diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c b/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c
index ca200b50cde4..c5673bda4b66 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c
@@ -734,8 +734,14 @@ static int get_npt_level(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 static void svm_set_efer(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, u64 efer)
 {
 	vcpu->arch.efer = efer;
-	if (!npt_enabled && !(efer & EFER_LMA))
-		efer &= ~EFER_LME;
+
+	if (!npt_enabled) {
+		/* Shadow paging assumes NX to be available.  */
+		efer |= EFER_NX;
+
+		if (!(efer & EFER_LMA))
+			efer &= ~EFER_LME;
+	}
 
 	to_svm(vcpu)->vmcb->save.efer = efer | EFER_SVME;
 	mark_dirty(to_svm(vcpu)->vmcb, VMCB_CR);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
index 8f01019295a1..5d21a4ab28cf 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
@@ -969,17 +969,9 @@ static bool update_transition_efer(struct vcpu_vmx *vmx, int efer_offset)
 	u64 guest_efer = vmx->vcpu.arch.efer;
 	u64 ignore_bits = 0;
 
-	if (!enable_ept) {
-		/*
-		 * NX is needed to handle CR0.WP=1, CR4.SMEP=1.  Testing
-		 * host CPUID is more efficient than testing guest CPUID
-		 * or CR4.  Host SMEP is anyway a requirement for guest SMEP.
-		 */
-		if (boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_SMEP))
-			guest_efer |= EFER_NX;
-		else if (!(guest_efer & EFER_NX))
-			ignore_bits |= EFER_NX;
-	}
+	/* Shadow paging assumes NX to be available.  */
+	if (!enable_ept)
+		guest_efer |= EFER_NX;
 
 	/*
 	 * LMA and LME handled by hardware; SCE meaningless outside long mode.