diff --git a/cpus.c b/cpus.c
index f298b65..40ed0e6 100644
--- a/cpus.c
+++ b/cpus.c
@@ -1307,6 +1307,8 @@ static void prepare_icount_for_run(CPUState *cpu)
         insns_left = MIN(0xffff, cpu->icount_budget);
         cpu->icount_decr.u16.low = insns_left;
         cpu->icount_extra = cpu->icount_budget - insns_left;
+
+        replay_mutex_lock();
     }
 }
 
@@ -1322,6 +1324,8 @@ static void process_icount_data(CPUState *cpu)
         cpu->icount_budget = 0;
 
         replay_account_executed_instructions();
+
+        replay_mutex_unlock();
     }
 }
 
@@ -1336,11 +1340,9 @@ static int tcg_cpu_exec(CPUState *cpu)
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
     ti = profile_getclock();
 #endif
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     cpu_exec_start(cpu);
     ret = cpu_exec(cpu);
     cpu_exec_end(cpu);
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
     tcg_time += profile_getclock() - ti;
 #endif
@@ -1409,6 +1411,9 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
     cpu->exit_request = 1;
 
     while (1) {
+        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
+        replay_mutex_lock();
+        qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
         /* Account partial waits to QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL.  */
         qemu_account_warp_timer();
 
@@ -1417,6 +1422,8 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
          */
         handle_icount_deadline();
 
+        replay_mutex_unlock();
+
         if (!cpu) {
             cpu = first_cpu;
         }
@@ -1432,11 +1439,13 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_rr_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
             if (cpu_can_run(cpu)) {
                 int r;
 
+                qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
                 prepare_icount_for_run(cpu);
 
                 r = tcg_cpu_exec(cpu);
 
                 process_icount_data(cpu);
+                qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 
                 if (r == EXCP_DEBUG) {
                     cpu_handle_guest_debug(cpu);
@@ -1626,7 +1635,9 @@ static void *qemu_tcg_cpu_thread_fn(void *arg)
     while (1) {
         if (cpu_can_run(cpu)) {
             int r;
+            qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
             r = tcg_cpu_exec(cpu);
+            qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
             switch (r) {
             case EXCP_DEBUG:
                 cpu_handle_guest_debug(cpu);
@@ -1773,12 +1784,21 @@ void pause_all_vcpus(void)
         }
     }
 
+    /* We need to drop the replay_lock so any vCPU threads woken up
+     * can finish their replay tasks
+     */
+    replay_mutex_unlock();
+
     while (!all_vcpus_paused()) {
         qemu_cond_wait(&qemu_pause_cond, &qemu_global_mutex);
         CPU_FOREACH(cpu) {
             qemu_cpu_kick(cpu);
         }
     }
+
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
+    replay_mutex_lock();
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 }
 
 void cpu_resume(CPUState *cpu)
diff --git a/docs/replay.txt b/docs/replay.txt
index c52407f..959633e 100644
--- a/docs/replay.txt
+++ b/docs/replay.txt
@@ -49,6 +49,28 @@ Modifications of qemu include:
  * recording/replaying user input (mouse and keyboard)
  * adding internal checkpoints for cpu and io synchronization
 
+Locking and thread synchronisation
+----------------------------------
+
+Previously the synchronisation of the main thread and the vCPU thread
+was ensured by the holding of the BQL. However the trend has been to
+reduce the time the BQL was held across the system including under TCG
+system emulation. As it is important that batches of events are kept
+in sequence (e.g. expiring timers and checkpoints in the main thread
+while instruction checkpoints are written by the vCPU thread) we need
+another lock to keep things in lock-step. This role is now handled by
+the replay_mutex_lock. It used to be held only for each event being
+written but now it is held for a whole execution period. This results
+in a deterministic ping-pong between the two main threads.
+
+As the BQL is now a finer grained lock than the replay_lock it is almost
+certainly a bug, and a source of deadlocks, to take the
+replay_mutex_lock while the BQL is held. This is enforced by an assert.
+While the unlocks are usually in the reverse order, this is not
+necessary; you can drop the replay_lock while holding the BQL, without
+doing a more complicated unlock_iothread/replay_unlock/lock_iothread
+sequence.
+
 Non-deterministic events
 ------------------------
 
diff --git a/include/sysemu/replay.h b/include/sysemu/replay.h
index 291bcbc..239d00d 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/replay.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/replay.h
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ void replay_mutex_unlock(void);
 
