diff --git a/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c b/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c
index 75c7fed5d14c98d93ffa0cf27c7d93ceddd9bc9f..9ca653e34d8ca7a85af3aeb56b556d6b4cc358dc 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kvm/arm.c
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ void kvm_arch_vcpu_put(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	vcpu->cpu = -1;
 
 	kvm_arm_set_running_vcpu(NULL);
+	kvm_timer_vcpu_put(vcpu);
 }
 
 int kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_get_mpstate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
diff --git a/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h b/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
index 1800227af9d61fa31fb525a0d3f7408f2c9ab43e..b651aed9dc6b9084ed2dcae8832a033217d4dca4 100644
--- a/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
+++ b/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ struct arch_timer_cpu {
 
 	/* VGIC mapping */
 	struct irq_phys_map		*map;
+
+	/* Active IRQ state caching */
+	bool				active_cleared_last;
 };
 
 int kvm_timer_hyp_init(void);
@@ -74,4 +77,6 @@ bool kvm_timer_should_fire(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void kvm_timer_schedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void kvm_timer_unschedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 
+void kvm_timer_vcpu_put(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c b/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
index ea6064696fe43867d1d1baee35059b276d84817b..a9ad4fe3f68f07848876403985e19e4c544ef1d0 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ static struct timecounter *timecounter;
 static struct workqueue_struct *wqueue;
 static unsigned int host_vtimer_irq;
 
+void kvm_timer_vcpu_put(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
+	vcpu->arch.timer_cpu.active_cleared_last = false;
+}
+
 static cycle_t kvm_phys_timer_read(void)
 {
 	return timecounter->cc->read(timecounter->cc);
@@ -130,6 +135,7 @@ static void kvm_timer_update_irq(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, bool new_level)
 
 	BUG_ON(!vgic_initialized(vcpu->kvm));
 
+	timer->active_cleared_last = false;
 	timer->irq.level = new_level;
 	trace_kvm_timer_update_irq(vcpu->vcpu_id, timer->map->virt_irq,
 				   timer->irq.level);
@@ -245,10 +251,35 @@ void kvm_timer_flush_hwstate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	else
 		phys_active = false;
 
+	/*
+	 * We want to avoid hitting the (re)distributor as much as
+	 * possible, as this is a potentially expensive MMIO access
+	 * (not to mention locks in the irq layer), and a solution for
+	 * this is to cache the "active" state in memory.
+	 *
+	 * Things to consider: we cannot cache an "active set" state,
+	 * because the HW can change this behind our back (it becomes
+	 * "clear" in the HW). We must then restrict the caching to
+	 * the "clear" state.
+	 *
+	 * The cache is invalidated on:
+	 * - vcpu put, indicating that the HW cannot be trusted to be
+	 *   in a sane state on the next vcpu load,
+	 * - any change in the interrupt state
+	 *
+	 * Usage conditions:
+	 * - cached value is "active clear"
+	 * - value to be programmed is "active clear"
+	 */
+	if (timer->active_cleared_last && !phys_active)
+		return;
+
 	ret = irq_set_irqchip_state(timer->map->irq,
 				    IRQCHIP_STATE_ACTIVE,
 				    phys_active);
 	WARN_ON(ret);
+
+	timer->active_cleared_last = !phys_active;
 }
 
 /**