diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
index a87a6c98adee..20bb2fc0883a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
@@ -473,6 +473,20 @@ struct kvm_pmu {
 	struct kvm_pmc fixed_counters[INTEL_PMC_MAX_FIXED];
 	struct irq_work irq_work;
 	DECLARE_BITMAP(reprogram_pmi, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
+	DECLARE_BITMAP(all_valid_pmc_idx, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
+	DECLARE_BITMAP(pmc_in_use, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
+
+	/*
+	 * The gate to release perf_events not marked in
+	 * pmc_in_use only once in a vcpu time slice.
+	 */
+	bool need_cleanup;
+
+	/*
+	 * The total number of programmed perf_events and it helps to avoid
+	 * redundant check before cleanup if guest don't use vPMU at all.
+	 */
+	u8 event_count;
 };
 
 struct kvm_pmu_ops;
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.c b/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.c
index 99565de5410a..d5e6d5b3f06f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.c
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ static void pmc_reprogram_counter(struct kvm_pmc *pmc, u32 type,
 	}
 
 	pmc->perf_event = event;
+	pmc_to_pmu(pmc)->event_count++;
 	clear_bit(pmc->idx, pmc_to_pmu(pmc)->reprogram_pmi);
 }
 
@@ -304,6 +305,14 @@ void kvm_pmu_handle_event(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 
 		reprogram_counter(pmu, bit);
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Unused perf_events are only released if the corresponding MSRs
+	 * weren't accessed during the last vCPU time slice. kvm_arch_sched_in
+	 * triggers KVM_REQ_PMU if cleanup is needed.
+	 */
+	if (unlikely(pmu->need_cleanup))
+		kvm_pmu_cleanup(vcpu);
 }
 
 /* check if idx is a valid index to access PMU */
@@ -379,6 +388,15 @@ bool kvm_pmu_is_valid_msr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u32 msr)
 		kvm_x86_ops->pmu_ops->is_valid_msr(vcpu, msr);
 }
 
+static void kvm_pmu_mark_pmc_in_use(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u32 msr)
+{
+	struct kvm_pmu *pmu = vcpu_to_pmu(vcpu);
+	struct kvm_pmc *pmc = kvm_x86_ops->pmu_ops->msr_idx_to_pmc(vcpu, msr);
+
+	if (pmc)
+		__set_bit(pmc->idx, pmu->pmc_in_use);
+}
+
 int kvm_pmu_get_msr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u32 msr, u64 *data)
 {
 	return kvm_x86_ops->pmu_ops->get_msr(vcpu, msr, data);
@@ -386,6 +404,7 @@ int kvm_pmu_get_msr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u32 msr, u64 *data)
 
 int kvm_pmu_set_msr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, struct msr_data *msr_info)
 {
+	kvm_pmu_mark_pmc_in_use(vcpu, msr_info->index);
 	return kvm_x86_ops->pmu_ops->set_msr(vcpu, msr_info);
 }
 
@@ -413,9 +432,45 @@ void kvm_pmu_init(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	memset(pmu, 0, sizeof(*pmu));
 	kvm_x86_ops->pmu_ops->init(vcpu);
 	init_irq_work(&pmu->irq_work, kvm_pmi_trigger_fn);
+	pmu->event_count = 0;
+	pmu->need_cleanup = false;
 	kvm_pmu_refresh(vcpu);
 }
 
