union hv_stimer_config new_config = {.as_uint64 = config},
                old_config = {.as_uint64 = stimer->config.as_uint64};
        struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu = hv_stimer_to_vcpu(stimer);
+       struct kvm_vcpu_hv *hv_vcpu = to_hv_vcpu(vcpu);
        struct kvm_vcpu_hv_synic *synic = to_hv_synic(vcpu);
 
        if (!synic->active && !host)
                return 1;
 
+       if (unlikely(!host && hv_vcpu->enforce_cpuid && new_config.direct_mode &&
+                    !(hv_vcpu->cpuid_cache.features_edx &
+                      HV_STIMER_DIRECT_MODE_AVAILABLE)))
+               return 1;
+
        trace_kvm_hv_stimer_set_config(hv_stimer_to_vcpu(stimer)->vcpu_id,
                                       stimer->index, config, host);