diff --git a/runtime/doc/gui.txt b/runtime/doc/gui.txt
index b21f072e33..c24c21d133 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/gui.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/gui.txt
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ Restart Nvim
 
                 1. Stops Nvim using `:qall` (or |+cmd|, if given).
                 2. Starts a new Nvim server using the same |v:argv| (except
-                   `-- [file…]` files).
+                   `-- [file…]` files). Sets |v:startreason| to "restart" on the
+                   new server.
                 3. Attaches all UIs to the new Nvim server and runs `[command]`
                    on it.
 
diff --git a/runtime/doc/news.txt b/runtime/doc/news.txt
index 1ab7346ff0..573691de4f 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/news.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/news.txt
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@ VIMSCRIPT
 • |v:vim_did_init| is set after sourcing |init.vim| but before |load-plugins|.
 • |prompt_appendbuf()| appends text to prompt-buffer.
 • |v:exitreason| is set before |QuitPre|.
+• |v:startreason| differentiates between restart and normal start.
 • |v:starttime| is the process start time (nanoseconds since UNIX epoch).
 
 ==============================================================================
diff --git a/runtime/doc/starting.txt b/runtime/doc/starting.txt
index ce79b9416d..85a4de3eae 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/starting.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/starting.txt
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ Initialization                                  *initialization* *startup*
 At startup, Nvim checks environment variables and files and sets values
 accordingly, proceeding as follows:
 
-1. Set |v:starttime|.
+1. Set |v:starttime| and |v:startreason|.
 
 2. Set the 'shell' option.                      *SHELL* *COMSPEC*
    The environment variable SHELL, if it exists, is used to set the 'shell'
diff --git a/runtime/doc/vvars.txt b/runtime/doc/vvars.txt
index e61bc78624..6e829f8cb7 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/vvars.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/vvars.txt
@@ -633,6 +633,14 @@ v:stacktrace
 		stack trace.  See also |v:exception|, |v:throwpoint|, and
 		|throw-variables|.
 
+				*v:startreason* *startreason-variable*
+v:startreason
+		The reason Nvim started. Possible values:
+		  - "normal"    normal startup.
+		  - "restart"   started by |:restart| or |ZR|.
+
+		Read-only.
+
 				*v:starttime* *starttime-variable*
 v:starttime
 		Timestamp (nanoseconds since UNIX epoch) when the Nvim process
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/vvars.gen.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/vvars.gen.lua
index 543d4169c1..2b97a1f8f8 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/vvars.gen.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/vvars.gen.lua
@@ -667,6 +667,14 @@ vim.v.shell_error = ...
 --- @type table[]
 vim.v.stacktrace = ...
 
+--- The reason Nvim started. Possible values:
+---   - "normal"    normal startup.
+---   - "restart"   started by `:restart` or `ZR`.
+---
+--- Read-only.
+--- @type string
+vim.v.startreason = ...
+
 --- Timestamp (nanoseconds since UNIX epoch) when the Nvim process
 --- started.
 ---
diff --git a/src/nvim/eval/vars.c b/src/nvim/eval/vars.c
index 803b121133..4e467b9576 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval/vars.c
+++ b/src/nvim/eval/vars.c
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ static struct vimvar {
   VV(VV_VIRTNUM,          "virtnum",          VAR_NUMBER, VV_RO),
   VV(VV_STARTTIME,        "starttime",        VAR_NUMBER, VV_RO),
   VV(VV_EXITREASON,       "exitreason",       VAR_STRING, VV_RO),
+  VV(VV_STARTREASON,      "startreason",      VAR_STRING, VV_RO),
 };
 #undef VV
 
@@ -316,6 +317,7 @@ void evalvars_init(void)
   set_vim_var_nr(VV_SEARCHFORWARD, 1);
   set_vim_var_nr(VV_HLSEARCH, 1);
   set_vim_var_nr(VV_COUNT1, 1);
+  set_vim_var_string(VV_STARTREASON, S_LEN("normal"));
   set_vim_var_special(VV_EXITING, kSpecialVarNull);
 
   set_vim_var_nr(VV_TYPE_NUMBER, VAR_TYPE_NUMBER);
@@ -345,6 +347,15 @@ void evalvars_init(void)
   set_vim_var_partial(VV_LUA, vvlua_partial);
 
   set_reg_var(0);  // default for v:register is not 0 but '"'
+
+  // Set v:startreason via environment variable
+  const char *startreason = os_getenv_noalloc(ENV_STARTREASON);
+  if (strequal(startreason, "normal") || strequal(startreason, "restart")) {
+    set_vim_var_string(VV_STARTREASON, startreason, -1);
+  }
+  if (os_env_exists(ENV_STARTREASON, false)) {
+    os_unsetenv(ENV_STARTREASON);
+  }
 }
 
