diff --git a/hw/i386/intel_iommu.c b/hw/i386/intel_iommu.c
index a70aa8494e..1655a65bce 100644
--- a/hw/i386/intel_iommu.c
+++ b/hw/i386/intel_iommu.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "hw/pci-host/q35.h"
 #include "sysemu/kvm.h"
 #include "hw/i386/apic_internal.h"
+#include "kvm_i386.h"
 
 /*#define DEBUG_INTEL_IOMMU*/
 #ifdef DEBUG_INTEL_IOMMU
@@ -2015,6 +2016,7 @@ static Property vtd_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("version", IntelIOMMUState, version, 0),
     DEFINE_PROP_ON_OFF_AUTO("eim", IntelIOMMUState, intr_eim,
                             ON_OFF_AUTO_AUTO),
+    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("x-buggy-eim", IntelIOMMUState, buggy_eim, false),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
@@ -2484,9 +2486,21 @@ static bool vtd_decide_config(IntelIOMMUState *s, Error **errp)
     }
 
     if (s->intr_eim == ON_OFF_AUTO_AUTO) {
-        s->intr_eim = x86_iommu->intr_supported ?
+        s->intr_eim = (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() || s->buggy_eim)
+                      && x86_iommu->intr_supported ?
                                               ON_OFF_AUTO_ON : ON_OFF_AUTO_OFF;
     }
+    if (s->intr_eim == ON_OFF_AUTO_ON && !s->buggy_eim) {
+        if (!kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+            error_setg(errp, "eim=on requires accel=kvm,kernel-irqchip=split");
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (!kvm_enable_x2apic()) {
+            error_setg(errp, "eim=on requires support on the KVM side"
+                             "(X2APIC_API, first shipped in v4.7)");
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
 
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/include/hw/compat.h b/include/hw/compat.h
index ef3fae3e1b..0f06e113be 100644
--- a/include/hw/compat.h
+++ b/include/hw/compat.h
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
         .driver   = "ioapic",\
         .property = "version",\
         .value    = "0x11",\
+    },{\
+        .driver   = "intel-iommu",\
+        .property = "x-buggy-eim",\
+        .value    = "true",\
     },
 
 #define HW_COMPAT_2_6 \
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/intel_iommu.h b/include/hw/i386/intel_iommu.h
index b5ac60927b..1989c1eec1 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/intel_iommu.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/intel_iommu.h
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ struct IntelIOMMUState {
     uint32_t intr_size;             /* Number of IR table entries */
     bool intr_eime;                 /* Extended interrupt mode enabled */
     OnOffAuto intr_eim;             /* Toggle for EIM cabability */
+    bool buggy_eim;                 /* Force buggy EIM unless eim=off */
 };
 
 /* Find the VTD Address space associated with the given bus pointer,
diff --git a/target-i386/kvm-stub.c b/target-i386/kvm-stub.c
index cdf1506109..bda4dc2f0c 100644
--- a/target-i386/kvm-stub.c
+++ b/target-i386/kvm-stub.c
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ bool kvm_has_smm(void)
     return 1;
 }
 
+bool kvm_enable_x2apic(void)
+{
+    return false;
+}
+
 /* This function is only called inside conditionals which we
  * rely on the compiler to optimize out when CONFIG_KVM is not
  * defined.
diff --git a/target-i386/kvm.c b/target-i386/kvm.c
index ee1f53e569..0fd6646486 100644
--- a/target-i386/kvm.c
+++ b/target-i386/kvm.c
@@ -122,6 +122,19 @@ bool kvm_allows_irq0_override(void)
     return !kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() || kvm_has_gsi_routing();
 }
 
+static bool kvm_x2apic_api_set_flags(uint64_t flags)
+{
+    KVMState *s = KVM_STATE(current_machine->accelerator);
+
+    return !kvm_vm_enable_cap(s, KVM_CAP_X2APIC_API, 0, flags);
+}
+
+bool kvm_enable_x2apic(void)
+{
+    return kvm_x2apic_api_set_flags(KVM_X2APIC_API_USE_32BIT_IDS |
+                                    KVM_X2APIC_API_DISABLE_BROADCAST_QUIRK);
+}
+
 static int kvm_get_tsc(CPUState *cs)
 {
     X86CPU *cpu = X86_CPU(cs);
diff --git a/target-i386/kvm_i386.h b/target-i386/kvm_i386.h
index 36407e0a5d..5c369b1c5b 100644
--- a/target-i386/kvm_i386.h
+++ b/target-i386/kvm_i386.h
@@ -43,4 +43,5 @@ int kvm_device_msix_deassign(KVMState *s, uint32_t dev_id);
 
 void kvm_put_apicbase(X86CPU *cpu, uint64_t value);
 
+bool kvm_enable_x2apic(void);
 #endif