diff --git a/boot/bootm.c b/boot/bootm.c
index 3431652e072..46320363270 100644
--- a/boot/bootm.c
+++ b/boot/bootm.c
@@ -257,6 +257,16 @@ static int bootm_start(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int bootm_restart(void)
+{
+	images.no_os = false;
+
+	bootstage_mark_name(BOOTSTAGE_ID_BOOTM_RESTART, "bootm_restart");
+	images.state = BOOTM_STATE_START;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static ulong bootm_data_addr(const char *addr_str)
 {
 	ulong addr;
@@ -1059,6 +1069,9 @@ int bootm_run_states(struct bootm_info *bmi, int states)
 	if (states & BOOTM_STATE_START)
 		ret = bootm_start();
 
+	if (states & BOOTM_STATE_RESTART)
+		ret = bootm_restart();
+
 	if (!ret && (states & BOOTM_STATE_PRE_LOAD))
 		ret = bootm_pre_load(bmi->addr_img);
 
diff --git a/cmd/bootm.c b/cmd/bootm.c
index bee683d0580..23b3d56c101 100644
--- a/cmd/bootm.c
+++ b/cmd/bootm.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ static int do_imls(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc,
  * function pointer */
 static struct cmd_tbl cmd_bootm_sub[] = {
 	U_BOOT_CMD_MKENT(start, 0, 1, (void *)BOOTM_STATE_START, "", ""),
+	U_BOOT_CMD_MKENT(restart, 0, 1, (void *)BOOTM_STATE_RESTART, "", ""),
 	U_BOOT_CMD_MKENT(loados, 0, 1, (void *)BOOTM_STATE_LOADOS, "", ""),
 #ifdef CONFIG_CMD_BOOTM_PRE_LOAD
 	U_BOOT_CMD_MKENT(preload, 0, 1, (void *)BOOTM_STATE_PRE_LOAD, "", ""),
@@ -85,7 +86,9 @@ static int do_bootm_subcommand(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc,
 
 	if (c) {
 		state = (long)c->cmd;
-		if (state == BOOTM_STATE_START)
+		if (state == BOOTM_STATE_RESTART)
+			images.state = BOOTM_STATE_START;
+		if (state == BOOTM_STATE_START || state == BOOTM_STATE_RESTART)
 			state |= BOOTM_STATE_PRE_LOAD | BOOTM_STATE_FINDOS |
 				 BOOTM_STATE_FINDOTHER;
 #if defined(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTM_PRE_LOAD)
diff --git a/doc/usage/cmd/bootm.rst b/doc/usage/cmd/bootm.rst
index 1f59895568e..5af331873ce 100644
--- a/doc/usage/cmd/bootm.rst
+++ b/doc/usage/cmd/bootm.rst
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ Synopsis
 
 ::
 
-    bootm [start] [<fit_addr>]#<conf>[#<extra-conf>]
-    bootm [start] [[<fit_addr>]:<os_subimg>] [[<fit_addr2>]:<rd_subimg2>] [[<fit_addr3>]:<fdt_subimg>]
+    bootm [start|restart] [<fit_addr>]#<conf>[#<extra-conf>]
+    bootm [start|restart] [[<fit_addr>]:<os_subimg>] [[<fit_addr2>]:<rd_subimg2>] [[<fit_addr3>]:<fdt_subimg>]
     bootm <subcmd>
 
     bootm <addr1> [[<addr2> [<addr3>]]    # Legacy boot
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@ The states are described below:
 start
     Start the boot process afresh, recording the image(s) to be booted.
 
+restart
+    Start the boot process again, but keeping the current state. This allows
+    multiple FITs to be loaded, for example a first FIT containing just the
+    devicetree and a second containing the OS and any overlays. In this case,
+    the first `bootm` command will typically use only `start` (and its implicit
+    states) and `loados`, with the second using `bootm restart` to select the
+    second FIT.
+
 preload
     Deal with any preload step, sometimes used to do a full signature check of
     the FIT, before looking at any of the data within.
diff --git a/include/bootstage.h b/include/bootstage.h
index 9471c5d770f..ad98bffedc3 100644
--- a/include/bootstage.h
+++ b/include/bootstage.h
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ enum bootstage_id {
 	BOOTSTAGE_ID_BOOTP_START,
 	BOOTSTAGE_ID_BOOTP_STOP,
 	BOOTSTAGE_ID_BOOTM_START,
+	BOOTSTAGE_ID_BOOTM_RESTART,
 	BOOTSTAGE_ID_BOOTM_HANDOFF,
 	BOOTSTAGE_ID_MAIN_LOOP,
 	BOOTSTAGE_ID_ENTER_CLI_LOOP,
diff --git a/include/image.h b/include/image.h
index 46b91888f5b..7576ffa1048 100644
--- a/include/image.h
+++ b/include/image.h
@@ -349,6 +349,7 @@ struct image_info {
  * enum bootm_state - States which the bootm machine goes through (in order)
  *
  * @BOOTM_STATE_START: Set up the state structure (struct bootm_headers)
+ * @BOOTM_STATE_RESTART: Restart the boot, keeping the existing state
  * @BOOTM_STATE_PRE_LOAD: Do any neceessary processing before images are read.
  *	For now this just implements a whole-image signature, if enabled. See
  *	CONFIG_IMAGE_PRE_LOAD_SIG
@@ -398,6 +399,7 @@ enum bootm_state {
 	BOOTM_STATE_OS_PREP		= BIT(10),
 	BOOTM_STATE_OS_FAKE_GO		= BIT(11),
 	BOOTM_STATE_OS_GO		= BIT(12),
+	BOOTM_STATE_RESTART		= BIT(13),
 };
 
 /*