diff --git a/doc/content/toolstack/high-level/daemons.md b/doc/content/toolstack/high-level/daemons.md
index e00c2fc287a..103798bb0d5 100644
--- a/doc/content/toolstack/high-level/daemons.md
+++ b/doc/content/toolstack/high-level/daemons.md
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ xapi-storage-script
 message-switch
 : exchanges messages between the daemons on a host
 
+xapi-guard
+: forwards uefi and vtpm persistence calls from domains to xapi
+
 v6d
 : controls which features are enabled.
 
@@ -52,4 +55,4 @@ mpathalert
   if paths fail and need repair
 
 wsproxy
-: handles access to VM consoles
\ No newline at end of file
+: handles access to VM consoles
diff --git a/doc/content/xapi-guard/_index.md b/doc/content/xapi-guard/_index.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bcafb968b07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/content/xapi-guard/_index.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
++++
+title = "Xapi-guard"
+weight = 50
++++
+
+The `xapi-guard` daemon is the component in the xapi toolstack that is responsible for handling persistence requests from VMs (domains).
+Currently these are UEFI vars and vTPM updates.
+
+The code is in `ocaml/xapi-guard`.
+When the daemon managed only with UEFI updates it was called `varstored-guard`.
+Some files and package names still use the previous name.
+
+Principles
+----------
+1. Calls from domains must be limited in privilege to do certain API calls, and
+   to read and write from their corresponding VM in xapi's database only.
+2. Xenopsd is able to control xapi-guard through message switch, this access is
+   not limited.
+3. Listening to domain socket is restored whenever the daemon restarts to minimize disruption of running domains.
+
+
+Overview
+--------
+
+Xapi-guard forwards calls from domains to xapi to persist UEFI variables, and update vTPMs.
+To do this, it listens to 1 socket per service (varstored, or swtpm) per domain.
+To create these sockets before the domains are running, it listens to a message-switch socket.
+This socket listens to calls from xenopsd, which orchestrates the domain creation.
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dorpc.ml b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dorpc.ml
index 2074f35e529..bbb1f11bb74 100644
--- a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dorpc.ml
+++ b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dorpc.ml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  *)
 open Idl
 
-module D = Debug.Make (struct let name = "varstored-guard rpc" end)
+module D = Debug.Make (struct let name = "xapi-guard rpc" end)
 
 let wrap_rpc error f =
   let on_error e =
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dune b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dune
index bfb4841ab3d..87d10e7766e 100644
--- a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dune
+++ b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/dune
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 )
 (library
  (name xapi_guard)
- (modules dorpc)
+ (modules dorpc types)
  (libraries
   rpclib.core
   lwt
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/server_interface.ml b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/server_interface.ml
index 5b2acd7c27c..4bcaae8a387 100644
--- a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/server_interface.ml
+++ b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/server_interface.ml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 open Rpc
 open Lwt.Syntax
 
-module D = Debug.Make (struct let name = "varstored_interface" end)
+module D = Debug.Make (struct let name = __MODULE__ end)
 
 open D
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ let err = Xenops_interface.err
 
 type nvram = (string * string) list [@@deriving rpcty]
 
-let originator = "varstored-guard"
+let originator = "xapi-guard"
 
 type session = [`session] Ref.t
 
@@ -152,7 +152,26 @@ let update_key key state t =
 
 let empty = ""
 
