diff --git a/hw/intc/arm_gic_kvm.c b/hw/intc/arm_gic_kvm.c
index 59a3da5..964d4d7 100644
--- a/hw/intc/arm_gic_kvm.c
+++ b/hw/intc/arm_gic_kvm.c
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ static void kvm_arm_gic_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     GICState *s = KVM_ARM_GIC(dev);
     SysBusDevice *sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
     KVMARMGICClass *kgc = KVM_ARM_GIC_GET_CLASS(s);
+    int ret;
 
     kgc->parent_realize(dev, errp);
     if (error_is_set(errp)) {
@@ -119,13 +120,27 @@ static void kvm_arm_gic_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     for (i = 0; i < s->num_cpu; i++) {
         sysbus_init_irq(sbd, &s->parent_irq[i]);
     }
+
+    /* Try to create the device via the device control API */
+    s->dev_fd = -1;
+    ret = kvm_create_device(kvm_state, KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V2, false);
+    if (ret >= 0) {
+        s->dev_fd = ret;
+    } else if (ret != -ENODEV && ret != -ENOTSUP) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "error creating in-kernel VGIC");
+        return;
+    }
+
     /* Distributor */
     memory_region_init_reservation(&s->iomem, OBJECT(s),
                                    "kvm-gic_dist", 0x1000);
     sysbus_init_mmio(sbd, &s->iomem);
     kvm_arm_register_device(&s->iomem,
                             (KVM_ARM_DEVICE_VGIC_V2 << KVM_ARM_DEVICE_ID_SHIFT)
-                            | KVM_VGIC_V2_ADDR_TYPE_DIST);
+                            | KVM_VGIC_V2_ADDR_TYPE_DIST,
+                            KVM_DEV_ARM_VGIC_GRP_ADDR,
+                            KVM_VGIC_V2_ADDR_TYPE_DIST,
+                            s->dev_fd);
     /* CPU interface for current core. Unlike arm_gic, we don't
      * provide the "interface for core #N" memory regions, because
      * cores with a VGIC don't have those.
@@ -135,7 +150,10 @@ static void kvm_arm_gic_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     sysbus_init_mmio(sbd, &s->cpuiomem[0]);
     kvm_arm_register_device(&s->cpuiomem[0],
                             (KVM_ARM_DEVICE_VGIC_V2 << KVM_ARM_DEVICE_ID_SHIFT)
-                            | KVM_VGIC_V2_ADDR_TYPE_CPU);
+                            | KVM_VGIC_V2_ADDR_TYPE_CPU,
+                            KVM_DEV_ARM_VGIC_GRP_ADDR,
+                            KVM_VGIC_V2_ADDR_TYPE_CPU,
+                            s->dev_fd);
 }
 
 static void kvm_arm_gic_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
diff --git a/include/hw/intc/arm_gic_common.h b/include/hw/intc/arm_gic_common.h
index 0d232df..40cd3d6 100644
--- a/include/hw/intc/arm_gic_common.h
+++ b/include/hw/intc/arm_gic_common.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ typedef struct GICState {
     MemoryRegion cpuiomem[GIC_NCPU + 1]; /* CPU interfaces */
     uint32_t num_irq;
     uint32_t revision;
+    int dev_fd; /* kvm device fd if backed by kvm vgic support */
 } GICState;
 
 #define TYPE_ARM_GIC_COMMON "arm_gic_common"
diff --git a/target-arm/kvm.c b/target-arm/kvm.c
index 1d2688d..39202d7 100644
--- a/target-arm/kvm.c
+++ b/target-arm/kvm.c
@@ -165,8 +165,10 @@ unsigned long kvm_arch_vcpu_id(CPUState *cpu)
  */
 typedef struct KVMDevice {
     struct kvm_arm_device_addr kda;
+    struct kvm_device_attr kdattr;
     MemoryRegion *mr;
     QSLIST_ENTRY(KVMDevice) entries;
+    int dev_fd;
 } KVMDevice;
 
 static QSLIST_HEAD(kvm_devices_head, KVMDevice) kvm_devices_head;
@@ -200,6 +202,29 @@ static MemoryListener devlistener = {
     .region_del = kvm_arm_devlistener_del,
 };
 
+static void kvm_arm_set_device_addr(KVMDevice *kd)
+{
+    struct kvm_device_attr *attr = &kd->kdattr;
+    int ret;
+
+    /* If the device control API is available and we have a device fd on the
+     * KVMDevice struct, let's use the newer API
+     */
+    if (kd->dev_fd >= 0) {
+        uint64_t addr = kd->kda.addr;
+        attr->addr = (uintptr_t)&addr;
+        ret = kvm_device_ioctl(kd->dev_fd, KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR, attr);
+    } else {
+        ret = kvm_vm_ioctl(kvm_state, KVM_ARM_SET_DEVICE_ADDR, &kd->kda);
+    }
+
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Failed to set device address: %s\n",
+                strerror(-ret));
+        abort();
+    }
+}
+
 static void kvm_arm_machine_init_done(Notifier *notifier, void *data)
 {
     KVMDevice *kd, *tkd;
@@ -207,12 +232,7 @@ static void kvm_arm_machine_init_done(Notifier *notifier, void *data)
     memory_listener_unregister(&devlistener);
     QSLIST_FOREACH_SAFE(kd, &kvm_devices_head, entries, tkd) {
         if (kd->kda.addr != -1) {
-            if (kvm_vm_ioctl(kvm_state, KVM_ARM_SET_DEVICE_ADDR,
-                             &kd->kda) < 0) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "KVM_ARM_SET_DEVICE_ADDRESS failed: %s\n",
-                        strerror(errno));
-                abort();
-            }
+            kvm_arm_set_device_addr(kd);
         }
         memory_region_unref(kd->mr);
         g_free(kd);
@@ -223,7 +243,8 @@ static Notifier notify = {
     .notify = kvm_arm_machine_init_done,
 };
 
-void kvm_arm_register_device(MemoryRegion *mr, uint64_t devid)
+void kvm_arm_register_device(MemoryRegion *mr, uint64_t devid, uint64_t group,
+                             uint64_t attr, int dev_fd)
 {
     KVMDevice *kd;
 
@@ -239,6 +260,10 @@ void kvm_arm_register_device(MemoryRegion *mr, uint64_t devid)
     kd->mr = mr;
     kd->kda.id = devid;
     kd->kda.addr = -1;
+    kd->kdattr.flags = 0;
+    kd->kdattr.group = group;
+    kd->kdattr.attr = attr;
+    kd->dev_fd = dev_fd;
     QSLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&kvm_devices_head, kd, entries);
     memory_region_ref(kd->mr);
 }
@@ -389,3 +414,19 @@ void kvm_arch_remove_all_hw_breakpoints(void)
 void kvm_arch_init_irq_routing(KVMState *s)
 {
 }
+
+int kvm_arch_irqchip_create(KVMState *s)
+{
+    int ret;
+
+    /* If we can create the VGIC using the newer device control API, we
+     * let the device do this when it initializes itself, otherwise we
+     * fall back to the old API */
+
+    ret = kvm_create_device(s, KVM_DEV_TYPE_ARM_VGIC_V2, true);
+    if (ret == 0) {
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/target-arm/kvm_arm.h b/target-arm/kvm_arm.h
index cd3d13c..137c567 100644
--- a/target-arm/kvm_arm.h
+++ b/target-arm/kvm_arm.h
@@ -18,16 +18,21 @@
  * kvm_arm_register_device:
  * @mr: memory region for this device
  * @devid: the KVM device ID
+ * @group: device control API group for setting addresses
+ * @attr: device control API address type
+ * @dev_fd: device control device file descriptor (or -1 if not supported)
  *
  * Remember the memory region @mr, and when it is mapped by the
  * machine model, tell the kernel that base address using the
- * KVM_SET_DEVICE_ADDRESS ioctl. @devid should be the ID of
- * the device as defined by KVM_SET_DEVICE_ADDRESS.
- * The machine model may map and unmap the device multiple times;
- * the kernel will only be told the final address at the point
- * where machine init is complete.
+ * KVM_ARM_SET_DEVICE_ADDRESS ioctl or the newer device control API.  @devid
+ * should be the ID of the device as defined by KVM_ARM_SET_DEVICE_ADDRESS or
+ * the arm-vgic device in the device control API.
+ * The machine model may map
+ * and unmap the device multiple times; the kernel will only be told the final
+ * address at the point where machine init is complete.
  */
-void kvm_arm_register_device(MemoryRegion *mr, uint64_t devid);
+void kvm_arm_register_device(MemoryRegion *mr, uint64_t devid, uint64_t group,
+                             uint64_t attr, int dev_fd);
 
 /**
  * write_list_to_kvmstate:
