diff --git a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
index f290f48..8d1d2c4 100644
--- a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
+++ b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
@@ -1857,9 +1857,7 @@ int kvm_cpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
         return EXCP_HLT;
     }
 
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     cpu_exec_start(cpu);
-
     do {
         MemTxAttrs attrs;
 
@@ -1989,8 +1987,6 @@ int kvm_cpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
     } while (ret == 0);
 
     cpu_exec_end(cpu);
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
-
     if (ret < 0) {
         cpu_dump_state(cpu, stderr, fprintf, CPU_DUMP_CODE);
         vm_stop(RUN_STATE_INTERNAL_ERROR);
diff --git a/cpus.c b/cpus.c
index 7a3abea..3aeba5d 100644
--- a/cpus.c
+++ b/cpus.c
@@ -1127,6 +1127,8 @@ static bool qemu_tcg_should_sleep(CPUState *cpu)
 
 static void qemu_tcg_wait_io_event(CPUState *cpu)
 {
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
+
     while (qemu_tcg_should_sleep(cpu)) {
         stop_tcg_kick_timer();
         qemu_cond_wait(cpu->halt_cond, &qemu_global_mutex);
@@ -1135,15 +1137,21 @@ static void qemu_tcg_wait_io_event(CPUState *cpu)
     start_tcg_kick_timer();
 
     qemu_wait_io_event_common(cpu);
+
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 }
 
 static void qemu_kvm_wait_io_event(CPUState *cpu)
 {
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
+
     while (cpu_thread_is_idle(cpu)) {
         qemu_cond_wait(cpu->halt_cond, &qemu_global_mutex);
     }
 
     qemu_wait_io_event_common(cpu);
+
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 }
 
 static void *qemu_kvm_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
@@ -1169,6 +1177,8 @@ static void *qemu_kvm_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
 
     /* signal CPU creation */
     cpu->created = true;
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
+
     qemu_cond_signal(&qemu_cpu_cond);
 
     do {
@@ -1211,10 +1221,10 @@ static void *qemu_dummy_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
 
     /* signal CPU creation */
     cpu->created = true;
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     qemu_cond_signal(&qemu_cpu_cond);
 
     while (1) {
-        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
         do {
             int sig;
             r = sigwait(&waitset, &sig);
@@ -1225,6 +1235,7 @@ static void *qemu_dummy_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
         }
         qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
         qemu_wait_io_event_common(cpu);
+        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     }
 
     return NULL;
@@ -1313,11 +1324,9 @@ static int tcg_cpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
     ti = profile_getclock();
 #endif
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     cpu_exec_start(cpu);
     ret = cpu_exec(cpu);
     cpu_exec_end(cpu);
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
     tcg_time += profile_getclock() - ti;
 #endif
@@ -1377,6 +1386,7 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
             qemu_wait_io_event_common(cpu);
         }
     }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 
     start_tcg_kick_timer();
 
@@ -1386,6 +1396,9 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
     cpu->exit_request = 1;
 
     while (1) {
+
+        qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
+
         /* Account partial waits to QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL.  */
         qemu_account_warp_timer();
 
@@ -1394,6 +1407,8 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
          */
         handle_icount_deadline();
 
+        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
+
         if (!cpu) {
             cpu = first_cpu;
         }
@@ -1419,9 +1434,7 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
                     cpu_handle_guest_debug(cpu);
                     break;
                 } else if (r == EXCP_ATOMIC) {
-                    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
                     cpu_exec_step_atomic(cpu);
-                    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
                     break;
                 }
             } else if (cpu->stop) {
@@ -1462,6 +1475,7 @@ static void *qemu_hax_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
     current_cpu = cpu;
 
     hax_init_vcpu(cpu);
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     qemu_cond_signal(&qemu_cpu_cond);
 
     while (1) {
@@ -1512,6 +1526,7 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
     cpu->created = true;
     cpu->can_do_io = 1;
     current_cpu = cpu;
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     qemu_cond_signal(&qemu_cpu_cond);
 
     /* process any pending work */
@@ -1536,9 +1551,7 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
                 g_assert(cpu->halted);
                 break;
             case EXCP_ATOMIC:
-                qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
                 cpu_exec_step_atomic(cpu);
-                qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
             default:
                 /* Ignore everything else? */
                 break;
diff --git a/target/i386/hax-all.c b/target/i386/hax-all.c
index 3ce6950..9fd60d9 100644
--- a/target/i386/hax-all.c
+++ b/target/i386/hax-all.c
@@ -513,11 +513,9 @@ static int hax_vcpu_hax_exec(CPUArchState *env)
 
         hax_vcpu_interrupt(env);
 
-        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
         cpu_exec_start(cpu);
         hax_ret = hax_vcpu_run(vcpu);
         cpu_exec_end(cpu);
-        qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 
         /* Simply continue the vcpu_run if system call interrupted */
         if (hax_ret == -EINTR || hax_ret == -EAGAIN) {