-let serve_forever_lwt_callback_vtpm ~cache mutex vtpm _path _ req body =
+let serve_forever_lwt_callback_vtpm ~cache mutex vm_uuid _ req body =
+  let get_vtpm_ref () =
+    let* vm =
+      with_xapi ~cache @@ Xen_api_lwt_unix.VM.get_by_uuid ~uuid:vm_uuid
+    in
+    let* vTPMs = with_xapi ~cache @@ Xen_api_lwt_unix.VM.get_VTPMs ~self:vm in
+    match vTPMs with
+    | [] ->
+        D.warn
+          "%s: received a request from a VM that has no VTPM associated, \
+           ignoring request"
+          __FUNCTION__ ;
+        let msg =
+          Printf.sprintf "No VTPM associated with VM %s, nothing to do" vm_uuid
+        in
+        raise (Failure msg)
+    | self :: _ ->
+        let* uuid = with_xapi ~cache @@ Xen_api_lwt_unix.VTPM.get_uuid ~self in
+        with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_by_uuid ~uuid
+  in
   let uri = Cohttp.Request.uri req in
   (* in case the connection is interrupted/etc. we may still have pending operations,
      so use a per vTPM mutex to ensure we really only have 1 pending operation at a time for a vTPM
@@ -161,7 +180,8 @@ let serve_forever_lwt_callback_vtpm ~cache mutex vtpm _path _ req body =
   (* TODO: some logging *)
   match (Cohttp.Request.meth req, Uri.path uri) with
   | `GET, key when key <> "/" ->
-      let* contents = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_contents ~self:vtpm in
+      let* self = get_vtpm_ref () in
+      let* contents = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_contents ~self in
       let body = contents |> deserialize |> lookup_key key in
       let headers =
         Cohttp.Header.of_list [("Content-Type", "application/octet-stream")]
@@ -169,19 +189,21 @@ let serve_forever_lwt_callback_vtpm ~cache mutex vtpm _path _ req body =
       Cohttp_lwt_unix.Server.respond_string ~headers ~status:`OK ~body ()
   | `PUT, key when key <> "/" ->
       let* body = Cohttp_lwt.Body.to_string body in
-      let* contents = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_contents ~self:vtpm in
+      let* self = get_vtpm_ref () in
+      let* contents = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_contents ~self in
       let contents =
         contents |> deserialize |> update_key key body |> serialize
       in
-      let* () = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.set_contents ~self:vtpm ~contents in
+      let* () = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.set_contents ~self ~contents in
       Cohttp_lwt_unix.Server.respond ~status:`No_content
         ~body:Cohttp_lwt.Body.empty ()
   | `DELETE, key when key <> "/" ->
-      let* contents = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_contents ~self:vtpm in
+      let* self = get_vtpm_ref () in
+      let* contents = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_contents ~self in
       let contents =
         contents |> deserialize |> update_key key empty |> serialize
       in
-      let* () = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.set_contents ~self:vtpm ~contents in
+      let* () = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.set_contents ~self ~contents in
       Cohttp_lwt_unix.Server.respond ~status:`No_content
         ~body:Cohttp_lwt.Body.empty ()
   | _, _ ->
@@ -192,14 +214,22 @@ let serve_forever_lwt_callback_vtpm ~cache mutex vtpm _path _ req body =
 let make_server_varstored ~cache path vm_uuid =
   let module Server =
     Xapi_idl_guard_varstored.Interface.RPC_API (Rpc_lwt.GenServer ()) in
-  let* vm = with_xapi ~cache @@ VM.get_by_uuid ~uuid:vm_uuid in
+  let get_vm_ref () = with_xapi ~cache @@ VM.get_by_uuid ~uuid:vm_uuid in
   let ret v =
     (* TODO: maybe map XAPI exceptions *)
     Lwt.bind v Lwt.return_ok |> Rpc_lwt.T.put
   in
-  let get_nvram _ _ = ret @@ with_xapi ~cache @@ VM.get_NVRAM ~self:vm in
+  let get_nvram _ _ =
+    (let* self = get_vm_ref () in
+     with_xapi ~cache @@ VM.get_NVRAM ~self
+    )
+    |> ret
+  in
   let set_nvram _ _ nvram =
-    ret @@ with_xapi ~cache @@ VM.set_NVRAM_EFI_variables ~self:vm ~value:nvram
+    (let* self = get_vm_ref () in
+     with_xapi ~cache @@ VM.set_NVRAM_EFI_variables ~self ~value:nvram
+    )
+    |> ret
   in
   let message_create _ _name priority _cls _uuid body =
     ret
@@ -224,20 +254,6 @@ let make_server_varstored ~cache path vm_uuid =
   |> serve_forever_lwt path
 
