diff --git a/cpus-common.c b/cpus-common.c
index 55d5df8923..210fc7fc39 100644
--- a/cpus-common.c
+++ b/cpus-common.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ void cpu_list_remove(CPUState *cpu)
 }
 
 struct qemu_work_item {
-    struct qemu_work_item *next;
+    QSIMPLEQ_ENTRY(qemu_work_item) node;
     run_on_cpu_func func;
     run_on_cpu_data data;
     bool free, exclusive, done;
@@ -106,13 +106,7 @@ struct qemu_work_item {
 static void queue_work_on_cpu(CPUState *cpu, struct qemu_work_item *wi)
 {
     qemu_mutex_lock(&cpu->work_mutex);
-    if (cpu->queued_work_first == NULL) {
-        cpu->queued_work_first = wi;
-    } else {
-        cpu->queued_work_last->next = wi;
-    }
-    cpu->queued_work_last = wi;
-    wi->next = NULL;
+    QSIMPLEQ_INSERT_TAIL(&cpu->work_list, wi, node);
     wi->done = false;
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&cpu->work_mutex);
 
@@ -306,17 +300,14 @@ void process_queued_cpu_work(CPUState *cpu)
 {
     struct qemu_work_item *wi;
 
-    if (cpu->queued_work_first == NULL) {
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&cpu->work_mutex);
+    if (QSIMPLEQ_EMPTY(&cpu->work_list)) {
+        qemu_mutex_unlock(&cpu->work_mutex);
         return;
     }
-
-    qemu_mutex_lock(&cpu->work_mutex);
-    while (cpu->queued_work_first != NULL) {
-        wi = cpu->queued_work_first;
-        cpu->queued_work_first = wi->next;
-        if (!cpu->queued_work_first) {
-            cpu->queued_work_last = NULL;
-        }
+    while (!QSIMPLEQ_EMPTY(&cpu->work_list)) {
+        wi = QSIMPLEQ_FIRST(&cpu->work_list);
+        QSIMPLEQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&cpu->work_list, node);
         qemu_mutex_unlock(&cpu->work_mutex);
         if (wi->exclusive) {
             /* Running work items outside the BQL avoids the following deadlock:
diff --git a/cpus.c b/cpus.c
index 5670c96bcf..af44027549 100644
--- a/cpus.c
+++ b/cpus.c
@@ -97,9 +97,19 @@ bool cpu_is_stopped(CPUState *cpu)
     return cpu->stopped || !runstate_is_running();
 }
 
+static inline bool cpu_work_list_empty(CPUState *cpu)
+{
+    bool ret;
+
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&cpu->work_mutex);
+    ret = QSIMPLEQ_EMPTY(&cpu->work_list);
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&cpu->work_mutex);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 static bool cpu_thread_is_idle(CPUState *cpu)
 {
-    if (cpu->stop || cpu->queued_work_first) {
+    if (cpu->stop || !cpu_work_list_empty(cpu)) {
         return false;
     }
     if (cpu_is_stopped(cpu)) {
@@ -1498,7 +1508,7 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
             cpu = first_cpu;
         }
 
-        while (cpu && !cpu->queued_work_first && !cpu->exit_request) {
+        while (cpu && cpu_work_list_empty(cpu) && !cpu->exit_request) {
 
             atomic_mb_set(&tcg_current_rr_cpu, cpu);
             current_cpu = cpu;
diff --git a/hw/core/cpu.c b/hw/core/cpu.c
index 5284d384fb..77703d62b7 100644
--- a/hw/core/cpu.c
+++ b/hw/core/cpu.c
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ static void cpu_common_initfn(Object *obj)
     cpu->nr_threads = 1;
 
     qemu_mutex_init(&cpu->work_mutex);
+    QSIMPLEQ_INIT(&cpu->work_list);
     QTAILQ_INIT(&cpu->breakpoints);
     QTAILQ_INIT(&cpu->watchpoints);
 
diff --git a/include/hw/core/cpu.h b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
index 07f7698155..d78ff1d165 100644
--- a/include/hw/core/cpu.h
+++ b/include/hw/core/cpu.h
@@ -331,8 +331,8 @@ struct qemu_work_item;
  * @opaque: User data.
  * @mem_io_pc: Host Program Counter at which the memory was accessed.
  * @kvm_fd: vCPU file descriptor for KVM.
- * @work_mutex: Lock to prevent multiple access to queued_work_*.
- * @queued_work_first: First asynchronous work pending.
+ * @work_mutex: Lock to prevent multiple access to @work_list.
+ * @work_list: List of pending asynchronous work.
  * @trace_dstate_delayed: Delayed changes to trace_dstate (includes all changes
  *                        to @trace_dstate).
  * @trace_dstate: Dynamic tracing state of events for this vCPU (bitmask).
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ struct CPUState {
     sigjmp_buf jmp_env;
 
     QemuMutex work_mutex;
-    struct qemu_work_item *queued_work_first, *queued_work_last;
+    QSIMPLEQ_HEAD(, qemu_work_item) work_list;
 
     CPUAddressSpace *cpu_ases;
     int num_ases;
