diff --git a/arch/x86/boot/compressed/sev.c b/arch/x86/boot/compressed/sev.c
index fd1b67dfea22..b71c1ab6a282 100644
--- a/arch/x86/boot/compressed/sev.c
+++ b/arch/x86/boot/compressed/sev.c
@@ -50,31 +50,11 @@ u64 svsm_get_caa_pa(void)
 	return boot_svsm_caa_pa;
 }
 
-int svsm_perform_call_protocol(struct svsm_call *call);
-
 u8 snp_vmpl;
 
 /* Include code for early handlers */
 #include "../../boot/startup/sev-shared.c"
 
-int svsm_perform_call_protocol(struct svsm_call *call)
-{
-	struct ghcb *ghcb;
-	int ret;
-
-	if (boot_ghcb)
-		ghcb = boot_ghcb;
-	else
-		ghcb = NULL;
-
-	do {
-		ret = ghcb ? svsm_perform_ghcb_protocol(ghcb, call)
-			   : svsm_perform_msr_protocol(call);
-	} while (ret == -EAGAIN);
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 static bool sev_snp_enabled(void)
 {
 	return sev_status & MSR_AMD64_SEV_SNP_ENABLED;
diff --git a/arch/x86/boot/startup/sev-shared.c b/arch/x86/boot/startup/sev-shared.c
index 975d2b02926a..7bd73462c11e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/boot/startup/sev-shared.c
+++ b/arch/x86/boot/startup/sev-shared.c
@@ -741,7 +741,6 @@ static void __head svsm_pval_4k_page(unsigned long paddr, bool validate)
 	struct svsm_call call = {};
 	unsigned long flags;
 	u64 pc_pa;
-	int ret;
 
 	/*
 	 * This can be called very early in the boot, use native functions in
@@ -766,8 +765,12 @@ static void __head svsm_pval_4k_page(unsigned long paddr, bool validate)
 	call.rax = SVSM_CORE_CALL(SVSM_CORE_PVALIDATE);
 	call.rcx = pc_pa;
 
-	ret = svsm_perform_call_protocol(&call);
-	if (ret)
+	/*
+	 * Use the MSR protocol exclusively, so that this code is usable in
+	 * startup code where VA/PA translations of the GHCB page's address may
+	 * be problematic.
+	 */
+	if (svsm_call_msr_protocol(&call))
 		sev_es_terminate(SEV_TERM_SET_LINUX, GHCB_TERM_PVALIDATE);
 
 	native_local_irq_restore(flags);