diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86_64/xapic_ipi_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86_64/xapic_ipi_test.c
index 3d272d7f961e..cc2630429067 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86_64/xapic_ipi_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86_64/xapic_ipi_test.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 #define _GNU_SOURCE /* for program_invocation_short_name */
 #include <getopt.h>
-#include <pthread.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <time.h>
@@ -76,7 +75,6 @@ struct test_data_page {
 
 struct thread_params {
 	struct test_data_page *data;
-	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu;
 	uint64_t *pipis_rcvd; /* host address of ipis_rcvd global */
 };
 
@@ -193,8 +191,9 @@ static void sender_guest_code(struct test_data_page *data)
 
 static void *vcpu_thread(void *arg)
 {
-	struct thread_params *params = (struct thread_params *)arg;
-	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu = params->vcpu;
+	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu = (struct kvm_vcpu *)arg;
+	struct thread_params *params =
+		(struct thread_params *)vcpu->private_data;
 	struct ucall uc;
 	int old;
 	int r;
@@ -233,17 +232,17 @@ static void *vcpu_thread(void *arg)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static void cancel_join_vcpu_thread(pthread_t thread, struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
+static void cancel_join_vcpu_thread(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
 {
 	void *retval;
 	int r;
 
-	r = pthread_cancel(thread);
+	r = pthread_cancel(vcpu->thread);
 	TEST_ASSERT(r == 0,
 		    "pthread_cancel on vcpu_id=%d failed with errno=%d",
 		    vcpu->id, r);
 
-	r = pthread_join(thread, &retval);
+	r = pthread_join(vcpu->thread, &retval);
 	TEST_ASSERT(r == 0,
 		    "pthread_join on vcpu_id=%d failed with errno=%d",
 		    vcpu->id, r);
@@ -393,17 +392,16 @@ void get_cmdline_args(int argc, char *argv[], int *run_secs,
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-	int r;
-	int wait_secs;
+	int i, wait_secs;
 	const int max_halter_wait = 10;
 	int run_secs = 0;
 	int delay_usecs = 0;
 	struct test_data_page *data;
 	vm_vaddr_t test_data_page_vaddr;
 	bool migrate = false;
-	pthread_t threads[2];
-	struct thread_params params[2];
+	struct thread_params *params;
 	struct kvm_vm *vm;
+	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu;
 	uint64_t *pipis_rcvd;
 
 	get_cmdline_args(argc, argv, &run_secs, &migrate, &delay_usecs);
@@ -412,33 +410,31 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (delay_usecs <= 0)
 		delay_usecs = DEFAULT_DELAY_USECS;
 
-	vm = vm_create_with_one_vcpu(&params[0].vcpu, halter_guest_code);
+	vm = vm_create_with_one_vcpu(&vcpu, halter_guest_code);
 
 	vm_init_descriptor_tables(vm);
-	vcpu_init_descriptor_tables(params[0].vcpu);
+	vcpu_init_descriptor_tables(vcpu);
 	vm_install_exception_handler(vm, IPI_VECTOR, guest_ipi_handler);
 
 	virt_pg_map(vm, APIC_DEFAULT_GPA, APIC_DEFAULT_GPA);
 
-	params[1].vcpu = vm_vcpu_add(vm, 1, sender_guest_code);
+	vcpu = vm_vcpu_add(vm, 1, sender_guest_code);
+	vm_vcpu_threads_private_data_alloc(vm, sizeof(struct thread_params));
 
 	test_data_page_vaddr = vm_vaddr_alloc_page(vm);
 	data = addr_gva2hva(vm, test_data_page_vaddr);
 	memset(data, 0, sizeof(*data));
-	params[0].data = data;
-	params[1].data = data;
-
-	vcpu_args_set(params[0].vcpu, 1, test_data_page_vaddr);
-	vcpu_args_set(params[1].vcpu, 1, test_data_page_vaddr);
-
 	pipis_rcvd = (uint64_t *)addr_gva2hva(vm, (uint64_t)&ipis_rcvd);
-	params[0].pipis_rcvd = pipis_rcvd;
-	params[1].pipis_rcvd = pipis_rcvd;
+
+	vm_iterate_over_vcpus(vm, vcpu, i) {
+		params = (struct thread_params *)vcpu->private_data;
+		params->data = data;
+		params->pipis_rcvd = pipis_rcvd;
+		vcpu_args_set(vcpu, 1, test_data_page_vaddr);
+	}
 
 	/* Start halter vCPU thread and wait for it to execute first HLT. */
-	r = pthread_create(&threads[0], NULL, vcpu_thread, &params[0]);
-	TEST_ASSERT(r == 0,
-		    "pthread_create halter failed errno=%d", errno);
+	vcpu_thread_create(vm->vcpus[0], vcpu_thread, 0);
 	fprintf(stderr, "Halter vCPU thread started\n");
 
 	wait_secs = 0;
@@ -455,9 +451,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		"Halter vCPU thread reported its APIC ID: %u after %d seconds.\n",
 		data->halter_apic_id, wait_secs);
 
-	r = pthread_create(&threads[1], NULL, vcpu_thread, &params[1]);
-	TEST_ASSERT(r == 0, "pthread_create sender failed errno=%d", errno);
-
+	vcpu_thread_create(vm->vcpus[1], vcpu_thread, 0);
 	fprintf(stderr,
 		"IPI sender vCPU thread started. Letting vCPUs run for %d seconds.\n",
 		run_secs);
@@ -470,8 +464,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	/*
 	 * Cancel threads and wait for them to stop.
 	 */
-	cancel_join_vcpu_thread(threads[0], params[0].vcpu);
-	cancel_join_vcpu_thread(threads[1], params[1].vcpu);
+	cancel_join_vcpu_thread(vm->vcpus[0]);
+	cancel_join_vcpu_thread(vm->vcpus[1]);
 
 	fprintf(stderr,
 		"Test successful after running for %d seconds.\n"