+static inline bool pmc_speculative_in_use(struct kvm_pmc *pmc)
+{
+	struct kvm_pmu *pmu = pmc_to_pmu(pmc);
+
+	if (pmc_is_fixed(pmc))
+		return fixed_ctrl_field(pmu->fixed_ctr_ctrl,
+			pmc->idx - INTEL_PMC_IDX_FIXED) & 0x3;
+
+	return pmc->eventsel & ARCH_PERFMON_EVENTSEL_ENABLE;
+}
+
+/* Release perf_events for vPMCs that have been unused for a full time slice.  */
+void kvm_pmu_cleanup(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+{
+	struct kvm_pmu *pmu = vcpu_to_pmu(vcpu);
+	struct kvm_pmc *pmc = NULL;
+	DECLARE_BITMAP(bitmask, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
+	int i;
+
+	pmu->need_cleanup = false;
+
+	bitmap_andnot(bitmask, pmu->all_valid_pmc_idx,
+		      pmu->pmc_in_use, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
+
+	for_each_set_bit(i, bitmask, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX) {
+		pmc = kvm_x86_ops->pmu_ops->pmc_idx_to_pmc(pmu, i);
+
+		if (pmc && pmc->perf_event && !pmc_speculative_in_use(pmc))
+			pmc_stop_counter(pmc);
+	}
+
+	bitmap_zero(pmu->pmc_in_use, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
+}
+
 void kvm_pmu_destroy(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 {
 	kvm_pmu_reset(vcpu);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.h b/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.h
index 7eba298587dc..b7a625874203 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/pmu.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ static inline void pmc_release_perf_event(struct kvm_pmc *pmc)
 		perf_event_release_kernel(pmc->perf_event);
 		pmc->perf_event = NULL;
 		pmc->current_config = 0;
+		pmc_to_pmu(pmc)->event_count--;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ int kvm_pmu_set_msr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, struct msr_data *msr_info);
 void kvm_pmu_refresh(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void kvm_pmu_reset(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void kvm_pmu_init(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
+void kvm_pmu_cleanup(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 void kvm_pmu_destroy(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
 int kvm_vm_ioctl_set_pmu_event_filter(struct kvm *kvm, void __user *argp);
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/pmu_amd.c b/arch/x86/kvm/pmu_amd.c
index e87d34136047..ce0b10fe5e2b 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/pmu_amd.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/pmu_amd.c
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ static void amd_pmu_refresh(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	pmu->counter_bitmask[KVM_PMC_FIXED] = 0;
 	pmu->nr_arch_fixed_counters = 0;
 	pmu->global_status = 0;
+	bitmap_set(pmu->all_valid_pmc_idx, 0, pmu->nr_arch_gp_counters);
 }
 
 static void amd_pmu_init(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/pmu_intel.c b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/pmu_intel.c
index 9b1ddc42f604..b5a16379f534 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/pmu_intel.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/pmu_intel.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ static void reprogram_fixed_counters(struct kvm_pmu *pmu, u64 data)
 		if (old_ctrl == new_ctrl)
 			continue;
 
+		__set_bit(INTEL_PMC_IDX_FIXED + i, pmu->pmc_in_use);
 		reprogram_fixed_counter(pmc, new_ctrl, i);
 	}
 
@@ -329,6 +330,11 @@ static void intel_pmu_refresh(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	    (boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_HLE) || boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_RTM)) &&
 	    (entry->ebx & (X86_FEATURE_HLE|X86_FEATURE_RTM)))
 		pmu->reserved_bits ^= HSW_IN_TX|HSW_IN_TX_CHECKPOINTED;
+
+	bitmap_set(pmu->all_valid_pmc_idx,
+		0, pmu->nr_arch_gp_counters);
+	bitmap_set(pmu->all_valid_pmc_idx,
+		INTEL_PMC_MAX_GENERIC, pmu->nr_arch_fixed_counters);
 }
 
 static void intel_pmu_init(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
index 72189160bb81..8db7275d313f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
@@ -9455,7 +9455,13 @@ void kvm_arch_vcpu_uninit(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 
 void kvm_arch_sched_in(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int cpu)
 {
+	struct kvm_pmu *pmu = vcpu_to_pmu(vcpu);
+
 	vcpu->arch.l1tf_flush_l1d = true;
+	if (pmu->version && unlikely(pmu->event_count)) {
+		pmu->need_cleanup = true;
+		kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_PMU, vcpu);
+	}
 	kvm_x86_ops->sched_in(vcpu, cpu);
 }