diff --git a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
index a3df19da56..23ace52b9e 100644
--- a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
+++ b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
@@ -516,17 +516,19 @@ static int kvm_physical_sync_dirty_bitmap(KVMMemoryListener *kml,
          */
         size = ALIGN(((mem->memory_size) >> TARGET_PAGE_BITS),
                      /*HOST_LONG_BITS*/ 64) / 8;
-        d.dirty_bitmap = g_malloc0(size);
+        if (!mem->dirty_bmap) {
+            /* Allocate on the first log_sync, once and for all */
+            mem->dirty_bmap = g_malloc0(size);
+        }
 
+        d.dirty_bitmap = mem->dirty_bmap;
         d.slot = mem->slot | (kml->as_id << 16);
         if (kvm_vm_ioctl(s, KVM_GET_DIRTY_LOG, &d) == -1) {
             DPRINTF("ioctl failed %d\n", errno);
-            g_free(d.dirty_bitmap);
             return -1;
         }
 
         kvm_get_dirty_pages_log_range(section, d.dirty_bitmap);
-        g_free(d.dirty_bitmap);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -801,6 +803,8 @@ static void kvm_set_phys_mem(KVMMemoryListener *kml,
         }
 
         /* unregister the slot */
+        g_free(mem->dirty_bmap);
+        mem->dirty_bmap = NULL;
         mem->memory_size = 0;
         mem->flags = 0;
         err = kvm_set_user_memory_region(kml, mem, false);
diff --git a/include/sysemu/kvm_int.h b/include/sysemu/kvm_int.h
index f838412491..687a2ee423 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/kvm_int.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/kvm_int.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ typedef struct KVMSlot
     int slot;
     int flags;
     int old_flags;
+    /* Dirty bitmap cache for the slot */
+    unsigned long *dirty_bmap;
 } KVMSlot;
 
 typedef struct KVMMemoryListener {