servers");
+	else
 		frr_vty_serv_stop();
-	}
 }
 
 /*
@@ -3849,7 +3860,6 @@ void vty_init(struct event_loop *master_thread, bool do_command_logging)
 void vty_terminate(void)
 {
 	struct vty *vty;
-	struct vty_serv *vtyserv;
 
 	if (mgmt_lib_hndl) {
 		mgmt_fe_client_lib_destroy();
@@ -3875,12 +3885,5 @@ void vty_terminate(void)
 	vtys_fini(vtysh_sessions);
 	vtys_init(vtysh_sessions);
 
-	while ((vtyserv = vtyservs_pop(vty_servs))) {
-		EVENT_OFF(vtyserv->t_accept);
-		close(vtyserv->sock);
-		XFREE(MTYPE_VTY_SERV, vtyserv);
-	}
-
-	vtyservs_fini(vty_servs);
-	vtyservs_init(vty_servs);
+	vty_serv_stop();
 }
diff --git a/lib/vty.h b/lib/vty.h
index d26531f781..28f27d0d47 100644
--- a/lib/vty.h
+++ b/lib/vty.h
@@ -385,7 +385,8 @@ extern bool vty_read_config(struct nb_config *config, const char *config_file,
 extern void vty_read_file(struct nb_config *config, FILE *confp);
 extern void vty_read_file_finish(struct vty *vty, struct nb_config *config);
 extern void vty_time_print(struct vty *, int);
-extern void vty_serv_sock(const char *, unsigned short, const char *);
+extern void vty_serv_start(const char *, unsigned short, const char *);
+extern void vty_serv_stop(void);
 extern void vty_close(struct vty *);
 extern char *vty_get_cwd(void);
 extern void vty_update_xpath(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
diff --git a/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c b/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c
index a705990cac..39362fa74a 100644
--- a/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c
+++ b/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c
@@ -216,7 +216,10 @@ FRR_DAEMON_INFO(mgmtd, MGMTD, .vty_port = MGMTD_VTY_PORT,
 		.signals = mgmt_signals, .n_signals = array_size(mgmt_signals),
 
 		.privs = &mgmt_privs, .yang_modules = mgmt_yang_modules,
-		.n_yang_modules = array_size(mgmt_yang_modules));
+		.n_yang_modules = array_size(mgmt_yang_modules),
+
+		/* avoid libfrr trying to read our config file for us */
+		.flags = FRR_MANUAL_VTY_START);
 
 #define DEPRECATED_OPTIONS ""
 
diff --git a/tests/helpers/c/main.c b/tests/helpers/c/main.c
index cd2b5665e2..8af53a2ea4 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/c/main.c
+++ b/tests/helpers/c/main.c
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* Create VTY socket */
-	vty_serv_sock(vty_addr, vty_port, "/tmp/.heavy.sock");
+	vty_serv_start(vty_addr, vty_port, "/tmp/.heavy.sock");
 
 	/* Configuration file read*/
 	if (!config_file)