diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
index 08a84f801bfe..c1dcaa3d2d6e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
@@ -1324,7 +1324,6 @@ struct kvm_arch {
 	 * the thread holds the MMU lock in write mode.
 	 */
 	spinlock_t tdp_mmu_pages_lock;
-	struct workqueue_struct *tdp_mmu_zap_wq;
 #endif /* CONFIG_X86_64 */
 
 	/*
@@ -1727,7 +1726,7 @@ void kvm_mmu_vendor_module_exit(void);
 
 void kvm_mmu_destroy(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 int kvm_mmu_create(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
-int kvm_mmu_init_vm(struct kvm *kvm);
+void kvm_mmu_init_vm(struct kvm *kvm);
 void kvm_mmu_uninit_vm(struct kvm *kvm);
 
 void kvm_mmu_after_set_cpuid(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c
index 2a6fec4e2d19..d30325e297a0 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c
@@ -5994,19 +5994,16 @@ static void kvm_mmu_invalidate_zap_pages_in_memslot(struct kvm *kvm,
 	kvm_mmu_zap_all_fast(kvm);
 }
 
-int kvm_mmu_init_vm(struct kvm *kvm)
+void kvm_mmu_init_vm(struct kvm *kvm)
 {
 	struct kvm_page_track_notifier_node *node = &kvm->arch.mmu_sp_tracker;
-	int r;
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&kvm->arch.active_mmu_pages);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&kvm->arch.zapped_obsolete_pages);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&kvm->arch.lpage_disallowed_mmu_pages);
 	spin_lock_init(&kvm->arch.mmu_unsync_pages_lock);
 
-	r = kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(kvm);
-	if (r < 0)
-		return r;
+	kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(kvm);
 
 	node->track_write = kvm_mmu_pte_write;
 	node->track_flush_slot = kvm_mmu_invalidate_zap_pages_in_memslot;
@@ -6019,8 +6016,6 @@ int kvm_mmu_init_vm(struct kvm *kvm)
 
 	kvm->arch.split_desc_cache.kmem_cache = pte_list_desc_cache;
 	kvm->arch.split_desc_cache.gfp_zero = __GFP_ZERO;
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 static void mmu_free_vm_memory_caches(struct kvm *kvm)
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu_internal.h b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu_internal.h
index 582def531d4d..0a9d5f2925c3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu_internal.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu_internal.h
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ struct kvm_mmu_page {
 
 	bool tdp_mmu_page;
 	bool unsync;
-	u8 mmu_valid_gen;
+	union {
+		u8 mmu_valid_gen;
+
+		/* Only accessed under slots_lock.  */
+		bool tdp_mmu_scheduled_root_to_zap;
+	};
 	bool lpage_disallowed; /* Can't be replaced by an equiv large page */
 
 	/*
@@ -92,13 +97,7 @@ struct kvm_mmu_page {
 		struct kvm_rmap_head parent_ptes; /* rmap pointers to parent sptes */
 		tdp_ptep_t ptep;
 	};
-	union {
-		DECLARE_BITMAP(unsync_child_bitmap, 512);
-		struct {
-			struct work_struct tdp_mmu_async_work;
-			void *tdp_mmu_async_data;
-		};
-	};
+	DECLARE_BITMAP(unsync_child_bitmap, 512);
 
 	struct list_head lpage_disallowed_link;
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_32
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c
index 9b9fc4e834d0..c3b0f973375b 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c
@@ -14,24 +14,16 @@ static bool __read_mostly tdp_mmu_enabled = true;
 module_param_named(tdp_mmu, tdp_mmu_enabled, bool, 0644);
 
 /* Initializes the TDP MMU for the VM, if enabled. */
-int kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm)
+void kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm)
 {
-	struct workqueue_struct *wq;
-
 	if (!tdp_enabled || !READ_ONCE(tdp_mmu_enabled))
-		return 0;
-
-	wq = alloc_workqueue("kvm", WQ_UNBOUND|WQ_MEM_RECLAIM|WQ_CPU_INTENSIVE, 0);
-	if (!wq)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return;
 
 	/* This should not be changed for the lifetime of the VM. */
 	kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_enabled = true;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_roots);
 	spin_lock_init(&kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_pages_lock);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_pages);
-	kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_zap_wq = wq;
-	return 1;
 }
 
 /* Arbitrarily returns true so that this may be used in if statements. */
@@ -57,20 +49,15 @@ void kvm_mmu_uninit_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm)
 	 * ultimately frees all roots.
 	 */
 	kvm_tdp_mmu_invalidate_all_roots(kvm);
-
-	/*
-	 * Destroying a workqueue also first flushes the workqueue, i.e. no
-	 * need to invoke kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_invalidated_roots().
-	 */
-	destroy_workqueue(kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_zap_wq);
+	kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_invalidated_roots(kvm);
 
 	WARN_ON(!list_empty(&kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_pages));
 	WARN_ON(!list_empty(&kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_roots));
 
