diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.h b/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.h
index 7b82c81803..6259d0bba5 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.h
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/vm.h
@@ -132,12 +132,7 @@ class Kernel::Vm : private Kernel::Object, public Cpu_context
 		 ** Vm_session **
 		 ****************/
 
-		void run()
-		{
-			_sync_from_vmm();
-			if (_scheduled != ACTIVE) Cpu_context::_activate();
-			_scheduled = ACTIVE;
-		}
+		void run();
 
 		void pause()
 		{
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/trustzone/kernel/vm.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/trustzone/kernel/vm.cc
index 54256ead92..9f22a485b7 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/trustzone/kernel/vm.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/trustzone/kernel/vm.cc
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ void Vm::proceed()
 }
 
 
+void Vm::run()
+{
+	_sync_from_vmm();
+	if (_scheduled != ACTIVE) Cpu_context::_activate();
+	_scheduled = ACTIVE;
+}
+
+
 void Vm::_sync_to_vmm()
 {}
 
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
index e533e62257..bc9d712dfe 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v7/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
@@ -205,6 +205,14 @@ void Kernel::Vm::proceed()
 }
 
 
+void Vm::run()
+{
+	_sync_from_vmm();
+	if (_scheduled != ACTIVE) Cpu_context::_activate();
+	_scheduled = ACTIVE;
+}
+
+
 void Vm::_sync_to_vmm()
 {}
 
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v8/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v8/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
index fe5176cffb..51777e0fa8 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v8/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/arm_v8/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
@@ -212,6 +212,14 @@ void Vm::proceed()
 }
 
 
+void Vm::run()
+{
+	_sync_from_vmm();
+	if (_scheduled != ACTIVE) Cpu_context::_activate();
+	_scheduled = ACTIVE;
+}
+
+
 void Vm::_sync_to_vmm()
 {}
 
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/board.h b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/board.h
index 82bae483b7..a821d15eaa 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/board.h
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/board.h
@@ -35,14 +35,12 @@ namespace Board {
 
 	enum Platform_exitcodes : uint64_t {
 		EXIT_NPF     = 0xfc,
-		EXIT_INIT    = 0xfd,
 		EXIT_STARTUP = 0xfe,
 		EXIT_PAUSED  = 0xff,
 	};
 
 	enum Custom_trapnos : uint64_t {
 		TRAP_VMEXIT = 256,
-		TRAP_VMSKIP = 257,
 	};
 };
 
@@ -55,6 +53,12 @@ namespace Kernel {
 
 struct Board::Vcpu_context
 {
+	enum class Init_state {
+		CREATED,
+		INITIALIZING,
+		STARTED
+	};
+
 	Vcpu_context(unsigned id, Vcpu_data &vcpu_data);
 	void initialize(Kernel::Cpu &cpu, addr_t table_phys_addr);
 	void read_vcpu_state(Vcpu_state &state);
@@ -66,7 +70,10 @@ struct Board::Vcpu_context
 
 	uint64_t tsc_aux_host = 0U;
 	uint64_t tsc_aux_guest = 0U;
-	uint64_t exit_reason = EXIT_INIT;
+	uint64_t exit_reason = EXIT_PAUSED;
+
+	Init_state init_state { Init_state::CREATED };
+
 
 	static Virt_interface &detect_virtualization(Vcpu_data &vcpu_data,
 	                                             unsigned   id)
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
index 3b26635afd..73253e78bb 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/x86_64/virtualization/kernel/vm.cc
@@ -54,16 +54,31 @@ Vm::~Vm()
 }
 
 
+void Vm::run()
+{
+	if (_vcpu_context.init_state == Board::Vcpu_context::Init_state::CREATED) {
+		_vcpu_context.exit_reason = Board::EXIT_STARTUP;
+		_vcpu_context.init_state  = Board::Vcpu_context::Init_state::INITIALIZING;
+		_context.submit(1);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	_sync_from_vmm();
+	if (_scheduled != ACTIVE) Cpu_context::_activate();
+	_scheduled = ACTIVE;
+}
+
+
 void Vm::proceed()
 {
 	using namespace Board;
 	_cpu().switch_to(*_vcpu_context.regs);
 
-	if (_vcpu_context.exit_reason == EXIT_INIT) {
-		_vcpu_context.regs->trapno = TRAP_VMSKIP;
-		Hypervisor::restore_state_for_entry((addr_t)&_vcpu_context.regs->r8,
-		                                    _vcpu_context.regs->fpu_context());
-		/* jumps to _kernel_entry */
+
+	if (_vcpu_context.init_state == Board::Vcpu_context::Init_state::INITIALIZING) {
+		_vcpu_context.initialize(_cpu(),
+		    reinterpret_cast<addr_t>(_id.table));
+		_vcpu_context.tsc_aux_host = _cpu().id();
 	}
 
 	Cpu::Ia32_tsc_aux::write(
@@ -125,18 +140,6 @@ void Vm::exception()
 		case Cpu_state::INTERRUPTS_START ... Cpu_state::INTERRUPTS_END:
 			_interrupt(_user_irq_pool);
 			break;
-		case TRAP_VMSKIP:
-			/* vCPU is running for the first time */
-			_vcpu_context.initialize(_cpu(),
-			    reinterpret_cast<addr_t>(_id.table));
-			_vcpu_context.tsc_aux_host = _cpu().id();
-			/*
-			 * We set the artificial startup exit code, stop the
-			 * vCPU thread and ask the VMM to handle it.
-			 */
-			_vcpu_context.exit_reason = EXIT_STARTUP;
-			pause = true;
-			break;
 		default:
 			error("VM: triggered unknown exception ",
 			              _vcpu_context.regs->trapno,
@@ -169,13 +172,10 @@ void Vm::_sync_to_vmm()
 
 void Vm::_sync_from_vmm()
 {
-	/* first run() will skip through to issue startup exit */
-	if (_vcpu_context.exit_reason == Board::EXIT_INIT)
-		return;
-
 	_vcpu_context.read_vcpu_state(_state);
 }
 
+
 Board::Vcpu_context::Vcpu_context(unsigned id, Vcpu_data &vcpu_data)
 :
 	regs(1),