 #if defined(EXITFREE)
diff --git a/src/nvim/eval_defs.h b/src/nvim/eval_defs.h
index 7cec3d6167..f45cb35213 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval_defs.h
+++ b/src/nvim/eval_defs.h
@@ -137,4 +137,5 @@ typedef enum {
   VV_VIRTNUM,
   VV_STARTTIME,
   VV_EXITREASON,
+  VV_STARTREASON,
 } VimVarIndex;
diff --git a/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c b/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
index 9531fc34c7..0aae15cb68 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
+++ b/src/nvim/ex_docmd.c
@@ -5057,6 +5057,10 @@ static void ex_restart(exarg_T *eap)
     restart_alloc_console_env = true;
   }
 #endif
+  bool startreason_env = false;
+  if (os_setenv(ENV_STARTREASON, "restart", 1) == 0) {
+    startreason_env = true;
+  }
 
   CallbackReader on_err = CALLBACK_READER_INIT;
 #ifdef MSWIN
@@ -5073,6 +5077,9 @@ static void ex_restart(exarg_T *eap)
                                        CALLBACK_READER_INIT, on_err, CALLBACK_NONE,
                                        false, true, true, detach, kChannelStdinPipe,
                                        NULL, 0, 0, NULL, &exit_status);
+  if (startreason_env) {
+    os_unsetenv(ENV_STARTREASON);
+  }
 #ifdef MSWIN
   if (restart_alloc_console_env) {
     os_unsetenv("__NVIM_RESTART_ALLOC_CONSOLE");
diff --git a/src/nvim/os/os.h b/src/nvim/os/os.h
index cd7db3bf80..9ac0ab7e24 100644
--- a/src/nvim/os/os.h
+++ b/src/nvim/os/os.h
@@ -26,3 +26,4 @@ extern char *default_lib_dir;
 
 #define ENV_LOGFILE "NVIM_LOG_FILE"
 #define ENV_NVIM "NVIM"
+#define ENV_STARTREASON "__NVIM_STARTREASON"
diff --git a/src/nvim/vvars.lua b/src/nvim/vvars.lua
index db87bcda28..2ec77e3dc0 100644
--- a/src/nvim/vvars.lua
+++ b/src/nvim/vvars.lua
@@ -765,6 +765,16 @@ M.vars = {
       Read-only.
     ]=],
   },
+  startreason = {
+    type = 'string',
+    desc = [=[
+      The reason Nvim started. Possible values:
+        - "normal"    normal startup.
+        - "restart"   started by |:restart| or |ZR|.
+
+      Read-only.
+    ]=],
+  },
   statusmsg = {
     type = 'string',
     desc = [=[
diff --git a/test/functional/core/server_spec.lua b/test/functional/core/server_spec.lua
index cf79fe817f..8b94539e16 100644
--- a/test/functional/core/server_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/core/server_spec.lua
@@ -364,7 +364,15 @@ it(':restart works in headless server (no UI)', function()
     n.set_session(nil)
   end)
 
-  fn.jobstart({ n.nvim_prog, '--clean', '--headless', '--listen', server_pipe })
+  fn.jobstart({
+    n.nvim_prog,
+    '--clean',
+    '--headless',
+    '--listen',
+    server_pipe,
+    '--cmd',
+    'let g:early_startreason = v:startreason',
+  })
   t.retry(nil, nil, function()
     neq(nil, vim.uv.fs_stat(server_pipe))
   end)
@@ -373,6 +381,8 @@ it(':restart works in headless server (no UI)', function()
   n.expect_exit(n.command, 'restart')
   n.set_session(n.connect(server_pipe))
   eq(1, api.nvim_get_vvar('vim_did_enter'))
+  eq('restart', api.nvim_get_vvar('startreason'))
+  eq('restart', n.eval('g:early_startreason'))
 
   -- TODO: [command] is currently not executed without UI
   -- n.expect_exit(n.command, 'restart lua _G.new_server = 1')
diff --git a/test/functional/vimscript/vvars_spec.lua b/test/functional/vimscript/vvars_spec.lua
index 377d6296fa..8afe719299 100644
--- a/test/functional/vimscript/vvars_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/vimscript/vvars_spec.lua
@@ -48,3 +48,11 @@ describe('v:argf', function()
     eq({ abs1, abs2, abs3 }, n.eval('v:argf'))
   end)
 end)
+
+describe('v:startreason', function()
+  it('is read-only and starts as "normal"', function()
+    n.clear { args = { '--cmd', 'let g:early_startreason = v:startreason' } }
+    eq('normal', eval('g:early_startreason'))
+    t.matches('E46', t.pcall_err(command, "let v:startreason = 'restart'"))
+  end)
+end)