diff --git a/hw/vfio/common.c b/hw/vfio/common.c
index 8728d4d5c2..1289cfa8be 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/common.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/common.c
@@ -562,6 +562,7 @@ static bool vfio_listener_skipped_section(MemoryRegionSection *section)
 {
     return (!memory_region_is_ram(section->mr) &&
             !memory_region_is_iommu(section->mr)) ||
+           memory_region_is_protected(section->mr) ||
            /*
             * Sizing an enabled 64-bit BAR can cause spurious mappings to
             * addresses in the upper part of the 64-bit address space.  These
diff --git a/include/exec/memory.h b/include/exec/memory.h
index c3d417d317..9446874d21 100644
--- a/include/exec/memory.h
+++ b/include/exec/memory.h
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ typedef struct IOMMUTLBEvent {
  */
 #define RAM_NORESERVE (1 << 7)
 
+/* RAM that isn't accessible through normal means. */
+#define RAM_PROTECTED (1 << 8)
+
 static inline void iommu_notifier_init(IOMMUNotifier *n, IOMMUNotify fn,
                                        IOMMUNotifierFlag flags,
                                        hwaddr start, hwaddr end,
@@ -1267,7 +1270,7 @@ void memory_region_init_ram_from_file(MemoryRegion *mr,
  * @name: the name of the region.
  * @size: size of the region.
  * @ram_flags: RamBlock flags. Supported flags: RAM_SHARED, RAM_PMEM,
- *             RAM_NORESERVE.
+ *             RAM_NORESERVE, RAM_PROTECTED.
  * @fd: the fd to mmap.
  * @offset: offset within the file referenced by fd
  * @errp: pointer to Error*, to store an error if it happens.
@@ -1568,6 +1571,16 @@ static inline bool memory_region_is_romd(MemoryRegion *mr)
     return mr->rom_device && mr->romd_mode;
 }
 
+/**
+ * memory_region_is_protected: check whether a memory region is protected
+ *
+ * Returns %true if a memory region is protected RAM and cannot be accessed
+ * via standard mechanisms, e.g. DMA.
+ *
+ * @mr: the memory region being queried
+ */
+bool memory_region_is_protected(MemoryRegion *mr);
+
 /**
  * memory_region_get_iommu: check whether a memory region is an iommu
  *
diff --git a/softmmu/memory.c b/softmmu/memory.c
index bfedaf9c4d..54cd0e9824 100644
--- a/softmmu/memory.c
+++ b/softmmu/memory.c
@@ -1811,6 +1811,11 @@ bool memory_region_is_ram_device(MemoryRegion *mr)
     return mr->ram_device;
 }
 
+bool memory_region_is_protected(MemoryRegion *mr)
+{
+    return mr->ram && (mr->ram_block->flags & RAM_PROTECTED);
+}
+
 uint8_t memory_region_get_dirty_log_mask(MemoryRegion *mr)
 {
     uint8_t mask = mr->dirty_log_mask;
diff --git a/softmmu/physmem.c b/softmmu/physmem.c
index 23e77cb771..088660d973 100644
--- a/softmmu/physmem.c
+++ b/softmmu/physmem.c
@@ -2055,7 +2055,8 @@ RAMBlock *qemu_ram_alloc_from_fd(ram_addr_t size, MemoryRegion *mr,
     int64_t file_size, file_align;
 
     /* Just support these ram flags by now. */
-    assert((ram_flags & ~(RAM_SHARED | RAM_PMEM | RAM_NORESERVE)) == 0);
+    assert((ram_flags & ~(RAM_SHARED | RAM_PMEM | RAM_NORESERVE |
+                          RAM_PROTECTED)) == 0);
 
     if (xen_enabled()) {
         error_setg(errp, "-mem-path not supported with Xen");