diff --git a/hw/virtio/meson.build b/hw/virtio/meson.build
index 521f7d64a8..2dc87613bc 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/meson.build
+++ b/hw/virtio/meson.build
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ softmmu_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_ALL', if_true: files('vhost-stub.c'))
 
 virtio_ss = ss.source_set()
 virtio_ss.add(files('virtio.c'))
-virtio_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_VHOST', if_true: files('vhost.c', 'vhost-backend.c'))
+virtio_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_VHOST', if_true: files('vhost.c', 'vhost-backend.c', 'vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c'))
 virtio_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_VHOST_USER', if_true: files('vhost-user.c'))
 virtio_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_VHOST_VDPA', if_true: files('vhost-vdpa.c'))
 virtio_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_VIRTIO_BALLOON', if_true: files('virtio-balloon.c'))
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c1db02c53e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.c
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+ * vhost shadow virtqueue
+ *
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Red Hat, Inc. 2021
+ * SPDX-FileContributor: Author: Eugenio Pérez <eperezma@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.h"
+
+#include "qemu/error-report.h"
+
+/**
+ * Creates vhost shadow virtqueue, and instructs the vhost device to use the
+ * shadow methods and file descriptors.
+ *
+ * Returns the new virtqueue or NULL.
+ *
+ * In case of error, reason is reported through error_report.
+ */
+VhostShadowVirtqueue *vhost_svq_new(void)
+{
+    g_autofree VhostShadowVirtqueue *svq = g_new0(VhostShadowVirtqueue, 1);
+    int r;
+
+    r = event_notifier_init(&svq->hdev_kick, 0);
+    if (r != 0) {
+        error_report("Couldn't create kick event notifier: %s (%d)",
+                     g_strerror(errno), errno);
+        goto err_init_hdev_kick;
+    }
+
+    r = event_notifier_init(&svq->hdev_call, 0);
+    if (r != 0) {
+        error_report("Couldn't create call event notifier: %s (%d)",
+                     g_strerror(errno), errno);
+        goto err_init_hdev_call;
+    }
+
+    return g_steal_pointer(&svq);
+
+err_init_hdev_call:
+    event_notifier_cleanup(&svq->hdev_kick);
+
+err_init_hdev_kick:
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Free the resources of the shadow virtqueue.
+ *
+ * @pvq: gpointer to SVQ so it can be used by autofree functions.
+ */
+void vhost_svq_free(gpointer pvq)
+{
+    VhostShadowVirtqueue *vq = pvq;
+    event_notifier_cleanup(&vq->hdev_kick);
+    event_notifier_cleanup(&vq->hdev_call);
+    g_free(vq);
+}
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.h b/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f1519e3c7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-shadow-virtqueue.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+ * vhost shadow virtqueue
+ *
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Red Hat, Inc. 2021
+ * SPDX-FileContributor: Author: Eugenio Pérez <eperezma@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+ */
+
+#ifndef VHOST_SHADOW_VIRTQUEUE_H
+#define VHOST_SHADOW_VIRTQUEUE_H
+
+#include "qemu/event_notifier.h"
+
+/* Shadow virtqueue to relay notifications */
+typedef struct VhostShadowVirtqueue {
+    /* Shadow kick notifier, sent to vhost */
+    EventNotifier hdev_kick;
+    /* Shadow call notifier, sent to vhost */
+    EventNotifier hdev_call;
+} VhostShadowVirtqueue;
+
+VhostShadowVirtqueue *vhost_svq_new(void);
+
+void vhost_svq_free(gpointer vq);
+G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(VhostShadowVirtqueue, vhost_svq_free);
+
+#endif