diff --git a/cpus.c b/cpus.c
index 740b8dc3f8..89ae8cb30a 100644
--- a/cpus.c
+++ b/cpus.c
@@ -1069,6 +1069,8 @@ 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);
@@ -1077,15 +1079,21 @@ 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)
@@ -1111,6 +1119,8 @@ 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 {
@@ -1153,10 +1163,10 @@ 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);
@@ -1167,6 +1177,7 @@ 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;
@@ -1255,11 +1266,9 @@ 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
@@ -1318,6 +1327,7 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
             qemu_wait_io_event_common(cpu);
         }
     }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 
     start_tcg_kick_timer();
 
@@ -1327,6 +1337,9 @@ 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();
 
@@ -1335,6 +1348,8 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
          */
         handle_icount_deadline();
 
+        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
+
         if (!cpu) {
             cpu = first_cpu;
         }
@@ -1360,9 +1375,7 @@ 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) {
@@ -1403,6 +1416,7 @@ 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) {
@@ -1452,6 +1466,7 @@ 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 */
@@ -1476,9 +1491,7 @@ 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/kvm-all.c b/kvm-all.c
index 90b8573656..4cb5347205 100644
--- a/kvm-all.c
+++ b/kvm-all.c
@@ -1963,8 +1963,6 @@ int kvm_cpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
         return EXCP_HLT;
     }
 
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
-
     do {
         MemTxAttrs attrs;
 
@@ -2093,8 +2091,6 @@ int kvm_cpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
         }
     } while (ret == 0);
 
-    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/target/i386/hax-all.c b/target/i386/hax-all.c
index ef13015215..71f3c01977 100644
--- a/target/i386/hax-all.c
+++ b/target/i386/hax-all.c
@@ -513,9 +513,7 @@ static int hax_vcpu_hax_exec(CPUArchState *env)
 
         hax_vcpu_interrupt(env);
 
-        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
         hax_ret = hax_vcpu_run(vcpu);
-        qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
         current_cpu = cpu;
 
         /* Simply continue the vcpu_run if system call interrupted */
