diff --git a/sysemu.h b/sysemu.h
index bd830e514..909045788 100644
--- a/sysemu.h
+++ b/sysemu.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ void do_info_snapshots(Monitor *mon);
 
 void qemu_announce_self(void);
 
-void main_loop_wait(int nonblocking);
+int main_loop_wait(int nonblocking);
 
 bool qemu_savevm_state_blocked(Monitor *mon);
 int qemu_savevm_state_begin(Monitor *mon, QEMUFile *f, int blk_enable,
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index c52937a15..9cd67a374 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -1321,7 +1321,7 @@ void qemu_system_vmstop_request(int reason)
     qemu_notify_event();
 }
 
-void main_loop_wait(int nonblocking)
+int main_loop_wait(int nonblocking)
 {
     fd_set rfds, wfds, xfds;
     int ret, nfds;
@@ -1368,6 +1368,7 @@ void main_loop_wait(int nonblocking)
        them.  */
     qemu_bh_poll();
 
+    return ret;
 }
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_IOTHREAD
@@ -1385,7 +1386,8 @@ qemu_irq qemu_system_powerdown;
 
 static void main_loop(void)
 {
-    bool nonblocking = false;
+    bool nonblocking;
+    int last_io __attribute__ ((unused)) = 0;
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
     int64_t ti;
 #endif
@@ -1394,7 +1396,9 @@ static void main_loop(void)
     qemu_main_loop_start();
 
     for (;;) {
-#ifndef CONFIG_IOTHREAD
+#ifdef CONFIG_IOTHREAD
+        nonblocking = !kvm_enabled() && last_io > 0;
+#else
         nonblocking = cpu_exec_all();
         if (vm_request_pending()) {
             nonblocking = true;
@@ -1403,7 +1407,7 @@ static void main_loop(void)
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
         ti = profile_getclock();
 #endif
-        main_loop_wait(nonblocking);
+        last_io = main_loop_wait(nonblocking);
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
         dev_time += profile_getclock() - ti;
 #endif