diff --git a/block/io_uring.c b/block/io_uring.c
index 3a1e1f45b3..7cdd00e9f1 100644
--- a/block/io_uring.c
+++ b/block/io_uring.c
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ static void luring_process_completions(LuringState *s)
 {
     struct io_uring_cqe *cqes;
     int total_bytes;
+
+    defer_call_begin();
+
     /*
      * Request completion callbacks can run the nested event loop.
      * Schedule ourselves so the nested event loop will "see" remaining
@@ -217,7 +220,10 @@ end:
             aio_co_wake(luringcb->co);
         }
     }
+
     qemu_bh_cancel(s->completion_bh);
+
+    defer_call_end();
 }
 
 static int ioq_submit(LuringState *s)
diff --git a/block/linux-aio.c b/block/linux-aio.c
index a2670b3e46..ec05d946f3 100644
--- a/block/linux-aio.c
+++ b/block/linux-aio.c
@@ -205,6 +205,8 @@ static void qemu_laio_process_completions(LinuxAioState *s)
 {
     struct io_event *events;
 
+    defer_call_begin();
+
     /* Reschedule so nested event loops see currently pending completions */
     qemu_bh_schedule(s->completion_bh);
 
@@ -231,6 +233,8 @@ static void qemu_laio_process_completions(LinuxAioState *s)
      * own `for` loop.  If we are the last all counters dropped to zero. */
     s->event_max = 0;
     s->event_idx = 0;
+
+    defer_call_end();
 }
 
 static void qemu_laio_process_completions_and_submit(LinuxAioState *s)
diff --git a/hw/virtio/trace-events b/hw/virtio/trace-events
index 1cb9027d1e..0af7a2886c 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/trace-events
+++ b/hw/virtio/trace-events
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ virtqueue_fill(void *vq, const void *elem, unsigned int len, unsigned int idx) "
 virtqueue_flush(void *vq, unsigned int count) "vq %p count %u"
 virtqueue_pop(void *vq, void *elem, unsigned int in_num, unsigned int out_num) "vq %p elem %p in_num %u out_num %u"
 virtio_queue_notify(void *vdev, int n, void *vq) "vdev %p n %d vq %p"
+virtio_notify_irqfd_deferred_fn(void *vdev, void *vq) "vdev %p vq %p"
 virtio_notify_irqfd(void *vdev, void *vq) "vdev %p vq %p"
 virtio_notify(void *vdev, void *vq) "vdev %p vq %p"
 virtio_set_status(void *vdev, uint8_t val) "vdev %p val %u"
diff --git a/hw/virtio/virtio.c b/hw/virtio/virtio.c
index fb24bc927b..e5105571cf 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/virtio.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/virtio.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qapi/qapi-commands-virtio.h"
 #include "trace.h"
+#include "qemu/defer-call.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/log.h"
 #include "qemu/main-loop.h"
@@ -2445,6 +2446,16 @@ static bool virtio_should_notify(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtQueue *vq)
     }
 }
 
+/* Batch irqs while inside a defer_call_begin()/defer_call_end() section */
+static void virtio_notify_irqfd_deferred_fn(void *opaque)
+{
+    EventNotifier *notifier = opaque;
+    VirtQueue *vq = container_of(notifier, VirtQueue, guest_notifier);
+
+    trace_virtio_notify_irqfd_deferred_fn(vq->vdev, vq);
+    event_notifier_set(notifier);
+}
+
 void virtio_notify_irqfd(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtQueue *vq)
 {
     WITH_RCU_READ_LOCK_GUARD() {
@@ -2471,7 +2482,7 @@ void virtio_notify_irqfd(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtQueue *vq)
      * to an atomic operation.
      */
     virtio_set_isr(vq->vdev, 0x1);
-    event_notifier_set(&vq->guest_notifier);
+    defer_call(virtio_notify_irqfd_deferred_fn, &vq->guest_notifier);
 }
 
 static void virtio_irq(VirtQueue *vq)
diff --git a/util/thread-pool.c b/util/thread-pool.c
index 22f9ba3286..27eb777e85 100644
--- a/util/thread-pool.c
+++ b/util/thread-pool.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  * GNU GPL, version 2 or (at your option) any later version.
  */
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu/defer-call.h"
 #include "qemu/queue.h"
 #include "qemu/thread.h"
 #include "qemu/coroutine.h"
@@ -175,6 +176,8 @@ static void thread_pool_completion_bh(void *opaque)
     ThreadPool *pool = opaque;
     ThreadPoolElement *elem, *next;
 
+    defer_call_begin(); /* cb() may use defer_call() to coalesce work */
+
 restart:
     QLIST_FOREACH_SAFE(elem, &pool->head, all, next) {
         if (elem->state != THREAD_DONE) {
@@ -208,6 +211,8 @@ restart:
             qemu_aio_unref(elem);
         }
     }
+
+    defer_call_end();
 }
 
 static void thread_pool_cancel(BlockAIOCB *acb)