diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
index 9334a8ae22..32a95a8c69 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user.c
@@ -163,22 +163,26 @@ fail:
 }
 
 static int process_message_reply(struct vhost_dev *dev,
-                                 VhostUserRequest request)
+                                 VhostUserMsg msg)
 {
-    VhostUserMsg msg;
+    VhostUserMsg msg_reply;
 
-    if (vhost_user_read(dev, &msg) < 0) {
+    if ((msg.flags & VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY_MASK) == 0) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (vhost_user_read(dev, &msg_reply) < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (msg.request != request) {
+    if (msg_reply.request != msg.request) {
         error_report("Received unexpected msg type."
                      "Expected %d received %d",
-                     request, msg.request);
+                     msg.request, msg_reply.request);
         return -1;
     }
 
-    return msg.payload.u64 ? -1 : 0;
+    return msg_reply.payload.u64 ? -1 : 0;
 }
 
 static bool vhost_user_one_time_request(VhostUserRequest request)
@@ -208,6 +212,7 @@ static int vhost_user_write(struct vhost_dev *dev, VhostUserMsg *msg,
      * request, we just ignore it.
      */
     if (vhost_user_one_time_request(msg->request) && dev->vq_index != 0) {
+        msg->flags &= ~VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY_MASK;
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -320,7 +325,7 @@ static int vhost_user_set_mem_table(struct vhost_dev *dev,
     }
 
     if (reply_supported) {
-        return process_message_reply(dev, msg.request);
+        return process_message_reply(dev, msg);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -712,7 +717,7 @@ static int vhost_user_net_set_mtu(struct vhost_dev *dev, uint16_t mtu)
 
     /* If reply_ack supported, slave has to ack specified MTU is valid */
     if (reply_supported) {
-        return process_message_reply(dev, msg.request);
+        return process_message_reply(dev, msg);
     }
 
     return 0;