diff --git a/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
index 24c250d3f8..258fba5c69 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
@@ -92,8 +92,48 @@ static void vhost_user_scsi_set_status(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint8_t status)
     }
 }
 
-static void vhost_dummy_handle_output(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtQueue *vq)
+static void vhost_user_scsi_handle_output(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtQueue *vq)
 {
+    VHostUserSCSI *s = (VHostUserSCSI *)vdev;
+    DeviceState *dev = DEVICE(vdev);
+    VHostSCSICommon *vsc = VHOST_SCSI_COMMON(s);
+    VirtIOSCSICommon *vs = VIRTIO_SCSI_COMMON(dev);
+
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
+    int i, ret;
+
+    if (!vdev->start_on_kick) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (!s->connected) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (vhost_dev_is_started(&vsc->dev)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * Some guests kick before setting VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK so start
+     * vhost here instead of waiting for .set_status().
+     */
+    ret = vhost_user_scsi_start(s, &local_err);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        error_reportf_err(local_err, "vhost-user-scsi: vhost start failed: ");
+        qemu_chr_fe_disconnect(&vs->conf.chardev);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* Kick right away to begin processing requests already in vring */
+    for (i = 0; i < vsc->dev.nvqs; i++) {
+        VirtQueue *kick_vq = virtio_get_queue(vdev, i);
+
+        if (!virtio_queue_get_desc_addr(vdev, i)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        event_notifier_set(virtio_queue_get_host_notifier(kick_vq));
+    }
 }
 
 static int vhost_user_scsi_connect(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
@@ -220,9 +260,9 @@ static void vhost_user_scsi_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    virtio_scsi_common_realize(dev, vhost_dummy_handle_output,
-                               vhost_dummy_handle_output,
-                               vhost_dummy_handle_output, &err);
+    virtio_scsi_common_realize(dev, vhost_user_scsi_handle_output,
+                               vhost_user_scsi_handle_output,
+                               vhost_user_scsi_handle_output, &err);
     if (err != NULL) {
         error_propagate(errp, err);
         return;