diff --git a/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh b/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh
index 9900554608..00c9c3aa16 100755
--- a/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh
+++ b/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ usage() {
     cat <<EOF
 Usage: qemu-binfmt-conf.sh [--qemu-path PATH][--debian][--systemd CPU]
                            [--help][--credential yes|no][--exportdir PATH]
+                           [--persistent yes|no]
 
        Configure binfmt_misc to use qemu interpreter
 
@@ -176,6 +177,9 @@ Usage: qemu-binfmt-conf.sh [--qemu-path PATH][--debian][--systemd CPU]
                      (default: $SYSTEMDDIR or $DEBIANDIR)
        --credential: if yes, credential and security tokens are
                      calculated according to the binary to interpret
+       --persistent: if yes, the interpreter is loaded when binfmt is
+                     configured and remains in memory. All future uses
+                     are cloned from the open file.
 
     To import templates with update-binfmts, use :
 
@@ -245,6 +249,9 @@ qemu_generate_register() {
     if [ "$CREDENTIAL" = "yes" ] ; then
         flags="OC"
     fi
+    if [ "$PERSISTENT" = "yes" ] ; then
+        flags="${flags}F"
+    fi
 
     echo ":qemu-$cpu:M::$magic:$mask:$qemu:$flags"
 }
@@ -304,8 +311,9 @@ DEBIANDIR="/usr/share/binfmts"
 
 QEMU_PATH=/usr/local/bin
 CREDENTIAL=no
+PERSISTENT=no
 
-options=$(getopt -o ds:Q:e:hc: -l debian,systemd:,qemu-path:,exportdir:,help,credential: -- "$@")
+options=$(getopt -o ds:Q:e:hc:p: -l debian,systemd:,qemu-path:,exportdir:,help,credential:,persistent: -- "$@")
 eval set -- "$options"
 
 while true ; do
@@ -353,6 +361,10 @@ while true ; do
         shift
         CREDENTIAL="$1"
         ;;
+    -p|--persistent)
+        shift
+        PERSISTENT="$1"
+        ;;
     *)
         break
         ;;