diff --git a/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h b/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
index f0053f884b4a2abd860be1a131fadf6d2b02df52..d0beae98f755e8904d71fb81bd569f2e95bd05a2 100644
--- a/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
+++ b/include/kvm/arm_arch_timer.h
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@ struct arch_timer_cpu {
 	/* Work queued with the above timer expires */
 	struct work_struct		expired;
 
-	/* Background timer active */
-	bool				armed;
-
 	/* Is the timer enabled */
 	bool			enabled;
 };
diff --git a/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c b/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
index 8e89d63005c7f21565b84646478ae654cfcecaff..22323019119530f5845287e65de2e6c59187de10 100644
--- a/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
+++ b/virt/kvm/arm/arch_timer.c
@@ -56,26 +56,16 @@ u64 kvm_phys_timer_read(void)
 	return timecounter->cc->read(timecounter->cc);
 }
 
-static bool timer_is_armed(struct arch_timer_cpu *timer)
+static void soft_timer_start(struct hrtimer *hrt, u64 ns)
 {
-	return timer->armed;
-}
-
-/* timer_arm: as in "arm the timer", not as in ARM the company */
-static void timer_arm(struct arch_timer_cpu *timer, u64 ns)
-{
-	timer->armed = true;
-	hrtimer_start(&timer->timer, ktime_add_ns(ktime_get(), ns),
+	hrtimer_start(hrt, ktime_add_ns(ktime_get(), ns),
 		      HRTIMER_MODE_ABS);
 }
 
-static void timer_disarm(struct arch_timer_cpu *timer)
+static void soft_timer_cancel(struct hrtimer *hrt, struct work_struct *work)
 {
-	if (timer_is_armed(timer)) {
-		hrtimer_cancel(&timer->timer);
-		cancel_work_sync(&timer->expired);
-		timer->armed = false;
-	}
+	hrtimer_cancel(hrt);
+	cancel_work_sync(work);
 }
 
 static irqreturn_t kvm_arch_timer_handler(int irq, void *dev_id)
@@ -271,7 +261,7 @@ static void kvm_timer_emulate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
 		return;
 
 	/*  The timer has not yet expired, schedule a background timer */
-	timer_arm(timer, kvm_timer_compute_delta(timer_ctx));
+	soft_timer_start(&timer->timer, kvm_timer_compute_delta(timer_ctx));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -285,8 +275,6 @@ void kvm_timer_schedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	struct arch_timer_context *vtimer = vcpu_vtimer(vcpu);
 	struct arch_timer_context *ptimer = vcpu_ptimer(vcpu);
 
-	BUG_ON(timer_is_armed(timer));
-
 	/*
 	 * No need to schedule a background timer if any guest timer has
 	 * already expired, because kvm_vcpu_block will return before putting
@@ -306,13 +294,14 @@ void kvm_timer_schedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	 * The guest timers have not yet expired, schedule a background timer.
 	 * Set the earliest expiration time among the guest timers.
 	 */
-	timer_arm(timer, kvm_timer_earliest_exp(vcpu));
+	soft_timer_start(&timer->timer, kvm_timer_earliest_exp(vcpu));
 }
 
 void kvm_timer_unschedule(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 {
 	struct arch_timer_cpu *timer = &vcpu->arch.timer_cpu;
-	timer_disarm(timer);
+
+	soft_timer_cancel(&timer->timer, &timer->expired);
 }
 
 static void kvm_timer_flush_hwstate_vgic(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
@@ -448,7 +437,7 @@ void kvm_timer_sync_hwstate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	 * This is to cancel the background timer for the physical timer
 	 * emulation if it is set.
 	 */
-	timer_disarm(timer);
+	soft_timer_cancel(&timer->timer, &timer->expired);
 
 	/*
 	 * The guest could have modified the timer registers or the timer
@@ -615,7 +604,7 @@ void kvm_timer_vcpu_terminate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 	struct arch_timer_cpu *timer = &vcpu->arch.timer_cpu;
 	struct arch_timer_context *vtimer = vcpu_vtimer(vcpu);
 
-	timer_disarm(timer);
+	soft_timer_cancel(&timer->timer, &timer->expired);
 	kvm_vgic_unmap_phys_irq(vcpu, vtimer->irq.irq);
 }