diff --git a/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c b/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c
index ded918c443..d1691be989 100644
--- a/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c
+++ b/accel/hvf/hvf-accel-ops.c
@@ -205,39 +205,26 @@ static void hvf_cpu_synchronize_state(CPUState *cpu)
     }
 }
 
-static void do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_reset(CPUState *cpu,
-                                              run_on_cpu_data arg)
+static void do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_set_dirty(CPUState *cpu,
+                                             run_on_cpu_data arg)
 {
-    hvf_put_registers(cpu);
-    cpu->vcpu_dirty = false;
+    /* QEMU state is the reference, push it to HVF now and on next entry */
+    cpu->vcpu_dirty = true;
 }
 
 static void hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_reset(CPUState *cpu)
 {
-    run_on_cpu(cpu, do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_reset, RUN_ON_CPU_NULL);
-}
-
-static void do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_init(CPUState *cpu,
-                                             run_on_cpu_data arg)
-{
-    hvf_put_registers(cpu);
-    cpu->vcpu_dirty = false;
+    run_on_cpu(cpu, do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_set_dirty, RUN_ON_CPU_NULL);
 }
 
 static void hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_init(CPUState *cpu)
 {
-    run_on_cpu(cpu, do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_post_init, RUN_ON_CPU_NULL);
-}
-
-static void do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_pre_loadvm(CPUState *cpu,
-                                              run_on_cpu_data arg)
-{
-    cpu->vcpu_dirty = true;
+    run_on_cpu(cpu, do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_set_dirty, RUN_ON_CPU_NULL);
 }
 
 static void hvf_cpu_synchronize_pre_loadvm(CPUState *cpu)
 {
-    run_on_cpu(cpu, do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_pre_loadvm, RUN_ON_CPU_NULL);
+    run_on_cpu(cpu, do_hvf_cpu_synchronize_set_dirty, RUN_ON_CPU_NULL);
 }
 
 static void hvf_set_dirty_tracking(MemoryRegionSection *section, bool on)
diff --git a/target/i386/hvf/x86hvf.c b/target/i386/hvf/x86hvf.c
index 28cfee4f60..2ced2c2478 100644
--- a/target/i386/hvf/x86hvf.c
+++ b/target/i386/hvf/x86hvf.c
@@ -433,7 +433,10 @@ int hvf_process_events(CPUState *cpu_state)
     X86CPU *cpu = X86_CPU(cpu_state);
     CPUX86State *env = &cpu->env;
 
-    env->eflags = rreg(cpu_state->hvf->fd, HV_X86_RFLAGS);
+    if (!cpu_state->vcpu_dirty) {
+        /* light weight sync for CPU_INTERRUPT_HARD and IF_MASK */
+        env->eflags = rreg(cpu_state->hvf->fd, HV_X86_RFLAGS);
+    }
 
     if (cpu_state->interrupt_request & CPU_INTERRUPT_INIT) {
         cpu_synchronize_state(cpu_state);