diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c
index e2e1d012df2269d26524f396c286b44d93e947bf..fcdf3f8bb59a6c2fb71ec5b5c2bbc0a89120534f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c
@@ -3987,7 +3987,21 @@ static bool kvm_faultin_pfn(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, struct kvm_page_fault *fault,
 static bool is_page_fault_stale(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
 				struct kvm_page_fault *fault, int mmu_seq)
 {
-	if (is_obsolete_sp(vcpu->kvm, to_shadow_page(vcpu->arch.mmu->root_hpa)))
+	struct kvm_mmu_page *sp = to_shadow_page(vcpu->arch.mmu->root_hpa);
+
+	/* Special roots, e.g. pae_root, are not backed by shadow pages. */
+	if (sp && is_obsolete_sp(vcpu->kvm, sp))
+		return true;
+
+	/*
+	 * Roots without an associated shadow page are considered invalid if
+	 * there is a pending request to free obsolete roots.  The request is
+	 * only a hint that the current root _may_ be obsolete and needs to be
+	 * reloaded, e.g. if the guest frees a PGD that KVM is tracking as a
+	 * previous root, then __kvm_mmu_prepare_zap_page() signals all vCPUs
+	 * to reload even if no vCPU is actively using the root.
+	 */
+	if (!sp && kvm_test_request(KVM_REQ_MMU_RELOAD, vcpu))
 		return true;
 
 	return fault->slot &&