 	/*
 	 * Ensure that all the outstanding RCU callbacks to free shadow pages
-	 * can run before the VM is torn down.  Work items on tdp_mmu_zap_wq
-	 * can call kvm_tdp_mmu_put_root and create new callbacks.
+	 * can run before the VM is torn down.  Putting the last reference to
+	 * zapped roots will create new callbacks.
 	 */
 	rcu_barrier();
 }
@@ -97,46 +84,6 @@ static void tdp_mmu_free_sp_rcu_callback(struct rcu_head *head)
 	tdp_mmu_free_sp(sp);
 }
 
-static void tdp_mmu_zap_root(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_mmu_page *root,
-			     bool shared);
-
-static void tdp_mmu_zap_root_work(struct work_struct *work)
-{
-	struct kvm_mmu_page *root = container_of(work, struct kvm_mmu_page,
-						 tdp_mmu_async_work);
-	struct kvm *kvm = root->tdp_mmu_async_data;
-
-	read_lock(&kvm->mmu_lock);
-
-	/*
-	 * A TLB flush is not necessary as KVM performs a local TLB flush when
-	 * allocating a new root (see kvm_mmu_load()), and when migrating vCPU
-	 * to a different pCPU.  Note, the local TLB flush on reuse also
-	 * invalidates any paging-structure-cache entries, i.e. TLB entries for
-	 * intermediate paging structures, that may be zapped, as such entries
-	 * are associated with the ASID on both VMX and SVM.
-	 */
-	tdp_mmu_zap_root(kvm, root, true);
-
-	/*
-	 * Drop the refcount using kvm_tdp_mmu_put_root() to test its logic for
-	 * avoiding an infinite loop.  By design, the root is reachable while
-	 * it's being asynchronously zapped, thus a different task can put its
-	 * last reference, i.e. flowing through kvm_tdp_mmu_put_root() for an
-	 * asynchronously zapped root is unavoidable.
-	 */
-	kvm_tdp_mmu_put_root(kvm, root, true);
-
-	read_unlock(&kvm->mmu_lock);
-}
-
-static void tdp_mmu_schedule_zap_root(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_mmu_page *root)
-{
-	root->tdp_mmu_async_data = kvm;
-	INIT_WORK(&root->tdp_mmu_async_work, tdp_mmu_zap_root_work);
-	queue_work(kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_zap_wq, &root->tdp_mmu_async_work);
-}
-
 void kvm_tdp_mmu_put_root(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_mmu_page *root,
 			  bool shared)
 {
@@ -222,11 +169,11 @@ static struct kvm_mmu_page *tdp_mmu_next_root(struct kvm *kvm,
 #define for_each_valid_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(_kvm, _root, _as_id, _shared)	\
 	__for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(_kvm, _root, _as_id, _shared, true)
 
-#define for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(_kvm, _root)			\
-	for (_root = tdp_mmu_next_root(_kvm, NULL, false, false);		\
+#define for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(_kvm, _root, _shared)			\
+	for (_root = tdp_mmu_next_root(_kvm, NULL, _shared, false);		\
 	     _root;								\
-	     _root = tdp_mmu_next_root(_kvm, _root, false, false))		\
-		if (!kvm_lockdep_assert_mmu_lock_held(_kvm, false)) {		\
+	     _root = tdp_mmu_next_root(_kvm, _root, _shared, false))		\
+		if (!kvm_lockdep_assert_mmu_lock_held(_kvm, _shared)) {		\
 		} else
 
 /*
@@ -305,7 +252,7 @@ hpa_t kvm_tdp_mmu_get_vcpu_root_hpa(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	 * by a memslot update or by the destruction of the VM.  Initialize the
 	 * refcount to two; one reference for the vCPU, and one reference for
 	 * the TDP MMU itself, which is held until the root is invalidated and
-	 * is ultimately put by tdp_mmu_zap_root_work().
+	 * is ultimately put by kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_invalidated_roots().
 	 */
 	refcount_set(&root->tdp_mmu_root_count, 2);
 
@@ -963,7 +910,7 @@ bool kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_leafs(struct kvm *kvm, gfn_t start, gfn_t end, bool flush)
 {
 	struct kvm_mmu_page *root;
 
-	for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(kvm, root)
+	for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(kvm, root, false)
 		flush = tdp_mmu_zap_leafs(kvm, root, start, end, true, flush);
 
 	return flush;
@@ -985,7 +932,7 @@ void kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_all(struct kvm *kvm)
 	 * is being destroyed or the userspace VMM has exited.  In both cases,
 	 * KVM_RUN is unreachable, i.e. no vCPUs will ever service the request.
 	 */
-	for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(kvm, root)
+	for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(kvm, root, false)
 		tdp_mmu_zap_root(kvm, root, false);
 }
 