 /* Replay process control functions */
 
+/*! Enables and take replay locks (even if we don't use it) */
+void replay_init_locks(void);
 /*! Enables recording or saving event log with specified parameters */
 void replay_configure(struct QemuOpts *opts);
 /*! Initializes timers used for snapshotting and enables events recording */
diff --git a/replay/replay-audio.c b/replay/replay-audio.c
index 3d83743..b113836 100644
--- a/replay/replay-audio.c
+++ b/replay/replay-audio.c
@@ -19,20 +19,17 @@
 void replay_audio_out(int *played)
 {
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_RECORD) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_save_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         replay_put_event(EVENT_AUDIO_OUT);
         replay_put_dword(*played);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     } else if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_account_executed_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         if (replay_next_event_is(EVENT_AUDIO_OUT)) {
             *played = replay_get_dword();
             replay_finish_event();
-            replay_mutex_unlock();
         } else {
-            replay_mutex_unlock();
             error_report("Missing audio out event in the replay log");
             abort();
         }
@@ -44,8 +41,8 @@ void replay_audio_in(int *recorded, void *samples, int *wpos, int size)
     int pos;
     uint64_t left, right;
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_RECORD) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_save_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         replay_put_event(EVENT_AUDIO_IN);
         replay_put_dword(*recorded);
         replay_put_dword(*wpos);
@@ -55,10 +52,9 @@ void replay_audio_in(int *recorded, void *samples, int *wpos, int size)
             replay_put_qword(left);
             replay_put_qword(right);
         }
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     } else if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_account_executed_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         if (replay_next_event_is(EVENT_AUDIO_IN)) {
             *recorded = replay_get_dword();
             *wpos = replay_get_dword();
@@ -69,9 +65,7 @@ void replay_audio_in(int *recorded, void *samples, int *wpos, int size)
                 audio_sample_from_uint64(samples, pos, left, right);
             }
             replay_finish_event();
-            replay_mutex_unlock();
         } else {
-            replay_mutex_unlock();
             error_report("Missing audio in event in the replay log");
             abort();
         }
diff --git a/replay/replay-char.c b/replay/replay-char.c
index cbf7c04..736cc8c 100755
--- a/replay/replay-char.c
+++ b/replay/replay-char.c
@@ -96,25 +96,24 @@ void *replay_event_char_read_load(void)
 
 void replay_char_write_event_save(int res, int offset)
 {
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
+
     replay_save_instructions();
-    replay_mutex_lock();
     replay_put_event(EVENT_CHAR_WRITE);
     replay_put_dword(res);
     replay_put_dword(offset);
-    replay_mutex_unlock();
 }
 
 void replay_char_write_event_load(int *res, int *offset)
 {
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
+
     replay_account_executed_instructions();
-    replay_mutex_lock();
     if (replay_next_event_is(EVENT_CHAR_WRITE)) {
         *res = replay_get_dword();
         *offset = replay_get_dword();
         replay_finish_event();
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     } else {
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         error_report("Missing character write event in the replay log");
         exit(1);
     }
@@ -122,23 +121,21 @@ void replay_char_write_event_load(int *res, int *offset)
 
 int replay_char_read_all_load(uint8_t *buf)
 {
-    replay_mutex_lock();
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
+
     if (replay_next_event_is(EVENT_CHAR_READ_ALL)) {
         size_t size;
         int res;
         replay_get_array(buf, &size);
         replay_finish_event();
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         res = (int)size;
         assert(res >= 0);
         return res;
     } else if (replay_next_event_is(EVENT_CHAR_READ_ALL_ERROR)) {
         int res = replay_get_dword();
         replay_finish_event();
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         return res;
     } else {
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         error_report("Missing character read all event in the replay log");
         exit(1);
     }
@@ -146,19 +143,17 @@ int replay_char_read_all_load(uint8_t *buf)
 
