diff --git a/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/IVirtualizationService.aidl b/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/IVirtualizationService.aidl
index e417ec4..fc4c9e7 100644
--- a/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/IVirtualizationService.aidl
+++ b/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/IVirtualizationService.aidl
@@ -53,17 +53,4 @@
      * and as such is only permitted from the shell user.
      */
     VirtualMachineDebugInfo[] debugListVms();
-
-    /**
-     * Hold a strong reference to a VM in VirtualizationService. This method is only intended for
-     * debug purposes, and as such is only permitted from the shell user.
-     */
-    void debugHoldVmRef(IVirtualMachine vm);
-
-    /**
-     * Drop reference to a VM that is being held by VirtualizationService. Returns the reference if
-     * VM was found and null otherwise. This method is only intended for debug purposes, and as such
-     * is only permitted from the shell user.
-     */
-    @nullable IVirtualMachine debugDropVmRef(int cid);
 }
diff --git a/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs b/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs
index 1c82155..374b90f 100644
--- a/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs
+++ b/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs
@@ -502,26 +502,6 @@
         check_debug_access()?;
         GLOBAL_SERVICE.debugListVms()
     }
-
-    /// Hold a strong reference to a VM in VirtualizationService. This method is only intended for
-    /// debug purposes, and as such is only permitted from the shell user.
-    fn debugHoldVmRef(&self, vmref: &Strong<dyn IVirtualMachine>) -> binder::Result<()> {
-        check_debug_access()?;
-
-        let state = &mut *self.state.lock().unwrap();
-        state.debug_hold_vm(vmref.clone());
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
-    /// Drop reference to a VM that is being held by VirtualizationService. Returns the reference if
-    /// the VM was found and None otherwise. This method is only intended for debug purposes, and as
-    /// such is only permitted from the shell user.
-    fn debugDropVmRef(&self, cid: i32) -> binder::Result<Option<Strong<dyn IVirtualMachine>>> {
-        check_debug_access()?;
-
-        let state = &mut *self.state.lock().unwrap();
-        Ok(state.debug_drop_vm(cid))
-    }
 }
 
 fn handle_stream_connection_tombstoned() -> Result<()> {
@@ -1210,10 +1190,6 @@
     /// Binder client are dropped the weak reference here will become invalid, and will be removed
     /// from the list opportunistically the next time `add_vm` is called.
     vms: Vec<Weak<VmInstance>>,
-
-    /// Vector of strong VM references held on behalf of users that cannot hold them themselves.
-    /// This is only used for debugging purposes.
-    debug_held_vms: Vec<Strong<dyn IVirtualMachine>>,
 }
 
 impl State {
@@ -1236,18 +1212,6 @@
     fn get_vm(&self, cid: Cid) -> Option<Arc<VmInstance>> {
         self.vms().into_iter().find(|vm| vm.cid == cid)
     }
-
-    /// Store a strong VM reference.
-    fn debug_hold_vm(&mut self, vm: Strong<dyn IVirtualMachine>) {
-        self.debug_held_vms.push(vm);
-    }
-
-    /// Retrieve and remove a strong VM reference.
-    fn debug_drop_vm(&mut self, cid: i32) -> Option<Strong<dyn IVirtualMachine>> {
-        let pos = self.debug_held_vms.iter().position(|vm| vm.getCid() == Ok(cid))?;
-        let vm = self.debug_held_vms.swap_remove(pos);
-        Some(vm)
-    }
 }
 
 /// Gets the `VirtualMachineState` of the given `VmInstance`.
diff --git a/vm/src/main.rs b/vm/src/main.rs
index bfc7920..ea744f7 100644
--- a/vm/src/main.rs
+++ b/vm/src/main.rs
@@ -60,10 +60,6 @@
         #[clap(long)]
         name: Option<String>,
 
-        /// Detach VM from the terminal and run in the background
-        #[clap(short, long)]
-        daemonize: bool,
-
         /// Path to the file backing the storage.
         /// Created if the option is used but the path does not exist in the device.
         #[clap(long)]
@@ -119,10 +115,6 @@
         #[clap(long)]
         name: Option<String>,
 
-        /// Detach VM from the terminal and run in the background
-        #[clap(short, long)]
-        daemonize: bool,
-
         /// Path to the file backing the storage.
         /// Created if the option is used but the path does not exist in the device.
         #[clap(long)]
@@ -171,10 +163,6 @@
         #[clap(long)]
         name: Option<String>,
 
