diff --git a/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c b/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c
index 89c8cd96670b..cd001c580e89 100644
--- a/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c
+++ b/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c
@@ -148,12 +148,19 @@ static void spapr_xive_end_pic_print_info(SpaprXive *xive, XiveEND *end,
     xive_end_queue_pic_print_info(end, 6, mon);
 }
 
+/*
+ * kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() will cause the compiler to turn this
+ * info a nop if CONFIG_KVM isn't defined.
+ */
+#define spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive) \
+    (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() && (xive)->fd != -1)
+
 void spapr_xive_pic_print_info(SpaprXive *xive, Monitor *mon)
 {
     XiveSource *xsrc = &xive->source;
     int i;
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         kvmppc_xive_synchronize_state(xive, &local_err);
@@ -507,8 +514,10 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_spapr_xive_eas = {
 
 static int vmstate_spapr_xive_pre_save(void *opaque)
 {
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
-        return kvmppc_xive_pre_save(SPAPR_XIVE(opaque));
+    SpaprXive *xive = SPAPR_XIVE(opaque);
+
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
+        return kvmppc_xive_pre_save(xive);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -520,8 +529,10 @@ static int vmstate_spapr_xive_pre_save(void *opaque)
  */
 static int spapr_xive_post_load(SpaprInterruptController *intc, int version_id)
 {
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
-        return kvmppc_xive_post_load(SPAPR_XIVE(intc), version_id);
+    SpaprXive *xive = SPAPR_XIVE(intc);
+
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
+        return kvmppc_xive_post_load(xive, version_id);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -564,7 +575,7 @@ static int spapr_xive_claim_irq(SpaprInterruptController *intc, int lisn,
         xive_source_irq_set_lsi(xsrc, lisn);
     }
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         return kvmppc_xive_source_reset_one(xsrc, lisn, errp);
     }
 
@@ -641,7 +652,7 @@ static void spapr_xive_set_irq(SpaprInterruptController *intc, int irq, int val)
 {
     SpaprXive *xive = SPAPR_XIVE(intc);
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         kvmppc_xive_source_set_irq(&xive->source, irq, val);
     } else {
         xive_source_set_irq(&xive->source, irq, val);
@@ -749,11 +760,21 @@ static void spapr_xive_deactivate(SpaprInterruptController *intc)
 
     spapr_xive_mmio_set_enabled(xive, false);
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         kvmppc_xive_disconnect(intc);
     }
 }
 
+static bool spapr_xive_in_kernel_xptr(const XivePresenter *xptr)
+{
+    return spapr_xive_in_kernel(SPAPR_XIVE(xptr));
+}
+
+static bool spapr_xive_in_kernel_xn(const XiveNotifier *xn)
+{
+    return spapr_xive_in_kernel(SPAPR_XIVE(xn));
+}
+
 static void spapr_xive_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -761,6 +782,7 @@ static void spapr_xive_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     SpaprInterruptControllerClass *sicc = SPAPR_INTC_CLASS(klass);
     XivePresenterClass *xpc = XIVE_PRESENTER_CLASS(klass);
     SpaprXiveClass *sxc = SPAPR_XIVE_CLASS(klass);
+    XiveNotifierClass *xnc = XIVE_NOTIFIER_CLASS(klass);
 
     dc->desc    = "sPAPR XIVE Interrupt Controller";
     device_class_set_props(dc, spapr_xive_properties);
@@ -788,6 +810,9 @@ static void spapr_xive_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     sicc->post_load = spapr_xive_post_load;
 
     xpc->match_nvt  = spapr_xive_match_nvt;
+    xpc->in_kernel  = spapr_xive_in_kernel_xptr;
+
+    xnc->in_kernel  = spapr_xive_in_kernel_xn;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo spapr_xive_info = {
@@ -1058,7 +1083,7 @@ static target_ulong h_int_set_source_config(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
         new_eas.w = xive_set_field64(EAS_END_DATA, new_eas.w, eisn);
     }
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         kvmppc_xive_set_source_config(xive, lisn, &new_eas, &local_err);
@@ -1379,7 +1404,7 @@ static target_ulong h_int_set_queue_config(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
      */
 
 out:
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         kvmppc_xive_set_queue_config(xive, end_blk, end_idx, &end, &local_err);
@@ -1480,7 +1505,7 @@ static target_ulong h_int_get_queue_config(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
         args[2] = 0;
     }
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         kvmppc_xive_get_queue_config(xive, end_blk, end_idx, end, &local_err);
@@ -1642,7 +1667,7 @@ static target_ulong h_int_esb(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
         return H_P3;
     }
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         args[0] = kvmppc_xive_esb_rw(xsrc, lisn, offset, data,
                                      flags & SPAPR_XIVE_ESB_STORE);
     } else {
@@ -1717,7 +1742,7 @@ static target_ulong h_int_sync(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
      * under KVM
      */
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         kvmppc_xive_sync_source(xive, lisn, &local_err);
@@ -1761,7 +1786,7 @@ static target_ulong h_int_reset(PowerPCCPU *cpu,
 
     device_legacy_reset(DEVICE(xive));
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (spapr_xive_in_kernel(xive)) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         kvmppc_xive_reset(xive, &local_err);
diff --git a/hw/intc/xive.c b/hw/intc/xive.c
index 9b55e0356c62..27d27fdc9ee4 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xive.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xive.c
@@ -592,6 +592,17 @@ static const char * const xive_tctx_ring_names[] = {
     "USER", "OS", "POOL", "PHYS",
 };
 
