diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c
index babea97b31a4..eaad5b20854c 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c
@@ -376,7 +376,10 @@ static void dirty_ring_collect_dirty_pages(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int slot,
 
 	cleared = kvm_vm_reset_dirty_ring(vcpu->vm);
 
-	/* Cleared pages should be the same as collected */
+	/*
+	 * Cleared pages should be the same as collected, as KVM is supposed to
+	 * clear only the entries that have been harvested.
+	 */
 	TEST_ASSERT(cleared == count, "Reset dirty pages (%u) mismatch "
 		    "with collected (%u)", cleared, count);
 
@@ -415,12 +418,6 @@ static void dirty_ring_after_vcpu_run(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int ret, int err)
 	}
 }
 
-static void dirty_ring_before_vcpu_join(void)
-{
-	/* Kick another round of vcpu just to make sure it will quit */
-	sem_post(&sem_vcpu_cont);
-}
-
 struct log_mode {
 	const char *name;
 	/* Return true if this mode is supported, otherwise false */
@@ -433,7 +430,6 @@ struct log_mode {
 				     uint32_t *ring_buf_idx);
 	/* Hook to call when after each vcpu run */
 	void (*after_vcpu_run)(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int ret, int err);
-	void (*before_vcpu_join) (void);
 } log_modes[LOG_MODE_NUM] = {
 	{
 		.name = "dirty-log",
@@ -452,7 +448,6 @@ struct log_mode {
 		.supported = dirty_ring_supported,
 		.create_vm_done = dirty_ring_create_vm_done,
 		.collect_dirty_pages = dirty_ring_collect_dirty_pages,
-		.before_vcpu_join = dirty_ring_before_vcpu_join,
 		.after_vcpu_run = dirty_ring_after_vcpu_run,
 	},
 };
@@ -513,14 +508,6 @@ static void log_mode_after_vcpu_run(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int ret, int err)
 		mode->after_vcpu_run(vcpu, ret, err);
 }
 
-static void log_mode_before_vcpu_join(void)
-{
-	struct log_mode *mode = &log_modes[host_log_mode];
-
-	if (mode->before_vcpu_join)
-		mode->before_vcpu_join();
-}
-
 static void generate_random_array(uint64_t *guest_array, uint64_t size)
 {
 	uint64_t i;
@@ -719,6 +706,7 @@ static void run_test(enum vm_guest_mode mode, void *arg)
 	struct kvm_vm *vm;
 	unsigned long *bmap;
 	uint32_t ring_buf_idx = 0;
+	int sem_val;
 
 	if (!log_mode_supported()) {
 		print_skip("Log mode '%s' not supported",
@@ -788,12 +776,22 @@ static void run_test(enum vm_guest_mode mode, void *arg)
 	/* Start the iterations */
 	iteration = 1;
 	sync_global_to_guest(vm, iteration);
-	host_quit = false;
+	WRITE_ONCE(host_quit, false);
 	host_dirty_count = 0;
 	host_clear_count = 0;
 	host_track_next_count = 0;
 	WRITE_ONCE(dirty_ring_vcpu_ring_full, false);
 
+	/*
+	 * Ensure the previous iteration didn't leave a dangling semaphore, i.e.
+	 * that the main task and vCPU worker were synchronized and completed
+	 * verification of all iterations.
+	 */
+	sem_getvalue(&sem_vcpu_stop, &sem_val);
+	TEST_ASSERT_EQ(sem_val, 0);
+	sem_getvalue(&sem_vcpu_cont, &sem_val);
+	TEST_ASSERT_EQ(sem_val, 0);
+
 	pthread_create(&vcpu_thread, NULL, vcpu_worker, vcpu);
 
 	while (iteration < p->iterations) {
@@ -819,15 +817,21 @@ static void run_test(enum vm_guest_mode mode, void *arg)
 		assert(host_log_mode == LOG_MODE_DIRTY_RING ||
 		       atomic_read(&vcpu_sync_stop_requested) == false);
 		vm_dirty_log_verify(mode, bmap);
-		sem_post(&sem_vcpu_cont);
 
-		iteration++;
+		/*
+		 * Set host_quit before sem_vcpu_cont in the final iteration to
+		 * ensure that the vCPU worker doesn't resume the guest.  As
+		 * above, the dirty ring test may stop and wait even when not
+		 * explicitly request to do so, i.e. would hang waiting for a
+		 * "continue" if it's allowed to resume the guest.
+		 */
+		if (++iteration == p->iterations)
+			WRITE_ONCE(host_quit, true);
+
+		sem_post(&sem_vcpu_cont);
 		sync_global_to_guest(vm, iteration);
 	}
 
-	/* Tell the vcpu thread to quit */
-	host_quit = true;
-	log_mode_before_vcpu_join();
 	pthread_join(vcpu_thread, NULL);
 
 	pr_info("Total bits checked: dirty (%"PRIu64"), clear (%"PRIu64"), "