-        /// Detach VM from the terminal and run in the background
-        #[clap(short, long)]
-        daemonize: bool,
-
         /// Number of vCPUs in the VM. If unspecified, defaults to 1.
         #[clap(long)]
         cpus: Option<u32>,
@@ -191,11 +179,6 @@
         #[clap(long)]
         log: Option<PathBuf>,
     },
-    /// Stop a virtual machine running in the background
-    Stop {
-        /// CID of the virtual machine
-        cid: u32,
-    },
     /// List running virtual machines
     List,
     /// Print information about virtual machine support
@@ -260,7 +243,6 @@
             storage_size,
             config_path,
             payload_binary_name,
-            daemonize,
             console,
             log,
             debug,
@@ -279,7 +261,6 @@
             storage_size,
             config_path,
             payload_binary_name,
-            daemonize,
             console.as_deref(),
             log.as_deref(),
             debug,
@@ -294,7 +275,6 @@
             work_dir,
             storage,
             storage_size,
-            daemonize,
             console,
             log,
             debug,
@@ -308,7 +288,6 @@
             work_dir,
             storage.as_deref(),
             storage_size,
-            daemonize,
             console.as_deref(),
             log.as_deref(),
             debug,
@@ -317,12 +296,11 @@
             cpus,
             task_profiles,
         ),
-        Opt::Run { name, config, daemonize, cpus, task_profiles, console, log } => {
+        Opt::Run { name, config, cpus, task_profiles, console, log } => {
             command_run(
                 name,
                 service.as_ref(),
                 &config,
-                daemonize,
                 console.as_deref(),
                 log.as_deref(),
                 /* mem */ None,
@@ -330,7 +308,6 @@
                 task_profiles,
             )
         }
-        Opt::Stop { cid } => command_stop(service.as_ref(), cid),
         Opt::List => command_list(service.as_ref()),
         Opt::Info => command_info(),
         Opt::CreatePartition { path, size, partition_type } => {
@@ -340,15 +317,6 @@
     }
 }
 
-/// Retrieve reference to a previously daemonized VM and stop it.
-fn command_stop(service: &dyn IVirtualizationService, cid: u32) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    service
-        .debugDropVmRef(cid as i32)
-        .context("Failed to get VM from VirtualizationService")?
-        .context("CID does not correspond to a running background VM")?;
-    Ok(())
-}
-
 /// List the VMs currently running.
 fn command_list(service: &dyn IVirtualizationService) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let vms = service.debugListVms().context("Failed to get list of VMs")?;
diff --git a/vm/src/run.rs b/vm/src/run.rs
index b99328a..6c21dbc 100644
--- a/vm/src/run.rs
+++ b/vm/src/run.rs
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
     storage_size: Option<u64>,
     config_path: Option<String>,
     payload_binary_name: Option<String>,
-    daemonize: bool,
     console_path: Option<&Path>,
     log_path: Option<&Path>,
     debug_level: DebugLevel,
@@ -145,7 +144,7 @@
         numCpus: cpus.unwrap_or(1) as i32,
         taskProfiles: task_profiles,
     });
-    run(service, &config, &payload_config_str, daemonize, console_path, log_path)
+    run(service, &config, &payload_config_str, console_path, log_path)
 }
 
 const EMPTY_PAYLOAD_APK: &str = "com.android.microdroid.empty_payload";
@@ -180,7 +179,6 @@
     work_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
     storage: Option<&Path>,
     storage_size: Option<u64>,
-    daemonize: bool,
     console_path: Option<&Path>,
     log_path: Option<&Path>,
     debug_level: DebugLevel,
@@ -211,7 +209,6 @@
         storage_size,
         /* config_path= */ None,
         Some(payload_binary_name.to_owned()),
-        daemonize,
         console_path,
         log_path,
         debug_level,
@@ -229,7 +226,6 @@
     name: Option<String>,
     service: &dyn IVirtualizationService,
     config_path: &Path,
-    daemonize: bool,
     console_path: Option<&Path>,
     log_path: Option<&Path>,
     mem: Option<u32>,
@@ -255,7 +251,6 @@
         service,
         &VirtualMachineConfig::RawConfig(config),
         &format!("{:?}", config_path),
-        daemonize,
         console_path,
         log_path,
     )
@@ -277,7 +272,6 @@
     service: &dyn IVirtualizationService,
     config: &VirtualMachineConfig,
     payload_config: &str,
-    daemonize: bool,
     console_path: Option<&Path>,
     log_path: Option<&Path>,
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -286,8 +280,6 @@
             File::create(console_path)
                 .with_context(|| format!("Failed to open console file {:?}", console_path))?,
         )
-    } else if daemonize {
-        None
     } else {
         Some(duplicate_stdout()?)
     };
@@ -296,8 +288,6 @@
             File::create(log_path)
                 .with_context(|| format!("Failed to open log file {:?}", log_path))?,
         )
-    } else if daemonize {
-        None
     } else {
         Some(duplicate_stdout()?)
     };
@@ -314,17 +304,10 @@
         state_to_str(vm.state()?)
     );
 
-    if daemonize {
-        // Pass the VM reference back to VirtualizationService and have it hold it in the
-        // background.
-        service.debugHoldVmRef(&vm.vm).context("Failed to pass VM to VirtualizationService")?;
-    } else {
-        // Wait until the VM or VirtualizationService dies. If we just returned immediately then the
-        // IVirtualMachine Binder object would be dropped and the VM would be killed.
-        let death_reason = vm.wait_for_death();
-        println!("VM ended: {:?}", death_reason);
-    }
-
+    // Wait until the VM or VirtualizationService dies. If we just returned immediately then the
+    // IVirtualMachine Binder object would be dropped and the VM would be killed.
+    let death_reason = vm.wait_for_death();
+    println!("VM ended: {:?}", death_reason);
     Ok(())
 }