diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h
index 86fcf6e..dcba0fa 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/kvm_host.h
@@ -236,7 +236,4 @@ static inline void kvm_arm_setup_debug(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
 static inline void kvm_arm_clear_debug(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
 static inline void kvm_arm_reset_debug_ptr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
 
-static inline void kvm_arch_vcpu_blocking(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
-static inline void kvm_arch_vcpu_unblocking(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
-
 #endif /* __ARM_KVM_HOST_H__ */
diff --git a/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c b/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c
index ce404a5..bdf8871 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c
@@ -271,6 +271,16 @@ int kvm_cpu_has_pending_timer(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	return kvm_timer_should_fire(vcpu);
 }
 
+void kvm_arch_vcpu_blocking(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
+	kvm_timer_schedule(vcpu);
+}
+
+void kvm_arch_vcpu_unblocking(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
+	kvm_timer_unschedule(vcpu);
+}
+
 int kvm_arch_vcpu_init(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 {
 	/* Force users to call KVM_ARM_VCPU_INIT */
diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h
index dd143f5..415938d 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/kvm_host.h
@@ -257,7 +257,4 @@ void kvm_arm_setup_debug(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void kvm_arm_clear_debug(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void kvm_arm_reset_debug_ptr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 
-static inline void kvm_arch_vcpu_blocking(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
-static inline void kvm_arch_vcpu_unblocking(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu) {}
-
 #endif /* __ARM64_KVM_HOST_H__ */
diff --git a/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h b/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
index e1e4d7c..ef14cc1 100644
--- a/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
+++ b/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
@@ -71,5 +71,7 @@ u64 kvm_arm_timer_get_reg(struct kvm_vcpu *, u64 regid);
 int kvm_arm_timer_set_reg(struct kvm_vcpu *, u64 regid, u64 value);
 
 bool kvm_timer_should_fire(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
+void kvm_timer_schedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
+void kvm_timer_unschedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c b/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
index 48c6e1a..7991537 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
@@ -111,14 +111,21 @@ static enum hrtimer_restart kvm_timer_expire(struct hrtimer *hrt)
 	return HRTIMER_NORESTART;
 }
 
+static bool kvm_timer_irq_can_fire(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
+	struct arch_timer_cpu *timer = &vcpu->arch.timer_cpu;
+
+	return !(timer->cntv_ctl & ARCH_TIMER_CTRL_IT_MASK) &&
+		(timer->cntv_ctl & ARCH_TIMER_CTRL_ENABLE) &&
+		!kvm_vgic_get_phys_irq_active(timer->map);
+}
+
 bool kvm_timer_should_fire(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 {
 	struct arch_timer_cpu *timer = &vcpu->arch.timer_cpu;
 	cycle_t cval, now;
 
-	if ((timer->cntv_ctl & ARCH_TIMER_CTRL_IT_MASK) ||
-	    !(timer->cntv_ctl & ARCH_TIMER_CTRL_ENABLE) ||
-	    kvm_vgic_get_phys_irq_active(timer->map))
+	if (!kvm_timer_irq_can_fire(vcpu))
 		return false;
 
 	cval = timer->cntv_cval;
@@ -127,24 +134,61 @@ bool kvm_timer_should_fire(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	return cval <= now;
 }
 
-/**
- * kvm_timer_flush_hwstate - prepare to move the virt timer to the cpu
- * @vcpu: The vcpu pointer
- *
- * Disarm any pending soft timers, since the world-switch code will write the
- * virtual timer state back to the physical CPU.
+/*
+ * Schedule the background timer before calling kvm_vcpu_block, so that this
+ * thread is removed from its waitqueue and made runnable when there's a timer
+ * interrupt to handle.
  */
-void kvm_timer_flush_hwstate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+void kvm_timer_schedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 {
 	struct arch_timer_cpu *timer = &vcpu->arch.timer_cpu;
+	u64 ns;
+	cycle_t cval, now;
+
+	BUG_ON(timer_is_armed(timer));
+
+	/*
+	 * No need to schedule a background timer if the guest timer has
+	 * already expired, because kvm_vcpu_block will return before putting
+	 * the thread to sleep.
+	 */
+	if (kvm_timer_should_fire(vcpu))
+		return;
 
 	/*
-	 * We're about to run this vcpu again, so there is no need to
-	 * keep the background timer running, as we're about to
-	 * populate the CPU timer again.
+	 * If the timer is either not capable of raising interrupts (disabled
+	 * or masked) or if we already have a background timer, then there's
+	 * no more work for us to do.
 	 */
+	if (!kvm_timer_irq_can_fire(vcpu))
+		return;
+
+	/*  The timer has not yet expired, schedule a background timer */
+	cval = timer->cntv_cval;
+	now = kvm_phys_timer_read() - vcpu->kvm->arch.timer.cntvoff;
+
+	ns = cyclecounter_cyc2ns(timecounter->cc,
+				 cval - now,
+				 timecounter->mask,
+				 &timecounter->frac);
+	timer_arm(timer, ns);
+}
+
+void kvm_timer_unschedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
+	struct arch_timer_cpu *timer = &vcpu->arch.timer_cpu;
 	timer_disarm(timer);
+}
 
+/**
+ * kvm_timer_flush_hwstate - prepare to move the virt timer to the cpu
+ * @vcpu: The vcpu pointer
+ *
+ * Check if the virtual timer has expired while we were running in the host,
+ * and inject an interrupt if that was the case.
+ */
+void kvm_timer_flush_hwstate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
 	/*
 	 * If the timer expired while we were not scheduled, now is the time
 	 * to inject it.
@@ -157,32 +201,17 @@ void kvm_timer_flush_hwstate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
  * kvm_timer_sync_hwstate - sync timer state from cpu
  * @vcpu: The vcpu pointer
  *
- * Check if the virtual timer was armed and either schedule a corresponding
- * soft timer or inject directly if already expired.
+ * Check if the virtual timer has expired while we were running in the guest,
+ * and inject an interrupt if that was the case.
  */
 void kvm_timer_sync_hwstate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 {
 	struct arch_timer_cpu *timer = &vcpu->arch.timer_cpu;
-	cycle_t cval, now;
-	u64 ns;
 
 	BUG_ON(timer_is_armed(timer));
 
-	if (kvm_timer_should_fire(vcpu)) {
-		/*
-		 * Timer has already expired while we were not
-		 * looking. Inject the interrupt and carry on.
-		 */
+	if (kvm_timer_should_fire(vcpu))
 		kvm_timer_inject_irq(vcpu);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	cval = timer->cntv_cval;
-	now = kvm_phys_timer_read() - vcpu->kvm->arch.timer.cntvoff;
-
-	ns = cyclecounter_cyc2ns(timecounter->cc, cval - now, timecounter->mask,
-				 &timecounter->frac);
-	timer_arm(timer, ns);
 }
 
 int kvm_timer_vcpu_reset(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
