diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c
index 5a04a7bd73e0..2aee047b8b1c 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/dirty_log_test.c
@@ -340,8 +340,6 @@ static uint32_t dirty_ring_collect_one(struct kvm_dirty_gfn *dirty_gfns,
 	struct kvm_dirty_gfn *cur;
 	uint32_t count = 0;
 
-	dirty_ring_prev_iteration_last_page = dirty_ring_last_page;
-
 	while (true) {
 		cur = &dirty_gfns[*fetch_index % test_dirty_ring_count];
 		if (!dirty_gfn_is_dirtied(cur))
@@ -360,17 +358,11 @@ static uint32_t dirty_ring_collect_one(struct kvm_dirty_gfn *dirty_gfns,
 	return count;
 }
 
-static void dirty_ring_continue_vcpu(void)
-{
-	pr_info("Notifying vcpu to continue\n");
-	sem_post(&sem_vcpu_cont);
-}
-
 static void dirty_ring_collect_dirty_pages(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int slot,
 					   void *bitmap, uint32_t num_pages,
 					   uint32_t *ring_buf_idx)
 {
-	uint32_t count = 0, cleared;
+	uint32_t count, cleared;
 
 	/* Only have one vcpu */
 	count = dirty_ring_collect_one(vcpu_map_dirty_ring(vcpu),
@@ -385,9 +377,6 @@ static void dirty_ring_collect_dirty_pages(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int slot,
 	 */
 	TEST_ASSERT(cleared == count, "Reset dirty pages (%u) mismatch "
 		    "with collected (%u)", cleared, count);
-
-	if (READ_ONCE(dirty_ring_vcpu_ring_full))
-		dirty_ring_continue_vcpu();
 }
 
 static void dirty_ring_after_vcpu_run(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
@@ -404,7 +393,6 @@ static void dirty_ring_after_vcpu_run(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 		sem_post(&sem_vcpu_stop);
 		pr_info("Dirty ring full, waiting for it to be collected\n");
 		sem_wait(&sem_vcpu_cont);
-		pr_info("vcpu continues now.\n");
 		WRITE_ONCE(dirty_ring_vcpu_ring_full, false);
 	} else {
 		TEST_ASSERT(false, "Invalid guest sync status: "
@@ -755,11 +743,52 @@ static void run_test(enum vm_guest_mode mode, void *arg)
 	pthread_create(&vcpu_thread, NULL, vcpu_worker, vcpu);
 
 	while (iteration < p->iterations) {
+		bool saw_dirty_ring_full = false;
+		unsigned long i;
+
+		dirty_ring_prev_iteration_last_page = dirty_ring_last_page;
+
 		/* Give the vcpu thread some time to dirty some pages */
-		usleep(p->interval * 1000);
-		log_mode_collect_dirty_pages(vcpu, TEST_MEM_SLOT_INDEX,
-					     bmap, host_num_pages,
-					     &ring_buf_idx);
+		for (i = 0; i < p->interval; i++) {
+			usleep(1000);
+
+			/*
+			 * Reap dirty pages while the guest is running so that
+			 * dirty ring full events are resolved, i.e. so that a
+			 * larger interval doesn't always end up with a vCPU
+			 * that's effectively blocked.  Collecting while the
+			 * guest is running also verifies KVM doesn't lose any
+			 * state.
+			 *
+			 * For bitmap modes, KVM overwrites the entire bitmap,
+			 * i.e. collecting the bitmaps is destructive.  Collect
+			 * the bitmap only on the first pass, otherwise this
+			 * test would lose track of dirty pages.
+			 */
+			if (i && host_log_mode != LOG_MODE_DIRTY_RING)
+				continue;
+
+			/*
+			 * For the dirty ring, empty the ring on subsequent
+			 * passes only if the ring was filled at least once,
+			 * to verify KVM's handling of a full ring (emptying
+			 * the ring on every pass would make it unlikely the
+			 * vCPU would ever fill the fing).
+			 */
+			if (READ_ONCE(dirty_ring_vcpu_ring_full))
+				saw_dirty_ring_full = true;
+			if (i && !saw_dirty_ring_full)
+				continue;
+
+			log_mode_collect_dirty_pages(vcpu, TEST_MEM_SLOT_INDEX,
+						     bmap, host_num_pages,
+						     &ring_buf_idx);
+
+			if (READ_ONCE(dirty_ring_vcpu_ring_full)) {
+				pr_info("Dirty ring emptied, restarting vCPU\n");
+				sem_post(&sem_vcpu_cont);
+			}
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * See vcpu_sync_stop_requested definition for details on why