diff --git a/include/block/aio.h b/include/block/aio.h
index 433e7ff8b6..c23de3cd1f 100644
--- a/include/block/aio.h
+++ b/include/block/aio.h
@@ -214,9 +214,9 @@ bool aio_pending(AioContext *ctx);
 /* Progress in completing AIO work to occur.  This can issue new pending
  * aio as a result of executing I/O completion or bh callbacks.
  *
- * If there is no pending AIO operation or completion (bottom half),
- * return false.  If there are pending AIO operations of bottom halves,
- * return true.
+ * Return whether any progress was made by executing AIO or bottom half
+ * handlers.  If @blocking == true, this should always be true except
+ * if someone called aio_notify.
  *
  * If there are no pending bottom halves, but there are pending AIO
  * operations, it may not be possible to make any progress without
diff --git a/iothread.c b/iothread.c
index 1fbf9f1c49..d9403cf69e 100644
--- a/iothread.c
+++ b/iothread.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ typedef ObjectClass IOThreadClass;
 static void *iothread_run(void *opaque)
 {
     IOThread *iothread = opaque;
+    bool blocking;
 
     qemu_mutex_lock(&iothread->init_done_lock);
     iothread->thread_id = qemu_get_thread_id();
@@ -38,8 +39,10 @@ static void *iothread_run(void *opaque)
 
     while (!iothread->stopping) {
         aio_context_acquire(iothread->ctx);
-        while (!iothread->stopping && aio_poll(iothread->ctx, true)) {
+        blocking = true;
+        while (!iothread->stopping && aio_poll(iothread->ctx, blocking)) {
             /* Progress was made, keep going */
+            blocking = false;
         }
         aio_context_release(iothread->ctx);
     }
diff --git a/tests/test-aio.c b/tests/test-aio.c
index 264dab9106..4c40a4971f 100644
--- a/tests/test-aio.c
+++ b/tests/test-aio.c
@@ -24,14 +24,6 @@ typedef struct {
     bool auto_set;
 } EventNotifierTestData;
 
-/* Wait until there are no more BHs or AIO requests */
-static void wait_for_aio(void)
-{
-    while (aio_poll(ctx, true)) {
-        /* Do nothing */
-    }
-}
-
 /* Wait until event notifier becomes inactive */
 static void wait_until_inactive(EventNotifierTestData *data)
 {
@@ -204,7 +196,9 @@ static void test_bh_schedule10(void)
     g_assert(aio_poll(ctx, true));
     g_assert_cmpint(data.n, ==, 2);
 
-    wait_for_aio();
+    while (data.n < 10) {
+        aio_poll(ctx, true);
+    }
     g_assert_cmpint(data.n, ==, 10);
 
     g_assert(!aio_poll(ctx, false));
@@ -252,7 +246,9 @@ static void test_bh_delete_from_cb(void)
     qemu_bh_schedule(data1.bh);
     g_assert_cmpint(data1.n, ==, 0);
 
-    wait_for_aio();
+    while (data1.n < data1.max) {
+        aio_poll(ctx, true);
+    }
     g_assert_cmpint(data1.n, ==, data1.max);
     g_assert(data1.bh == NULL);
 
@@ -287,7 +283,12 @@ static void test_bh_delete_from_cb_many(void)
     g_assert_cmpint(data4.n, ==, 1);
     g_assert(data1.bh == NULL);
 
-    wait_for_aio();
+    while (data1.n < data1.max ||
+           data2.n < data2.max ||
+           data3.n < data3.max ||
+           data4.n < data4.max) {
+        aio_poll(ctx, true);
+    }
     g_assert_cmpint(data1.n, ==, data1.max);
     g_assert_cmpint(data2.n, ==, data2.max);
     g_assert_cmpint(data3.n, ==, data3.max);
@@ -306,7 +307,7 @@ static void test_bh_flush(void)
     qemu_bh_schedule(data.bh);
     g_assert_cmpint(data.n, ==, 0);
 
-    wait_for_aio();
+    g_assert(aio_poll(ctx, true));
     g_assert_cmpint(data.n, ==, 1);
 
     g_assert(!aio_poll(ctx, false));