diff --git a/include/maxscale/monitor.h b/include/maxscale/monitor.h
index 382627bc3..d563b6177 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/monitor.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/monitor.h
@@ -64,6 +64,38 @@ typedef struct mxs_specific_monitor
  */
 typedef struct mxs_monitor_object
 {
+    /**
+     * @brief Initialize the monitor.
+     *
+     * This entry point is called once when MaxScale is started, for
+     * initializing the monitor.
+     *
+     * If the function fails, MaxScale will not start. That is, it
+     * should fail only for fatal reasons such as not being able to
+     * create vital resources. The function may contact servers and
+     * log errors if that does not succeed, but a failure to contact
+     * some server must not be treated as a fatal error.
+     *
+     * @param monitor  The monitor object.
+     * @param params   Parameters for this monitor
+     *
+     * @return Pointer to the monitor specific data. Will be stored
+     *         in @c monitor->handle.
+     */
+    MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *(*initMonitor)(MXS_MONITOR *monitor,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Finish the monitor.
+     *
+     * This entry point is called once when MaxScale is shutting down, iff
+     * the earlier call to @c initMonitor returned on object. The monitor should
+     * perform all needed cleanup.
+     *
+     * @param monitor  The monitor object.
+     */
+    void (*finishMonitor)(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *monitor);
+
     /**
      * @brief Start the monitor
      *
@@ -74,7 +106,8 @@ typedef struct mxs_monitor_object
      * @param monitor The monitor object
      * @param params  Parameters for this monitor
      *
-     * @return Pointer to the monitor specific data, stored in @c monitor->handle
+     * @return Pointer to the monitor specific data. Will be stored
+     *         in @c monitor->handle.
      */
     MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *(*startMonitor)(MXS_MONITOR *monitor,
                                           const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params);
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.cc
index 35c87d203..094672b7f 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/auroramon/auroramon.cc
@@ -177,6 +177,18 @@ static void auroramon_free(AURORA_MONITOR *handle)
     }
 }
 
+static
+MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR* mon, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* mon)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief Start the monitor
  *
@@ -278,6 +290,8 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 {
     static MXS_MONITOR_OBJECT MyObject =
     {
+        initMonitor,
+        finishMonitor,
         startMonitor,
         stopMonitor,
         diagnostics,
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc
index afb065cb3..9cc896933 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/galeramon/galeramon.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ static void monitorMain(void *);
 /** Log a warning when a bad 'wsrep_local_index' is found */
 static bool warn_erange_on_local_index = true;
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params);
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* monitor);
 static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *,
                                           const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params);
 static void stopMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *);
@@ -65,6 +68,8 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 
     static MXS_MONITOR_OBJECT MyObject =
     {
+        initMonitor,
+        finishMonitor,
         startMonitor,
         stopMonitor,
         diagnostics,
@@ -113,6 +118,18 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 
 }
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* monitor)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+}
+
 /**
  * Start the instance of the monitor, returning a handle on the monitor.
  *
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/grmon/grmon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/grmon/grmon.cc
index 9f928d7d5..5fcbe340d 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/grmon/grmon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/grmon/grmon.cc
@@ -118,6 +118,18 @@ stopMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *mon)
     delete handle;
 }
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* mon)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+}
+
 /**
  * Diagnostic interface
  *
@@ -321,6 +333,8 @@ extern "C"
     {
         static MXS_MONITOR_OBJECT MyObject =
         {
+            initMonitor,
+            finishMonitor,
             startMonitor,
             stopMonitor,
             diagnostics,
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
index e0069d6c4..5184220f0 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
@@ -904,6 +904,18 @@ bool MariaDBMonitor::check_sql_files()
     return rval;
 }
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *monitor,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* monitor)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+}
+
 /**
  * Start the monitor instance and return the instance data. This function creates a thread to
  * execute the monitoring. Use stopMonitor() to stop the thread.
@@ -1121,6 +1133,8 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 
     static MXS_MONITOR_OBJECT MyObject =
     {
+        initMonitor,
+        finishMonitor,
         startMonitor,
         stopMonitor,
         diagnostics,
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc
index 3a7edf4bb..1d3262310 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mmmon/mmmon.cc
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ MXS_MODULE info =
 };
 /*lint +e14 */
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *);
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *);
 static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *);
 static void stopMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *);
 static void diagnostics(const MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *, DCB *);
@@ -62,6 +64,8 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 
     static MXS_MONITOR_OBJECT MyObject =
     {
+        initMonitor,
+        finishMonitor,
         startMonitor,
         stopMonitor,
         diagnostics,
@@ -106,6 +110,18 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 }
 /*lint +e14 */
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* mon)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+}
+
 /**
  * Start the instance of the monitor, returning a handle on the monitor.
  *
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc
index 7ffbd4788..5fb796e36 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/ndbclustermon/ndbclustermon.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ static void monitorMain(void *);
 
 /*lint +e14 */
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params);
+static void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR*);
 static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *,
                                           const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params);
 static void stopMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR *);
@@ -56,6 +59,8 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 
     static MXS_MONITOR_OBJECT MyObject =
     {
+        initMonitor,
+        finishMonitor,
         startMonitor,
         stopMonitor,
         diagnostics,
@@ -99,6 +104,18 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 }
 /*lint +e14 */
 
+static MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* initMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *mon,
+                                         const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+void finishMonitor(MXS_SPECIFIC_MONITOR* mon)
+{
+    ss_dassert(!true);
+}
+
 /**
  * Start the instance of the monitor, returning a handle on the monitor.
  *