 void replay_char_read_all_save_error(int res)
 {
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
     assert(res < 0);
     replay_save_instructions();
-    replay_mutex_lock();
     replay_put_event(EVENT_CHAR_READ_ALL_ERROR);
     replay_put_dword(res);
-    replay_mutex_unlock();
 }
 
 void replay_char_read_all_save_buf(uint8_t *buf, int offset)
 {
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
     replay_save_instructions();
-    replay_mutex_lock();
     replay_put_event(EVENT_CHAR_READ_ALL);
     replay_put_array(buf, offset);
-    replay_mutex_unlock();
 }
diff --git a/replay/replay-events.c b/replay/replay-events.c
index e858254..54dd9d2 100644
--- a/replay/replay-events.c
+++ b/replay/replay-events.c
@@ -79,16 +79,14 @@ bool replay_has_events(void)
 
 void replay_flush_events(void)
 {
-    replay_mutex_lock();
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
+
     while (!QTAILQ_EMPTY(&events_list)) {
         Event *event = QTAILQ_FIRST(&events_list);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         replay_run_event(event);
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         QTAILQ_REMOVE(&events_list, event, events);
         g_free(event);
     }
-    replay_mutex_unlock();
 }
 
 void replay_disable_events(void)
@@ -102,14 +100,14 @@ void replay_disable_events(void)
 
 void replay_clear_events(void)
 {
-    replay_mutex_lock();
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
+
     while (!QTAILQ_EMPTY(&events_list)) {
         Event *event = QTAILQ_FIRST(&events_list);
         QTAILQ_REMOVE(&events_list, event, events);
 
         g_free(event);
     }
-    replay_mutex_unlock();
 }
 
 /*! Adds specified async event to the queue */
@@ -136,9 +134,8 @@ void replay_add_event(ReplayAsyncEventKind event_kind,
     event->opaque2 = opaque2;
     event->id = id;
 
-    replay_mutex_lock();
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
     QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&events_list, event, events);
-    replay_mutex_unlock();
 }
 
 void replay_bh_schedule_event(QEMUBH *bh)
@@ -207,13 +204,11 @@ static void replay_save_event(Event *event, int checkpoint)
 /* Called with replay mutex locked */
 void replay_save_events(int checkpoint)
 {
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
     while (!QTAILQ_EMPTY(&events_list)) {
         Event *event = QTAILQ_FIRST(&events_list);
         replay_save_event(event, checkpoint);
-
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         replay_run_event(event);
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         QTAILQ_REMOVE(&events_list, event, events);
         g_free(event);
     }
@@ -292,6 +287,7 @@ static Event *replay_read_event(int checkpoint)
 /* Called with replay mutex locked */
 void replay_read_events(int checkpoint)
 {
+    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
     while (replay_state.data_kind == EVENT_ASYNC) {
         Event *event = replay_read_event(checkpoint);
         if (!event) {
@@ -299,9 +295,7 @@ void replay_read_events(int checkpoint)
         }
         replay_finish_event();
         read_event_kind = -1;
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         replay_run_event(event);
-        replay_mutex_lock();
 
         g_free(event);
     }
diff --git a/replay/replay-internal.c b/replay/replay-internal.c
index 7cdefea..139b9fa 100644
--- a/replay/replay-internal.c
+++ b/replay/replay-internal.c
@@ -174,10 +174,16 @@ static __thread bool replay_locked;
 void replay_mutex_init(void)
 {
     qemu_mutex_init(&lock);
+    /* Hold the mutex while we start-up */
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&lock);
+    replay_locked = true;
 }
 
 void replay_mutex_destroy(void)
 {
+    if (replay_mutex_locked()) {
+        qemu_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+    }
     qemu_mutex_destroy(&lock);
 }
 
