diff --git a/monitor/main.c b/monitor/main.c
index 50b3fd27..0cbab179 100644
--- a/monitor/main.c
+++ b/monitor/main.c
@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 'r':
 			reader_path = optarg;
+			config.read_only = true;
 			break;
 		case 'w':
 			writer_path = optarg;
diff --git a/monitor/nlmon.c b/monitor/nlmon.c
index b58bef05..d786cc33 100644
--- a/monitor/nlmon.c
+++ b/monitor/nlmon.c
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ struct nlmon {
 	bool nowiphy;
 	bool noscan;
 	bool noies;
+	bool read;
 };
 
 struct nlmon_req {
@@ -7202,7 +7203,7 @@ static void nlmon_message(struct nlmon *nlmon, const struct timeval *tv,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (nlmsg->nlmsg_type != nlmon->id) {
+	if (!nlmon->read && nlmsg->nlmsg_type != nlmon->id) {
 		if (nlmsg->nlmsg_type == GENL_ID_CTRL)
 			store_message(nlmon, tv, nlmsg);
 		return;
@@ -7265,6 +7266,7 @@ struct nlmon *nlmon_create(uint16_t id, const struct nlmon_config *config)
 	nlmon->nowiphy = config->nowiphy;
 	nlmon->noscan = config->noscan;
 	nlmon->noies = config->noies;
+	nlmon->read = config->read_only;
 
 	return nlmon;
 }
diff --git a/monitor/nlmon.h b/monitor/nlmon.h
index d1092c11..96958c25 100644
--- a/monitor/nlmon.h
+++ b/monitor/nlmon.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ struct nlmon_config {
 	bool nowiphy;
 	bool noscan;
 	bool noies;
+	bool read_only;
 };
 
 struct nlmon *nlmon_open(const char *ifname, uint16_t id, const char *pathname,