@@ -995,18 +942,47 @@ void kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_all(struct kvm *kvm)
  */
 void kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_invalidated_roots(struct kvm *kvm)
 {
-	flush_workqueue(kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_zap_wq);
+	struct kvm_mmu_page *root;
+
+	read_lock(&kvm->mmu_lock);
+
+	for_each_tdp_mmu_root_yield_safe(kvm, root, true) {
+		if (!root->tdp_mmu_scheduled_root_to_zap)
+			continue;
+
+		root->tdp_mmu_scheduled_root_to_zap = false;
+		KVM_BUG_ON(!root->role.invalid, kvm);
+
+		/*
+		 * A TLB flush is not necessary as KVM performs a local TLB
+		 * flush when allocating a new root (see kvm_mmu_load()), and
+		 * when migrating a vCPU to a different pCPU.  Note, the local
+		 * TLB flush on reuse also invalidates paging-structure-cache
+		 * entries, i.e. TLB entries for intermediate paging structures,
+		 * that may be zapped, as such entries are associated with the
+		 * ASID on both VMX and SVM.
+		 */
+		tdp_mmu_zap_root(kvm, root, true);
+
+		/*
+		 * The referenced needs to be put *after* zapping the root, as
+		 * the root must be reachable by mmu_notifiers while it's being
+		 * zapped
+		 */
+		kvm_tdp_mmu_put_root(kvm, root, true);
+	}
+
+	read_unlock(&kvm->mmu_lock);
 }
 
 /*
  * Mark each TDP MMU root as invalid to prevent vCPUs from reusing a root that
  * is about to be zapped, e.g. in response to a memslots update.  The actual
- * zapping is performed asynchronously.  Using a separate workqueue makes it
- * easy to ensure that the destruction is performed before the "fast zap"
- * completes, without keeping a separate list of invalidated roots; the list is
- * effectively the list of work items in the workqueue.
+ * zapping is done separately so that it happens with mmu_lock with read,
+ * whereas invalidating roots must be done with mmu_lock held for write (unless
+ * the VM is being destroyed).
  *
- * Note, the asynchronous worker is gifted the TDP MMU's reference.
+ * Note, kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_invalidated_roots() is gifted the TDP MMU's reference.
  * See kvm_tdp_mmu_get_vcpu_root_hpa().
  */
 void kvm_tdp_mmu_invalidate_all_roots(struct kvm *kvm)
@@ -1031,19 +1007,20 @@ void kvm_tdp_mmu_invalidate_all_roots(struct kvm *kvm)
 	/*
 	 * As above, mmu_lock isn't held when destroying the VM!  There can't
 	 * be other references to @kvm, i.e. nothing else can invalidate roots
-	 * or be consuming roots, but walking the list of roots does need to be
-	 * guarded against roots being deleted by the asynchronous zap worker.
+	 * or get/put references to roots.
 	 */
-	rcu_read_lock();
-
-	list_for_each_entry_rcu(root, &kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_roots, link) {
+	list_for_each_entry(root, &kvm->arch.tdp_mmu_roots, link) {
+		/*
+		 * Note, invalid roots can outlive a memslot update!  Invalid
+		 * roots must be *zapped* before the memslot update completes,
+		 * but a different task can acquire a reference and keep the
+		 * root alive after its been zapped.
+		 */
 		if (!root->role.invalid) {
+			root->tdp_mmu_scheduled_root_to_zap = true;
 			root->role.invalid = true;
-			tdp_mmu_schedule_zap_root(kvm, root);
 		}
 	}
-
-	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.h b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.h
index d0a9fe0770fd..c82a8bb321bb 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ u64 *kvm_tdp_mmu_fast_pf_get_last_sptep(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u64 addr,
 					u64 *spte);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_64
-int kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm);
+void kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm);
 void kvm_mmu_uninit_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm);
 static inline bool is_tdp_mmu_page(struct kvm_mmu_page *sp) { return sp->tdp_mmu_page; }
 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ static inline bool is_tdp_mmu(struct kvm_mmu *mmu)
 	return sp && is_tdp_mmu_page(sp) && sp->root_count;
 }
 #else
-static inline int kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm) { return 0; }
+static inline void kvm_mmu_init_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm) {}
 static inline void kvm_mmu_uninit_tdp_mmu(struct kvm *kvm) {}
 static inline bool is_tdp_mmu_page(struct kvm_mmu_page *sp) { return false; }
 static inline bool is_tdp_mmu(struct kvm_mmu *mmu) { return false; }
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
index 1931d3fcbbe0..b929254c7876 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
@@ -12442,9 +12442,7 @@ int kvm_arch_init_vm(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long type)
 	if (ret)
 		goto out;
 
-	ret = kvm_mmu_init_vm(kvm);
-	if (ret)
-		goto out_page_track;
+	kvm_mmu_init_vm(kvm);
 
 	ret = static_call(kvm_x86_vm_init)(kvm);
 	if (ret)
@@ -12489,7 +12487,6 @@ int kvm_arch_init_vm(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long type)
 
 out_uninit_mmu:
 	kvm_mmu_uninit_vm(kvm);
-out_page_track:
 	kvm_page_track_cleanup(kvm);
 out:
 	return ret;
