diff --git a/hw/qxl.c b/hw/qxl.c
index fe4212bff0..bd250db885 100644
--- a/hw/qxl.c
+++ b/hw/qxl.c
@@ -343,18 +343,22 @@ static int interface_get_command(QXLInstance *sin, struct QXLCommandExt *ext)
     SimpleSpiceUpdate *update;
     QXLCommandRing *ring;
     QXLCommand *cmd;
-    int notify;
+    int notify, ret;
 
     switch (qxl->mode) {
     case QXL_MODE_VGA:
         dprint(qxl, 2, "%s: vga\n", __FUNCTION__);
-        update = qemu_spice_create_update(&qxl->ssd);
-        if (update == NULL) {
-            return false;
+        ret = false;
+        qemu_mutex_lock(&qxl->ssd.lock);
+        if (qxl->ssd.update != NULL) {
+            update = qxl->ssd.update;
+            qxl->ssd.update = NULL;
+            *ext = update->ext;
+            ret = true;
         }
-        *ext = update->ext;
+        qemu_mutex_unlock(&qxl->ssd.lock);
         qxl_log_command(qxl, "vga", ext);
-        return true;
+        return ret;
     case QXL_MODE_COMPAT:
     case QXL_MODE_NATIVE:
     case QXL_MODE_UNDEFINED:
@@ -1304,6 +1308,7 @@ static int qxl_init_primary(PCIDevice *dev)
     vga->ds = graphic_console_init(qxl_hw_update, qxl_hw_invalidate,
                                    qxl_hw_screen_dump, qxl_hw_text_update, qxl);
     qxl->ssd.ds = vga->ds;
+    qemu_mutex_init(&qxl->ssd.lock);
     qxl->ssd.bufsize = (16 * 1024 * 1024);
     qxl->ssd.buf = qemu_malloc(qxl->ssd.bufsize);
 
diff --git a/ui/spice-display.c b/ui/spice-display.c
index 020b423bd6..d56dcfc7d3 100644
--- a/ui/spice-display.c
+++ b/ui/spice-display.c
@@ -62,14 +62,7 @@ void qemu_spice_rect_union(QXLRect *dest, const QXLRect *r)
     dest->right = MAX(dest->right, r->right);
 }
 
-/*
- * Called from spice server thread context (via interface_get_command).
- *
- * We must aquire the global qemu mutex here to make sure the
- * DisplayState (+DisplaySurface) we are accessing doesn't change
- * underneath us.
- */
-SimpleSpiceUpdate *qemu_spice_create_update(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
+static SimpleSpiceUpdate *qemu_spice_create_update(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
 {
     SimpleSpiceUpdate *update;
     QXLDrawable *drawable;
@@ -78,9 +71,7 @@ SimpleSpiceUpdate *qemu_spice_create_update(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
     uint8_t *src, *dst;
     int by, bw, bh;
 
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     if (qemu_spice_rect_is_empty(&ssd->dirty)) {
-        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
         return NULL;
     };
 
@@ -141,7 +132,6 @@ SimpleSpiceUpdate *qemu_spice_create_update(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
     cmd->data = (intptr_t)drawable;
 
     memset(&ssd->dirty, 0, sizeof(ssd->dirty));
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     return update;
 }
 
@@ -241,6 +231,12 @@ void qemu_spice_display_resize(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
     qemu_pf_conv_put(ssd->conv);
     ssd->conv = NULL;
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&ssd->lock);
+    if (ssd->update != NULL) {
+        qemu_spice_destroy_update(ssd, ssd->update);
+        ssd->update = NULL;
+    }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&ssd->lock);
     qemu_spice_destroy_host_primary(ssd);
     qemu_spice_create_host_primary(ssd);
 
@@ -252,6 +248,14 @@ void qemu_spice_display_refresh(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd)
 {
     dprint(3, "%s:\n", __FUNCTION__);
     vga_hw_update();
+
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&ssd->lock);
+    if (ssd->update == NULL) {
+        ssd->update = qemu_spice_create_update(ssd);
+        ssd->notify++;
+    }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&ssd->lock);
+
     if (ssd->notify) {
         ssd->notify = 0;
         ssd->worker->wakeup(ssd->worker);
@@ -298,14 +302,20 @@ static int interface_get_command(QXLInstance *sin, struct QXLCommandExt *ext)
 {
     SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd = container_of(sin, SimpleSpiceDisplay, qxl);
     SimpleSpiceUpdate *update;
+    int ret = false;
 
     dprint(3, "%s:\n", __FUNCTION__);
-    update = qemu_spice_create_update(ssd);
-    if (update == NULL) {
-        return false;
+
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&ssd->lock);
+    if (ssd->update != NULL) {
+        update = ssd->update;
+        ssd->update = NULL;
+        *ext = update->ext;
+        ret = true;
     }
-    *ext = update->ext;
-    return true;
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&ssd->lock);
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static int interface_req_cmd_notification(QXLInstance *sin)
@@ -398,6 +408,7 @@ void qemu_spice_display_init(DisplayState *ds)
 {
     assert(sdpy.ds == NULL);
     sdpy.ds = ds;
+    qemu_mutex_init(&sdpy.lock);
     sdpy.bufsize = (16 * 1024 * 1024);
     sdpy.buf = qemu_malloc(sdpy.bufsize);
     register_displaychangelistener(ds, &display_listener);
diff --git a/ui/spice-display.h b/ui/spice-display.h
index aef0464f86..e0cc46ef4c 100644
--- a/ui/spice-display.h
+++ b/ui/spice-display.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <spice/enums.h>
 #include <spice/qxl_dev.h>
 
+#include "qemu-thread.h"
 #include "pflib.h"
 
 #define NUM_MEMSLOTS 8
@@ -31,7 +32,10 @@
 
 #define NUM_SURFACES 1024
 
-typedef struct SimpleSpiceDisplay {
+typedef struct SimpleSpiceDisplay SimpleSpiceDisplay;
+typedef struct SimpleSpiceUpdate SimpleSpiceUpdate;
+
+struct SimpleSpiceDisplay {
     DisplayState *ds;
     void *buf;
     int bufsize;
@@ -43,19 +47,26 @@ typedef struct SimpleSpiceDisplay {
     QXLRect dirty;
     int notify;
     int running;
-} SimpleSpiceDisplay;
 
-typedef struct SimpleSpiceUpdate {
+    /*
+     * All struct members below this comment can be accessed from
+     * both spice server and qemu (iothread) context and any access
+     * to them must be protected by the lock.
+     */
+    QemuMutex lock;
+    SimpleSpiceUpdate *update;
+};
+
+struct SimpleSpiceUpdate {
     QXLDrawable drawable;
     QXLImage image;
     QXLCommandExt ext;
     uint8_t *bitmap;
-} SimpleSpiceUpdate;
+};
 
 int qemu_spice_rect_is_empty(const QXLRect* r);
 void qemu_spice_rect_union(QXLRect *dest, const QXLRect *r);
 
-SimpleSpiceUpdate *qemu_spice_create_update(SimpleSpiceDisplay *sdpy);
 void qemu_spice_destroy_update(SimpleSpiceDisplay *sdpy, SimpleSpiceUpdate *update);
 void qemu_spice_create_host_memslot(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd);
 void qemu_spice_create_host_primary(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd);