diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
index 84c8489531bb..f5bddf92faba 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
@@ -728,7 +728,6 @@ struct kvm_hv {
 
 enum kvm_irqchip_mode {
 	KVM_IRQCHIP_NONE,
-	KVM_IRQCHIP_INIT_IN_PROGRESS, /* temporarily set during creation */
 	KVM_IRQCHIP_KERNEL,       /* created with KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP */
 	KVM_IRQCHIP_SPLIT,        /* created with KVM_CAP_SPLIT_IRQCHIP */
 };
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/irq.h b/arch/x86/kvm/irq.h
index 0edd22c3344c..d5005cc26521 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/irq.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/irq.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ static inline int irqchip_in_kernel(struct kvm *kvm)
 
 	/* Matches smp_wmb() when setting irqchip_mode */
 	smp_rmb();
-	return mode > KVM_IRQCHIP_INIT_IN_PROGRESS;
+	return mode != KVM_IRQCHIP_NONE;
 }
 
 void kvm_inject_pending_timer_irqs(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/irq_comm.c b/arch/x86/kvm/irq_comm.c
index 4517a4c2ac3a..3cc3b2d130a0 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/irq_comm.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/irq_comm.c
@@ -274,16 +274,19 @@ void kvm_fire_mask_notifiers(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned irqchip, unsigned pin,
 	srcu_read_unlock(&kvm->irq_srcu, idx);
 }
 
+bool kvm_arch_can_set_irq_routing(struct kvm *kvm)
+{
+	return irqchip_in_kernel(kvm);
+}
+
 int kvm_set_routing_entry(struct kvm *kvm,
 			  struct kvm_kernel_irq_routing_entry *e,
 			  const struct kvm_irq_routing_entry *ue)
 {
-	/* also allow creation of routes during KVM_IRQCHIP_INIT_IN_PROGRESS */
-	if (kvm->arch.irqchip_mode == KVM_IRQCHIP_NONE)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	/* Matches smp_wmb() when setting irqchip_mode */
-	smp_rmb();
+	/* We can't check irqchip_in_kernel() here as some callers are
+	 * currently inititalizing the irqchip. Other callers should therefore
+	 * check kvm_arch_can_set_irq_routing() before calling this function.
+	 */
 	switch (ue->type) {
 	case KVM_IRQ_ROUTING_IRQCHIP:
 		if (irqchip_split(kvm))
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
index be2ade58edb9..2fe9aa116288 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
@@ -3919,14 +3919,9 @@ static int kvm_vm_ioctl_enable_cap(struct kvm *kvm,
 			goto split_irqchip_unlock;
 		if (kvm->created_vcpus)
 			goto split_irqchip_unlock;
-		kvm->arch.irqchip_mode = KVM_IRQCHIP_INIT_IN_PROGRESS;
 		r = kvm_setup_empty_irq_routing(kvm);
-		if (r) {
-			kvm->arch.irqchip_mode = KVM_IRQCHIP_NONE;
-			/* Pairs with smp_rmb() when reading irqchip_mode */
-			smp_wmb();
+		if (r)
 			goto split_irqchip_unlock;
-		}
 		/* Pairs with irqchip_in_kernel. */
 		smp_wmb();
 		kvm->arch.irqchip_mode = KVM_IRQCHIP_SPLIT;
@@ -4012,12 +4007,8 @@ long kvm_arch_vm_ioctl(struct file *filp,
 			goto create_irqchip_unlock;
 		}
 
-		kvm->arch.irqchip_mode = KVM_IRQCHIP_INIT_IN_PROGRESS;
 		r = kvm_setup_default_irq_routing(kvm);
 		if (r) {
-			kvm->arch.irqchip_mode = KVM_IRQCHIP_NONE;
-			/* Pairs with smp_rmb() when reading irqchip_mode */
-			smp_wmb();
 			kvm_ioapic_destroy(kvm);
 			kvm_pic_destroy(kvm);
 			goto create_irqchip_unlock;
diff --git a/include/linux/kvm_host.h b/include/linux/kvm_host.h
index a5bfffa8c8d4..25cf258a1c9b 100644
--- a/include/linux/kvm_host.h
+++ b/include/linux/kvm_host.h
@@ -1018,6 +1018,7 @@ static inline int mmu_notifier_retry(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long mmu_seq)
 #define KVM_MAX_IRQ_ROUTES 1024
 #endif
 
+bool kvm_arch_can_set_irq_routing(struct kvm *kvm);
 int kvm_set_irq_routing(struct kvm *kvm,
 			const struct kvm_irq_routing_entry *entries,
 			unsigned nr,
diff --git a/virt/kvm/irqchip.c b/virt/kvm/irqchip.c
index cc30d01a56be..31e40c9e81df 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/irqchip.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/irqchip.c
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ void __attribute__((weak)) kvm_arch_irq_routing_update(struct kvm *kvm)
 {
 }
 
+bool __weak kvm_arch_can_set_irq_routing(struct kvm *kvm)
+{
+	return true;
+}
+
 int kvm_set_irq_routing(struct kvm *kvm,
 			const struct kvm_irq_routing_entry *ue,
 			unsigned nr,
diff --git a/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c b/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
index 035bc51f656f..6281cc2446d5 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
@@ -3075,6 +3075,8 @@ static long kvm_vm_ioctl(struct file *filp,
 		if (copy_from_user(&routing, argp, sizeof(routing)))
 			goto out;
 		r = -EINVAL;
+		if (!kvm_arch_can_set_irq_routing(kvm))
+			goto out;
 		if (routing.nr > KVM_MAX_IRQ_ROUTES)
 			goto out;
 		if (routing.flags)
@@ -3090,11 +3092,8 @@ static long kvm_vm_ioctl(struct file *filp,
 					   routing.nr * sizeof(*entries)))
 				goto out_free_irq_routing;
 		}
-		/* avoid races with KVM_CREATE_IRQCHIP on x86 */
-		mutex_lock(&kvm->lock);
 		r = kvm_set_irq_routing(kvm, entries, routing.nr,
 					routing.flags);
-		mutex_unlock(&kvm->lock);
 out_free_irq_routing:
 		vfree(entries);
 		break;