diff --git a/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c b/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
index e44c20c04961..05275d318bfb 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
@@ -4188,6 +4188,8 @@ static int kvm_vm_ioctl_create_vcpu(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long id)
 		goto vcpu_decrement;
 	}
 
+	vcpu->vcpu_idx = -1;
+
 	BUILD_BUG_ON(sizeof(struct kvm_run) > PAGE_SIZE);
 	page = alloc_page(GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT | __GFP_ZERO);
 	if (!page) {
@@ -4216,6 +4218,11 @@ static int kvm_vm_ioctl_create_vcpu(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long id)
 		goto unlock_vcpu_destroy;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Set the vCPU's index *before* the vCPU is reachable by other tasks.
+	 * Unwind the index back to -1 on failure so that KVM can use the index
+	 * to detect that the vCPU is unreachable, e.g. for lockdep asserts.
+	 */
 	vcpu->vcpu_idx = atomic_read(&kvm->online_vcpus);
 	r = xa_insert(&kvm->vcpu_array, vcpu->vcpu_idx, vcpu, GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT);
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(r == -EBUSY);
@@ -4254,6 +4261,7 @@ static int kvm_vm_ioctl_create_vcpu(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long id)
 	kvm_put_kvm_no_destroy(kvm);
 	xa_erase(&kvm->vcpu_array, vcpu->vcpu_idx);
 unlock_vcpu_destroy:
+	vcpu->vcpu_idx = -1;
 	mutex_unlock(&kvm->lock);
 	kvm_dirty_ring_free(&vcpu->dirty_ring);
 arch_vcpu_destroy: