diff --git a/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c b/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c
index 70d34063df..8e2940217a 100644
--- a/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c
+++ b/target/arm/hvf/hvf.c
@@ -1942,6 +1942,7 @@ static int hvf_handle_exception(CPUState *cpu, hv_vcpu_exit_exception_t *excp)
                 /* SMCCC 1.3 section 5.2 says every unknown SMCCC call returns -1 */
                 env->xregs[0] = -1;
             }
+            cpu->vcpu_dirty = true;
         } else {
             trace_hvf_unknown_hvc(env->pc, env->xregs[0]);
             hvf_raise_exception(cpu, EXCP_UDEF, syn_uncategorized(), 1);
@@ -1958,6 +1959,7 @@ static int hvf_handle_exception(CPUState *cpu, hv_vcpu_exit_exception_t *excp)
                 /* SMCCC 1.3 section 5.2 says every unknown SMCCC call returns -1 */
                 env->xregs[0] = -1;
             }
+            cpu->vcpu_dirty = true;
         } else {
             trace_hvf_unknown_smc(env->xregs[0]);
             hvf_raise_exception(cpu, EXCP_UDEF, syn_uncategorized(), 1);
@@ -1980,10 +1982,12 @@ static int hvf_handle_exception(CPUState *cpu, hv_vcpu_exit_exception_t *excp)
         error_report("0x%llx: unhandled exception ec=0x%x", env->pc, ec);
     }
 
+    /* flush any changed cpu state back to HVF */
+    flush_cpu_state(cpu);
+
     if (advance_pc) {
         uint64_t pc;
 
-        flush_cpu_state(cpu);
 
         r = hv_vcpu_get_reg(cpu->accel->fd, HV_REG_PC, &pc);
         assert_hvf_ok(r);