 let make_server_vtpm_rest ~cache path vm_uuid =
-  let vtpm_server uuid =
-    let* vtpm = with_xapi ~cache @@ VTPM.get_by_uuid ~uuid in
-    let mutex = Lwt_mutex.create () in
-    serve_forever_lwt_callback_vtpm ~cache mutex vtpm path
-    |> serve_forever_lwt path
-  in
-  let* vm = with_xapi ~cache @@ Xen_api_lwt_unix.VM.get_by_uuid ~uuid:vm_uuid in
-  let* vTPMs = with_xapi ~cache @@ Xen_api_lwt_unix.VM.get_VTPMs ~self:vm in
-  match vTPMs with
-  | [] ->
-      D.warn
-        "%s: asked to start swtpm server in socket, but no vtpms associated!"
-        __FUNCTION__ ;
-      Lwt.return Lwt.return
-  | self :: _ ->
-      let* uuid = with_xapi ~cache @@ Xen_api_lwt_unix.VTPM.get_uuid ~self in
-      vtpm_server uuid
+  let mutex = Lwt_mutex.create () in
+  let callback = serve_forever_lwt_callback_vtpm ~cache mutex vm_uuid in
+  serve_forever_lwt path callback
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/types.ml b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/types.ml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7b705c89a01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/types.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module Service = struct
+  type t = Varstored | Swtpm [@@deriving rpcty]
+
+  let to_string = function Varstored -> "Varstored" | Swtpm -> "Swtpm"
+end
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/types.mli b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/types.mli
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6bb036826d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ocaml/xapi-guard/lib/types.mli
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+module Service : sig
+  type t = Varstored | Swtpm
+
+  val typ_of : t Rpc.Types.typ
+
+  val to_string : t -> string
+end
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi-guard/src/main.ml b/ocaml/xapi-guard/src/main.ml
index 551a60372d4..b80bf354516 100644
--- a/ocaml/xapi-guard/src/main.ml
+++ b/ocaml/xapi-guard/src/main.ml
@@ -13,18 +13,16 @@
  * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
  *)
 
-open Xapi_guard
 open Lwt.Syntax
 open Xapi_guard_server
+module Types = Xapi_guard.Types
 module SessionCache = Xen_api_lwt_unix.SessionCache
 
-module D = Debug.Make (struct let name = "varstored-guard" end)
+let daemon_name = "xapi-guard"
 
-let ret v = Lwt.bind v Lwt.return_ok |> Rpc_lwt.T.put
-
-type ty = Varstored | Swtpm [@@deriving rpcty]
+module D = Debug.Make (struct let name = daemon_name end)
 
-let ty_to_string = function Varstored -> "Varstored" | Swtpm -> "Swtpm"
+let ret v = Lwt.bind v Lwt.return_ok |> Rpc_lwt.T.put
 
 let log_fds () =
   let count stream = Lwt_stream.fold (fun _ n -> n + 1) stream 0 in
@@ -41,7 +39,7 @@ module Persistent = struct
       vm_uuid: Xapi_idl_guard_privileged.Interface.Uuidm.t
     ; path: string
     ; gid: int
-    ; typ: ty
+    ; typ: Types.Service.t
   }
   [@@deriving rpcty]
 
@@ -109,7 +107,8 @@ let listen_for_vm {Persistent.vm_uuid; path; gid; typ} =
   in
   let vm_uuid_str = Uuidm.to_string vm_uuid in
   D.debug "%s: listening for %s on socket %s for VM %s" __FUNCTION__
-    (ty_to_string typ) path vm_uuid_str ;
+    (Types.Service.to_string typ)
+    path vm_uuid_str ;
   let* () = safe_unlink path in
   let* stop_server = make_server ~cache path vm_uuid_str in
   let* () = log_fds () in
@@ -230,7 +229,8 @@ let rpc_fn =
 
 let process body =
   let+ response =
-    Dorpc.wrap_rpc Xapi_idl_guard_privileged.Interface.E.error (fun () ->
+    Xapi_guard.Dorpc.wrap_rpc Xapi_idl_guard_privileged.Interface.E.error
+      (fun () ->
         let call = Jsonrpc.call_of_string body in
         D.debug "Received request from message-switch, method %s" call.Rpc.name ;
         rpc_fn call
@@ -278,12 +278,12 @@ let main log_level =
        old_hook exn
   ) ;
   let () = Lwt_main.run @@ make_message_switch_server () in
-  D.debug "Exiting varstored-guard"
+  D.debug "Exiting %s" daemon_name
 
 open! Cmdliner
 
 let cmd =
-  let info = Cmd.info "varstored-guard" in
+  let info = Cmd.info daemon_name in
   let log_level =
     let doc = "Syslog level. E.g. debug, info etc." in
     let level_conv =