+/*
+ * kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() will cause the compiler to turn this
+ * info a nop if CONFIG_KVM isn't defined.
+ */
+#define xive_in_kernel(xptr)                                  \
+    (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel() &&                                         \
+     ({                                                                 \
+         XivePresenterClass *xpc = XIVE_PRESENTER_GET_CLASS(xptr);      \
+         xpc->in_kernel ? xpc->in_kernel(xptr) : false;                 \
+     }))
+
 void xive_tctx_pic_print_info(XiveTCTX *tctx, Monitor *mon)
 {
     int cpu_index;
@@ -606,7 +617,7 @@ void xive_tctx_pic_print_info(XiveTCTX *tctx, Monitor *mon)
 
     cpu_index = tctx->cs ? tctx->cs->cpu_index : -1;
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (xive_in_kernel(tctx->xptr)) {
         Error *local_err = NULL;
 
         kvmppc_xive_cpu_synchronize_state(tctx, &local_err);
@@ -671,7 +682,7 @@ static void xive_tctx_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     }
 
     /* Connect the presenter to the VCPU (required for CPU hotplug) */
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (xive_in_kernel(tctx->xptr)) {
         kvmppc_xive_cpu_connect(tctx, &local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_propagate(errp, local_err);
@@ -682,10 +693,11 @@ static void xive_tctx_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
 static int vmstate_xive_tctx_pre_save(void *opaque)
 {
+    XiveTCTX *tctx = XIVE_TCTX(opaque);
     Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
-        kvmppc_xive_cpu_get_state(XIVE_TCTX(opaque), &local_err);
+    if (xive_in_kernel(tctx->xptr)) {
+        kvmppc_xive_cpu_get_state(tctx, &local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_report_err(local_err);
             return -1;
@@ -697,14 +709,15 @@ static int vmstate_xive_tctx_pre_save(void *opaque)
 
 static int vmstate_xive_tctx_post_load(void *opaque, int version_id)
 {
+    XiveTCTX *tctx = XIVE_TCTX(opaque);
     Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (xive_in_kernel(tctx->xptr)) {
         /*
          * Required for hotplugged CPU, for which the state comes
          * after all states of the machine.
          */
-        kvmppc_xive_cpu_set_state(XIVE_TCTX(opaque), &local_err);
+        kvmppc_xive_cpu_set_state(tctx, &local_err);
         if (local_err) {
             error_report_err(local_err);
             return -1;
@@ -1128,6 +1141,7 @@ static void xive_source_reset(void *dev)
 static void xive_source_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     XiveSource *xsrc = XIVE_SOURCE(dev);
+    XiveNotifierClass *xnc = XIVE_NOTIFIER_GET_CLASS(xsrc->xive);
 
     assert(xsrc->xive);
 
@@ -1147,7 +1161,7 @@ static void xive_source_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     xsrc->status = g_malloc0(xsrc->nr_irqs);
     xsrc->lsi_map = bitmap_new(xsrc->nr_irqs);
 
-    if (!kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+    if (!xnc->in_kernel || !xnc->in_kernel(xsrc->xive)) {
         memory_region_init_io(&xsrc->esb_mmio, OBJECT(xsrc),
                               &xive_source_esb_ops, xsrc, "xive.esb",
                               (1ull << xsrc->esb_shift) * xsrc->nr_irqs);
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/xive.h b/include/hw/ppc/xive.h
index 705cf48176fc..aa46e3fcf512 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/xive.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/xive.h
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ typedef struct XiveNotifier XiveNotifier;
 typedef struct XiveNotifierClass {
     InterfaceClass parent;
     void (*notify)(XiveNotifier *xn, uint32_t lisn);
+    bool (*in_kernel)(const XiveNotifier *xn);
 } XiveNotifierClass;
 
 /*
@@ -396,6 +397,7 @@ typedef struct XivePresenterClass {
                      uint8_t nvt_blk, uint32_t nvt_idx,
                      bool cam_ignore, uint8_t priority,
                      uint32_t logic_serv, XiveTCTXMatch *match);
+    bool (*in_kernel)(const XivePresenter *xptr);
 } XivePresenterClass;
 
 int xive_presenter_tctx_match(XivePresenter *xptr, XiveTCTX *tctx,
