diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/hyperv.c b/arch/x86/kvm/hyperv.c
index fff790a3f4ee..c0867b0aae3e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/hyperv.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/hyperv.c
@@ -645,7 +645,9 @@ static int stimer_notify_direct(struct kvm_vcpu_hv_stimer *stimer)
 		.vector = stimer->config.apic_vector
 	};
 
-	return !kvm_apic_set_irq(vcpu, &irq, NULL);
+	if (lapic_in_kernel(vcpu))
+		return !kvm_apic_set_irq(vcpu, &irq, NULL);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void stimer_expiration(struct kvm_vcpu_hv_stimer *stimer)
@@ -1852,7 +1854,13 @@ int kvm_vcpu_ioctl_get_hv_cpuid(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, struct kvm_cpuid2 *cpuid,
 
 			ent->edx |= HV_FEATURE_FREQUENCY_MSRS_AVAILABLE;
 			ent->edx |= HV_FEATURE_GUEST_CRASH_MSR_AVAILABLE;
-			ent->edx |= HV_STIMER_DIRECT_MODE_AVAILABLE;
+
+			/*
+			 * Direct Synthetic timers only make sense with in-kernel
+			 * LAPIC
+			 */
+			if (lapic_in_kernel(vcpu))
+				ent->edx |= HV_STIMER_DIRECT_MODE_AVAILABLE;
 
 			break;