diff --git a/cpus.c b/cpus.c
index d94456ed29..6be42ff734 100644
--- a/cpus.c
+++ b/cpus.c
@@ -1792,10 +1792,15 @@ static void qemu_cpu_kick_thread(CPUState *cpu)
         return;
     }
     cpu->thread_kicked = true;
-    err = pthread_kill(cpu->thread->thread, SIG_IPI);
-    if (err && err != ESRCH) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu:%s: %s", __func__, strerror(err));
-        exit(1);
+
+    if (hvf_enabled()) {
+        hvf_vcpu_kick(cpu);
+    } else {
+        err = pthread_kill(cpu->thread->thread, SIG_IPI);
+        if (err && err != ESRCH) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "qemu:%s: %s", __func__, strerror(err));
+            exit(1);
+        }
     }
 #else /* _WIN32 */
     if (!qemu_cpu_is_self(cpu)) {
diff --git a/include/hw/core/cpu.h b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
index b3f4b79318..288a2bd57e 100644
--- a/include/hw/core/cpu.h
+++ b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ struct CPUState {
 
     struct hax_vcpu_state *hax_vcpu;
 
-    int hvf_fd;
+    unsigned hvf_fd;
 
     /* track IOMMUs whose translations we've cached in the TCG TLB */
     GArray *iommu_notifiers;
diff --git a/include/sysemu/hvf.h b/include/sysemu/hvf.h
index 1d40a8ec01..aaa00cbf05 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/hvf.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/hvf.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ extern bool hvf_allowed;
 
 int hvf_init_vcpu(CPUState *);
 int hvf_vcpu_exec(CPUState *);
+void hvf_vcpu_kick(CPUState *);
 void hvf_cpu_synchronize_state(CPUState *);
 void hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_reset(CPUState *);
 void hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_init(CPUState *);
diff --git a/target/i386/cpu.h b/target/i386/cpu.h
index 7d77efd9e4..4ae6038f22 100644
--- a/target/i386/cpu.h
+++ b/target/i386/cpu.h
@@ -1602,6 +1602,7 @@ typedef struct CPUX86State {
     struct kvm_nested_state *nested_state;
 #endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_HVF)
+    uint64_t hvf_deadline;
     HVFX86LazyFlags hvf_lflags;
     void *hvf_mmio_buf;
 #endif
diff --git a/target/i386/hvf/hvf.c b/target/i386/hvf/hvf.c
index efe9802962..317304aa1d 100644
--- a/target/i386/hvf/hvf.c
+++ b/target/i386/hvf/hvf.c
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@
 #include "sysemu/accel.h"
 #include "target/i386/cpu.h"
 
+/* Maximum value of VMX-preemption timer */
+#define HVF_MAX_DEADLINE UINT32_MAX
+
 HVFState *hvf_state;
 
 static void assert_hvf_ok(hv_return_t ret)
@@ -552,10 +555,6 @@ void hvf_vcpu_destroy(CPUState *cpu)
     assert_hvf_ok(ret);
 }
 
-static void dummy_signal(int sig)
-{
-}
-
 int hvf_init_vcpu(CPUState *cpu)
 {
 
@@ -563,21 +562,11 @@ int hvf_init_vcpu(CPUState *cpu)
     CPUX86State *env = &x86cpu->env;
     int r;
 
-    /* init cpu signals */
-    sigset_t set;
-    struct sigaction sigact;
-
-    memset(&sigact, 0, sizeof(sigact));
-    sigact.sa_handler = dummy_signal;
-    sigaction(SIG_IPI, &sigact, NULL);
-
-    pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, NULL, &set);
-    sigdelset(&set, SIG_IPI);
-
     init_emu();
     init_decoder();
 
     hvf_state->hvf_caps = g_new0(struct hvf_vcpu_caps, 1);
+    env->hvf_deadline = HVF_MAX_DEADLINE;
     env->hvf_mmio_buf = g_new(char, 4096);
 
     r = hv_vcpu_create((hv_vcpuid_t *)&cpu->hvf_fd, HV_VCPU_DEFAULT);
@@ -606,6 +595,7 @@ int hvf_init_vcpu(CPUState *cpu)
           cap2ctrl(hvf_state->hvf_caps->vmx_cap_pinbased,
           VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_EXTINT |
           VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_NMI |
+          VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_VMX_PREEMPT_TIMER |
           VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_VNMI));
     wvmcs(cpu->hvf_fd, VMCS_PRI_PROC_BASED_CTLS,
           cap2ctrl(hvf_state->hvf_caps->vmx_cap_procbased,
@@ -725,7 +715,14 @@ int hvf_vcpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
             return EXCP_HLT;
         }
 
+        /* Use VMX-preemption timer trick only if available */
+        if (rvmcs(cpu->hvf_fd, VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS) &
+            VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_VMX_PREEMPT_TIMER) {
+            wvmcs(cpu->hvf_fd, VMCS_PREEMPTION_TIMER_VALUE,
+                  atomic_read(&env->hvf_deadline));
+        }
         hv_return_t r  = hv_vcpu_run(cpu->hvf_fd);
+        atomic_set(&env->hvf_deadline, HVF_MAX_DEADLINE);
         assert_hvf_ok(r);
 
         /* handle VMEXIT */
@@ -869,6 +866,7 @@ int hvf_vcpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
             ret = EXCP_INTERRUPT;
             break;
         case EXIT_REASON_EXT_INTR:
+        case EXIT_REASON_VMX_PREEMPT:
             /* force exit and allow io handling */
             ret = EXCP_INTERRUPT;
             break;
@@ -966,6 +964,20 @@ int hvf_vcpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
     return ret;
 }
 
+void hvf_vcpu_kick(CPUState *cpu)
+{
+    X86CPU *x86_cpu = X86_CPU(cpu);
+    CPUX86State *env = &x86_cpu->env;
+    hv_return_t err;
+
+    atomic_set(&env->hvf_deadline, 0);
+    err = hv_vcpu_interrupt(&cpu->hvf_fd, 1);
+    if (err) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "qemu:%s error %#x\n", __func__, err);
+        exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
 bool hvf_allowed;
 
 static int hvf_accel_init(MachineState *ms)
diff --git a/target/i386/hvf/vmcs.h b/target/i386/hvf/vmcs.h
index 42de7ebc3a..6615365023 100644
--- a/target/i386/hvf/vmcs.h
+++ b/target/i386/hvf/vmcs.h
@@ -349,6 +349,7 @@
 #define VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_EXTINT            (1 << 0)
 #define VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_NMI               (1 << 3)
 #define VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_VNMI              (1 << 5)
+#define VMCS_PIN_BASED_CTLS_VMX_PREEMPT_TIMER (1 << 6)
 
 #define VMCS_PRI_PROC_BASED_CTLS_INT_WINDOW_EXITING (1 << 2)
 #define VMCS_PRI_PROC_BASED_CTLS_TSC_OFFSET (1 << 3)
