diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c
index e513e4fdda..d2bebba785 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-fs.c
@@ -122,11 +122,7 @@ static void vuf_stop(VirtIODevice *vdev)
 static void vuf_set_status(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint8_t status)
 {
     VHostUserFS *fs = VHOST_USER_FS(vdev);
-    bool should_start = status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK;
-
-    if (!vdev->vm_running) {
-        should_start = false;
-    }
+    bool should_start = virtio_device_started(vdev, status);
 
     if (fs->vhost_dev.started == should_start) {
         return;
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-i2c.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-i2c.c
index 6020eee093..b930cf6d5e 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-i2c.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-i2c.c
@@ -93,11 +93,7 @@ static void vu_i2c_stop(VirtIODevice *vdev)
 static void vu_i2c_set_status(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint8_t status)
 {
     VHostUserI2C *i2c = VHOST_USER_I2C(vdev);
-    bool should_start = status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK;
-
-    if (!vdev->vm_running) {
-        should_start = false;
-    }
+    bool should_start = virtio_device_started(vdev, status);
 
     if (i2c->vhost_dev.started == should_start) {
         return;
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-rng.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-rng.c
index 3a7bf8e32d..a9c1c4bc79 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-rng.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-rng.c
@@ -90,11 +90,7 @@ static void vu_rng_stop(VirtIODevice *vdev)
 static void vu_rng_set_status(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint8_t status)
 {
     VHostUserRNG *rng = VHOST_USER_RNG(vdev);
-    bool should_start = status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK;
-
-    if (!vdev->vm_running) {
-        should_start = false;
-    }
+    bool should_start = virtio_device_started(vdev, status);
 
     if (rng->vhost_dev.started == should_start) {
         return;
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c
index 0f8ff99f85..22c1616ebd 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-user-vsock.c
@@ -55,11 +55,7 @@ const VhostDevConfigOps vsock_ops = {
 static void vuv_set_status(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint8_t status)
 {
     VHostVSockCommon *vvc = VHOST_VSOCK_COMMON(vdev);
-    bool should_start = status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK;
-
-    if (!vdev->vm_running) {
-        should_start = false;
-    }
+    bool should_start = virtio_device_started(vdev, status);
 
     if (vvc->vhost_dev.started == should_start) {
         return;
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c
index 0338de892f..8031c164a5 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c
@@ -70,13 +70,9 @@ static int vhost_vsock_set_running(VirtIODevice *vdev, int start)
 static void vhost_vsock_set_status(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint8_t status)
 {
     VHostVSockCommon *vvc = VHOST_VSOCK_COMMON(vdev);
-    bool should_start = status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK;
+    bool should_start = virtio_device_started(vdev, status);
     int ret;
 
-    if (!vdev->vm_running) {
-        should_start = false;
-    }
-
     if (vvc->vhost_dev.started == should_start) {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h
index 9bb2485415..74e7ad5a92 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio.h
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ struct VirtIODevice
     VirtQueue *vq;
     MemoryListener listener;
     uint16_t device_id;
+    /* @vm_running: current VM running state via virtio_vmstate_change() */
     bool vm_running;
     bool broken; /* device in invalid state, needs reset */
     bool use_disabled_flag; /* allow use of 'disable' flag when needed */
@@ -376,6 +377,10 @@ static inline bool virtio_device_started(VirtIODevice *vdev, uint8_t status)
         return vdev->started;
     }
 
+    if (!vdev->vm_running) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     return status & VIRTIO_CONFIG_S_DRIVER_OK;
 }