diff --git a/hw/vfio/container-base.c b/hw/vfio/container-base.c
index 6f86c37d97..749a3fd29d 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/container-base.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/container-base.c
@@ -64,13 +64,23 @@ int vfio_container_set_dirty_page_tracking(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                                            bool start, Error **errp)
 {
     VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_GET_CLASS(bcontainer);
+    int ret;
 
     if (!bcontainer->dirty_pages_supported) {
         return 0;
     }
 
     g_assert(vioc->set_dirty_page_tracking);
-    return vioc->set_dirty_page_tracking(bcontainer, start, errp);
+    if (bcontainer->dirty_pages_started == start) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    ret = vioc->set_dirty_page_tracking(bcontainer, start, errp);
+    if (!ret) {
+        bcontainer->dirty_pages_started = start;
+    }
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int vfio_container_query_dirty_bitmap(const VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
diff --git a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
index 62a8b60d87..4cff9943ab 100644
--- a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
+++ b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ typedef struct VFIOContainerBase {
     unsigned long pgsizes;
     unsigned int dma_max_mappings;
     bool dirty_pages_supported;
+    bool dirty_pages_started; /* Protected by BQL */
     QLIST_HEAD(, VFIOGuestIOMMU) giommu_list;
     QLIST_HEAD(, VFIORamDiscardListener) vrdl_list;
     QLIST_ENTRY(VFIOContainerBase) next;