diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c
index 5a2f8ce9a32b..f98afc3422ce 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/tdp_mmu.c
@@ -509,10 +509,10 @@ static void *get_external_spt(gfn_t gfn, u64 new_spte, int level)
 }
 
 static int __must_check set_external_spte_present(struct kvm *kvm, tdp_ptep_t sptep,
-						 gfn_t gfn, u64 old_spte,
+						 gfn_t gfn, u64 *old_spte,
 						 u64 new_spte, int level)
 {
-	bool was_present = is_shadow_present_pte(old_spte);
+	bool was_present = is_shadow_present_pte(*old_spte);
 	bool is_present = is_shadow_present_pte(new_spte);
 	bool is_leaf = is_present && is_last_spte(new_spte, level);
 	int ret = 0;
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ static int __must_check set_external_spte_present(struct kvm *kvm, tdp_ptep_t sp
 	 * page table has been modified. Use FROZEN_SPTE similar to
 	 * the zapping case.
 	 */
-	if (!try_cmpxchg64(rcu_dereference(sptep), &old_spte, FROZEN_SPTE))
+	if (!try_cmpxchg64(rcu_dereference(sptep), old_spte, FROZEN_SPTE))
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	/*
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ static int __must_check set_external_spte_present(struct kvm *kvm, tdp_ptep_t sp
 		ret = kvm_x86_call(link_external_spt)(kvm, gfn, level, external_spt);
 	}
 	if (ret)
-		__kvm_tdp_mmu_write_spte(sptep, old_spte);
+		__kvm_tdp_mmu_write_spte(sptep, *old_spte);
 	else
 		__kvm_tdp_mmu_write_spte(sptep, new_spte);
 	return ret;
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ static inline int __must_check __tdp_mmu_set_spte_atomic(struct kvm *kvm,
 			return -EBUSY;
 
 		ret = set_external_spte_present(kvm, iter->sptep, iter->gfn,
-						iter->old_spte, new_spte, iter->level);
+						&iter->old_spte, new_spte, iter->level);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
 	} else {