diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h
index 6e2ff31584ae..c87ca2596c8a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ static inline void indirect_branch_prediction_barrier(void)
 
 /* The Intel SPEC CTRL MSR base value cache */
 extern u64 x86_spec_ctrl_base;
-extern void write_spec_ctrl_current(u64 val);
+extern void write_spec_ctrl_current(u64 val, bool force);
 
 /*
  * With retpoline, we must use IBRS to restrict branch prediction
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
index c55570a7c91a..ceb7cf1a1a3c 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
@@ -61,13 +61,19 @@ static DEFINE_MUTEX(spec_ctrl_mutex);
  * Keep track of the SPEC_CTRL MSR value for the current task, which may differ
  * from x86_spec_ctrl_base due to STIBP/SSB in __speculation_ctrl_update().
  */
-void write_spec_ctrl_current(u64 val)
+void write_spec_ctrl_current(u64 val, bool force)
 {
 	if (this_cpu_read(x86_spec_ctrl_current) == val)
 		return;
 
 	this_cpu_write(x86_spec_ctrl_current, val);
-	wrmsrl(MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL, val);
+
+	/*
+	 * When KERNEL_IBRS this MSR is written on return-to-user, unless
+	 * forced the update can be delayed until that time.
+	 */
+	if (force || !cpu_feature_enabled(X86_FEATURE_KERNEL_IBRS))
+		wrmsrl(MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL, val);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1195,7 +1201,7 @@ static void __init spectre_v2_select_mitigation(void)
 	if (spectre_v2_in_eibrs_mode(mode)) {
 		/* Force it so VMEXIT will restore correctly */
 		x86_spec_ctrl_base |= SPEC_CTRL_IBRS;
-		write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base);
+		write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base, true);
 	}
 
 	switch (mode) {
@@ -1250,7 +1256,7 @@ static void __init spectre_v2_select_mitigation(void)
 
 static void update_stibp_msr(void * __unused)
 {
-	write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base);
+	write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base, true);
 }
 
 /* Update x86_spec_ctrl_base in case SMT state changed. */
@@ -1493,7 +1499,7 @@ static enum ssb_mitigation __init __ssb_select_mitigation(void)
 			x86_amd_ssb_disable();
 		} else {
 			x86_spec_ctrl_base |= SPEC_CTRL_SSBD;
-			write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base);
+			write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base, true);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1698,7 +1704,7 @@ int arch_prctl_spec_ctrl_get(struct task_struct *task, unsigned long which)
 void x86_spec_ctrl_setup_ap(void)
 {
 	if (boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_MSR_SPEC_CTRL))
-		write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base);
+		write_spec_ctrl_current(x86_spec_ctrl_base, true);
 
 	if (ssb_mode == SPEC_STORE_BYPASS_DISABLE)
 		x86_amd_ssb_disable();
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/process.c b/arch/x86/kernel/process.c
index d697ccbf0cd2..a95b9e090f9e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/process.c
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ static __always_inline void __speculation_ctrl_update(unsigned long tifp,
 	}
 
 	if (updmsr)
-		write_spec_ctrl_current(msr);
+		write_spec_ctrl_current(msr, false);
 }
 
 static unsigned long speculation_ctrl_update_tif(struct task_struct *tsk)