@@ -186,25 +192,31 @@ bool replay_mutex_locked(void)
     return replay_locked;
 }
 
+/* Ordering constraints, replay_lock must be taken before BQL */
 void replay_mutex_lock(void)
 {
-    g_assert(!replay_mutex_locked());
-    qemu_mutex_lock(&lock);
-    replay_locked = true;
+    if (replay_mode != REPLAY_MODE_NONE) {
+        g_assert(!qemu_mutex_iothread_locked());
+        g_assert(!replay_mutex_locked());
+        qemu_mutex_lock(&lock);
+        replay_locked = true;
+    }
 }
 
 void replay_mutex_unlock(void)
 {
-    g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
-    replay_locked = false;
-    qemu_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+    if (replay_mode != REPLAY_MODE_NONE) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
+        replay_locked = false;
+        qemu_mutex_unlock(&lock);
+    }
 }
 
 /*! Saves cached instructions. */
 void replay_save_instructions(void)
 {
     if (replay_file && replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_RECORD) {
-        replay_mutex_lock();
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         int diff = (int)(replay_get_current_step() - replay_state.current_step);
 
         /* Time can only go forward */
@@ -215,6 +227,5 @@ void replay_save_instructions(void)
             replay_put_dword(diff);
             replay_state.current_step += diff;
         }
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     }
 }
diff --git a/replay/replay-time.c b/replay/replay-time.c
index f70382a..6a7565e 100644
--- a/replay/replay-time.c
+++ b/replay/replay-time.c
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@
 
 int64_t replay_save_clock(ReplayClockKind kind, int64_t clock)
 {
-    replay_save_instructions();
 
     if (replay_file) {
-        replay_mutex_lock();
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
+
+        replay_save_instructions();
         replay_put_event(EVENT_CLOCK + kind);
         replay_put_qword(clock);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     }
 
     return clock;
@@ -46,16 +46,16 @@ void replay_read_next_clock(ReplayClockKind kind)
 /*! Reads next clock event from the input. */
 int64_t replay_read_clock(ReplayClockKind kind)
 {
+    g_assert(replay_file && replay_mutex_locked());
+
     replay_account_executed_instructions();
 
     if (replay_file) {
         int64_t ret;
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         if (replay_next_event_is(EVENT_CLOCK + kind)) {
             replay_read_next_clock(kind);
         }
         ret = replay_state.cached_clock[kind];
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
 
         return ret;
     }
diff --git a/replay/replay.c b/replay/replay.c
index 9cddb6b..a8b57cd 100644
--- a/replay/replay.c
+++ b/replay/replay.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ int replay_get_instructions(void)
 void replay_account_executed_instructions(void)
 {
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
-        replay_mutex_lock();
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         if (replay_state.instructions_count > 0) {
             int count = (int)(replay_get_current_step()
                               - replay_state.current_step);
@@ -100,24 +100,22 @@ void replay_account_executed_instructions(void)
                 qemu_notify_event();
             }
         }
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     }
 }
 
 bool replay_exception(void)
 {
+
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_RECORD) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_save_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         replay_put_event(EVENT_EXCEPTION);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         return true;
     } else if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         bool res = replay_has_exception();
         if (res) {
-            replay_mutex_lock();
             replay_finish_event();
-            replay_mutex_unlock();
         }
         return res;
     }
@@ -129,10 +127,9 @@ bool replay_has_exception(void)
 {
     bool res = false;
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_account_executed_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         res = replay_next_event_is(EVENT_EXCEPTION);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     }
 
