diff --git a/backup.py b/backup.py
index 70c28eb..67123cf 100755
--- a/backup.py
+++ b/backup.py
@@ -152,6 +152,13 @@ def create_argparser():
         type=float,
         default=None,
     )
+    mscg.add_argument(
+        "--persist-memorystate",
+        help="If set, the VM is being paused during snapshot creation.",
+        dest="persist_memorystate",
+        action="store_true",
+        default=None,
+    )
 
     lg = p.add_argument_group("Logging related options")
     lg.add_argument(
@@ -268,7 +275,13 @@ def main(argv):
             try:
                 logger.info("Snapshot creation started ...")
                 if not config.get_dry_run():
-                    vm.snapshots.add(params.Snapshot(description=config.get_snapshot_description(), vm=vm))
+                    vm.snapshots.add(
+                        params.Snapshot(
+                            description=config.get_snapshot_description(),
+                            vm=vm,
+                            persist_memorystate=config.get_persist_memorystate(),
+                        )
+                    )
                     VMTools.wait_for_snapshot_operation(vm, config, "creation")
                 logger.info("Snapshot created")
             except Exception as e:
diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 8cfedba..e228ef2 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 DEFAULTS = {
     "logger_fmt": "%(asctime)s: %(message)s",
     "logger_file_path": None,
+    "persist_memorystate": "false",
 }
 
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ def __init__(self, fd, debug, arguments):
             # Update with options passed from CLI interface
             for key, val in arguments.items():
                 if val is not None:
-                    config_parser.set(section, key, val)
+                    config_parser.set(section, key, str(val))
             self.__vm_names = json.loads(config_parser.get(section, "vm_names"))
             self.__vm_middle = config_parser.get(section, "vm_middle")
             self.__vm_suffix = "_"
@@ -51,10 +52,8 @@ def __init__(self, fd, debug, arguments):
             self.__storage_space_threshold = config_parser.getfloat(section, "storage_space_threshold")
             self.__logger_fmt = config_parser.get(section, "logger_fmt")
             self.__logger_file_path = config_parser.get(section, "logger_file_path")
-        except NoSectionError as e:
-            print str(e)
-            sys.exit(1)
-        except NoOptionError as e:
+            self.__persist_memorystate = config_parser.getboolean(section, "persist_memorystate")
+        except (NoSectionError, NoOptionError) as e:
             print str(e)
             sys.exit(1)
 
@@ -143,6 +142,9 @@ def get_logger_fmt(self):
     def get_logger_file_path(self):
         return self.__logger_file_path
 
+    def get_persist_memorystate(self):
+        return self.__persist_memorystate
+
     def write_update(self, filename):
         """
         This method takes name of config file and update it according
diff --git a/config_example.cfg b/config_example.cfg
index d0c2a43..0bfeef3 100644
--- a/config_example.cfg
+++ b/config_example.cfg
@@ -60,3 +60,6 @@ logger_fmt=%(asctime)s: %(message)s
 # This value is path to log file, where you want to store log from this script,
 # By default it writes to stdout.
 logger_file_path=
+
+# If this value is True, the VM is being paused during snapshot creation.
+persist_memorystate=False
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index fc46a40..0d03e1e 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 argparse; python_version < '2.7'
-# ovirt-engine-sdk >= 3.6  # It is not available in pip repo
+ovirt-engine-sdk-python == 3.6.9.2
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 67593b7..137b93e 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -39,13 +39,36 @@ def test_config_overwitten_from_cli():
 
 
 def test_config_rewrite_vm_names(tmpdir):
+    new_vms = ["new_vm1", "new_vm2"]
     p = tmpdir.join("config.cfg")
     p.write("\n".join(default_config_data))
     with p.open() as fh:
         c = Config(fh, False, dict())
     assert p.check()
-    c.set_vm_names(["new_vm1", "new_vm2"])
-    assert c.get_vm_names() == ["new_vm1", "new_vm2"]
+    c.set_vm_names(new_vms)
+    assert c.get_vm_names() == new_vms
     c.write_update(str(p))
     data = p.read()
-    assert '["new_vm1", "new_vm2"]' in data
+    assert 'vm_names = ["new_vm1", "new_vm2"]' in data
+    with p.open() as fh:
+        c = Config(fh, False, dict())
+    assert c.get_vm_names() == new_vms
+
+
+def test_config_persist_memory():
+    # Test default
+    data_stream = StringIO("\n".join(default_config_data))
+    c = Config(data_stream, False, dict())
+    assert c.get_persist_memorystate() is False
+    # Test setting from config file
+    data_stream = StringIO(
+        "\n".join(
+            default_config_data + ['persist_memorystate=True']
+        )
+    )
+    c = Config(data_stream, False, dict())
+    assert c.get_persist_memorystate() is True
+    # Test setting from CLI
+    data_stream = StringIO("\n".join(default_config_data))
+    c = Config(data_stream, False, {"persist_memorystate": True})
+    assert c.get_persist_memorystate() is True