diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index a06ec13f08..d6e2486fbc 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -492,10 +492,17 @@ static void fdt_add_pmu_nodes(const VirtMachineState *vms)
 
     CPU_FOREACH(cpu) {
         armcpu = ARM_CPU(cpu);
-        if (!arm_feature(&armcpu->env, ARM_FEATURE_PMU) ||
-            (kvm_enabled() && !kvm_arm_pmu_create(cpu, PPI(VIRTUAL_PMU_IRQ)))) {
+        if (!arm_feature(&armcpu->env, ARM_FEATURE_PMU)) {
             return;
         }
+        if (kvm_enabled()) {
+            if (!kvm_arm_pmu_set_irq(cpu, PPI(VIRTUAL_PMU_IRQ))) {
+                return;
+            }
+            if (!kvm_arm_pmu_init(cpu)) {
+                return;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     if (vms->gic_version == 2) {
diff --git a/target/arm/kvm32.c b/target/arm/kvm32.c
index 069da0c5fd..e3aab89a1a 100644
--- a/target/arm/kvm32.c
+++ b/target/arm/kvm32.c
@@ -522,7 +522,13 @@ bool kvm_arm_hw_debug_active(CPUState *cs)
     return false;
 }
 
-int kvm_arm_pmu_create(CPUState *cs, int irq)
+int kvm_arm_pmu_set_irq(CPUState *cs, int irq)
+{
+    qemu_log_mask(LOG_UNIMP, "%s: not implemented\n", __func__);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int kvm_arm_pmu_init(CPUState *cs)
 {
     qemu_log_mask(LOG_UNIMP, "%s: not implemented\n", __func__);
     return 0;
diff --git a/target/arm/kvm64.c b/target/arm/kvm64.c
index a16abc8d12..e26638a6fa 100644
--- a/target/arm/kvm64.c
+++ b/target/arm/kvm64.c
@@ -381,46 +381,44 @@ static CPUWatchpoint *find_hw_watchpoint(CPUState *cpu, target_ulong addr)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-static bool kvm_arm_pmu_support_ctrl(CPUState *cs, struct kvm_device_attr *attr)
-{
-    return kvm_vcpu_ioctl(cs, KVM_HAS_DEVICE_ATTR, attr) == 0;
-}
-
-int kvm_arm_pmu_create(CPUState *cs, int irq)
+static bool kvm_arm_pmu_set_attr(CPUState *cs, struct kvm_device_attr *attr)
 {
     int err;
 
+    err = kvm_vcpu_ioctl(cs, KVM_HAS_DEVICE_ATTR, attr);
+    if (err != 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    err = kvm_vcpu_ioctl(cs, KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR, attr);
+    if (err < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR failed: %s\n",
+                strerror(-err));
+        abort();
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+int kvm_arm_pmu_init(CPUState *cs)
+{
+    struct kvm_device_attr attr = {
+        .group = KVM_ARM_VCPU_PMU_V3_CTRL,
+        .attr = KVM_ARM_VCPU_PMU_V3_INIT,
+    };
+
+    return kvm_arm_pmu_set_attr(cs, &attr);
+}
+
+int kvm_arm_pmu_set_irq(CPUState *cs, int irq)
+{
     struct kvm_device_attr attr = {
         .group = KVM_ARM_VCPU_PMU_V3_CTRL,
         .addr = (intptr_t)&irq,
         .attr = KVM_ARM_VCPU_PMU_V3_IRQ,
-        .flags = 0,
     };
 
-    if (!kvm_arm_pmu_support_ctrl(cs, &attr)) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    err = kvm_vcpu_ioctl(cs, KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR, &attr);
-    if (err < 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR failed: %s\n",
-                strerror(-err));
-        abort();
-    }
-
-    attr.group = KVM_ARM_VCPU_PMU_V3_CTRL;
-    attr.attr = KVM_ARM_VCPU_PMU_V3_INIT;
-    attr.addr = 0;
-    attr.flags = 0;
-
-    err = kvm_vcpu_ioctl(cs, KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR, &attr);
-    if (err < 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "KVM_SET_DEVICE_ATTR failed: %s\n",
-                strerror(-err));
-        abort();
-    }
-
-    return 1;
+    return kvm_arm_pmu_set_attr(cs, &attr);
 }
 
 static inline void set_feature(uint64_t *features, int feature)
diff --git a/target/arm/kvm_arm.h b/target/arm/kvm_arm.h
index 633d08828a..cab5ea9be5 100644
--- a/target/arm/kvm_arm.h
+++ b/target/arm/kvm_arm.h
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ int kvm_arm_sync_mpstate_to_qemu(ARMCPU *cpu);
 
 int kvm_arm_vgic_probe(void);
 
-int kvm_arm_pmu_create(CPUState *cs, int irq);
+int kvm_arm_pmu_set_irq(CPUState *cs, int irq);
+int kvm_arm_pmu_init(CPUState *cs);
 
 #else
 
@@ -204,7 +205,12 @@ static inline int kvm_arm_vgic_probe(void)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static inline int kvm_arm_pmu_create(CPUState *cs, int irq)
+static inline int kvm_arm_pmu_set_irq(CPUState *cs, int irq)
+{
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static inline int kvm_arm_pmu_init(CPUState *cs)
 {
     return 0;
 }