     return res;
@@ -141,17 +138,15 @@ bool replay_has_exception(void)
 bool replay_interrupt(void)
 {
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_RECORD) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_save_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         replay_put_event(EVENT_INTERRUPT);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
         return true;
     } else if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         bool res = replay_has_interrupt();
         if (res) {
-            replay_mutex_lock();
             replay_finish_event();
-            replay_mutex_unlock();
         }
         return res;
     }
@@ -163,10 +158,9 @@ bool replay_has_interrupt(void)
 {
     bool res = false;
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_account_executed_instructions();
-        replay_mutex_lock();
         res = replay_next_event_is(EVENT_INTERRUPT);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     }
     return res;
 }
@@ -174,9 +168,8 @@ bool replay_has_interrupt(void)
 void replay_shutdown_request(ShutdownCause cause)
 {
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_RECORD) {
-        replay_mutex_lock();
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_put_event(EVENT_SHUTDOWN + cause);
-        replay_mutex_unlock();
     }
 }
 
@@ -190,9 +183,9 @@ bool replay_checkpoint(ReplayCheckpoint checkpoint)
         return true;
     }
 
-    replay_mutex_lock();
 
     if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_PLAY) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         if (replay_next_event_is(EVENT_CHECKPOINT + checkpoint)) {
             replay_finish_event();
         } else if (replay_state.data_kind != EVENT_ASYNC) {
@@ -205,15 +198,20 @@ bool replay_checkpoint(ReplayCheckpoint checkpoint)
            checkpoint were processed */
         res = replay_state.data_kind != EVENT_ASYNC;
     } else if (replay_mode == REPLAY_MODE_RECORD) {
+        g_assert(replay_mutex_locked());
         replay_put_event(EVENT_CHECKPOINT + checkpoint);
         replay_save_events(checkpoint);
         res = true;
     }
 out:
-    replay_mutex_unlock();
     return res;
 }
 
+void replay_init_locks(void)
+{
+    replay_mutex_init();
+}
+
 static void replay_enable(const char *fname, int mode)
 {
     const char *fmode = NULL;
@@ -233,8 +231,6 @@ static void replay_enable(const char *fname, int mode)
 
     atexit(replay_finish);
 
-    replay_mutex_init();
-
     replay_file = fopen(fname, fmode);
     if (replay_file == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Replay: open %s: %s\n", fname, strerror(errno));
@@ -274,6 +270,8 @@ void replay_configure(QemuOpts *opts)
     Location loc;
 
     if (!opts) {
+        /* we no longer need this lock */
+        replay_mutex_destroy();
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/util/main-loop.c b/util/main-loop.c
index 7558eb5..992f9b0 100644
--- a/util/main-loop.c
+++ b/util/main-loop.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "qemu/sockets.h"	// struct in_addr needed for libslirp.h
 #include "sysemu/qtest.h"
 #include "sysemu/cpus.h"
+#include "sysemu/replay.h"
 #include "slirp/libslirp.h"
 #include "qemu/main-loop.h"
 #include "block/aio.h"
@@ -245,18 +246,19 @@ static int os_host_main_loop_wait(int64_t timeout)
         timeout = SCALE_MS;
     }
 
+
     if (timeout) {
         spin_counter = 0;
-        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     } else {
         spin_counter++;
     }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
+    replay_mutex_unlock();
 
     ret = qemu_poll_ns((GPollFD *)gpollfds->data, gpollfds->len, timeout);
 
-    if (timeout) {
-        qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
-    }
+    replay_mutex_lock();
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 
     glib_pollfds_poll();
 
@@ -463,8 +465,13 @@ static int os_host_main_loop_wait(int64_t timeout)
     poll_timeout_ns = qemu_soonest_timeout(poll_timeout_ns, timeout);
 
     qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
+
+    replay_mutex_unlock();
+
     g_poll_ret = qemu_poll_ns(poll_fds, n_poll_fds + w->num, poll_timeout_ns);
 
+    replay_mutex_lock();
+
     qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     if (g_poll_ret > 0) {
         for (i = 0; i < w->num; i++) {
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 1170c69..47517f9 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -3061,6 +3061,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 
     qemu_init_cpu_list();
     qemu_init_cpu_loop();
+
+    replay_init_locks();
     qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 
     atexit(qemu_run_exit_notifiers);
