diff --git a/hw/vfio/trace-events b/hw/vfio/trace-events
index 387751bd7f..2e6f0e6240 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/trace-events
+++ b/hw/vfio/trace-events
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ vfio_user_get_region_info(uint32_t index, uint32_t flags, uint64_t size) " index
 vfio_user_region_rw(uint32_t region, uint64_t off, uint32_t count) " region %d offset 0x%"PRIx64" count %d"
 vfio_user_get_irq_info(uint32_t index, uint32_t flags, uint32_t count) " index %d flags 0x%x count %d"
 vfio_user_set_irqs(uint32_t index, uint32_t start, uint32_t count, uint32_t flags) " index %d start %d count %d flags 0x%x"
+vfio_user_wrmulti(const char *s, uint64_t wr_cnt) " %s count 0x%"PRIx64
 
 # user-container.c
 vfio_user_dma_map(uint64_t iova, uint64_t size, uint64_t off, uint32_t flags, bool async_ops) " iova 0x%"PRIx64" size 0x%"PRIx64" off 0x%"PRIx64" flags 0x%x async_ops %d"
diff --git a/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h b/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h
index 607e0f4b7f..22e3265f58 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h
+++ b/hw/vfio/user-protocol.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ enum vfio_user_command {
     VFIO_USER_DMA_WRITE                 = 12,
     VFIO_USER_DEVICE_RESET              = 13,
     VFIO_USER_DIRTY_PAGES               = 14,
+    VFIO_USER_REGION_WRITE_MULTI        = 15,
     VFIO_USER_MAX,
 };
 
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #define VFIO_USER_CAP_PGSIZES   "pgsizes"
 #define VFIO_USER_CAP_MAP_MAX   "max_dma_maps"
 #define VFIO_USER_CAP_MIGR      "migration"
+#define VFIO_USER_CAP_MULTI     "write_multiple"
 
 /* "migration" members */
 #define VFIO_USER_CAP_PGSIZE            "pgsize"
@@ -221,4 +223,23 @@ typedef struct {
     char data[];
 } VFIOUserBitmap;
 
+/*
+ * VFIO_USER_REGION_WRITE_MULTI
+ */
+#define VFIO_USER_MULTI_DATA  8
+#define VFIO_USER_MULTI_MAX   200
+
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t offset;
+    uint32_t region;
+    uint32_t count;
+    char data[VFIO_USER_MULTI_DATA];
+} VFIOUserWROne;
+
+typedef struct {
+    VFIOUserHdr hdr;
+    uint64_t wr_cnt;
+    VFIOUserWROne wrs[VFIO_USER_MULTI_MAX];
+} VFIOUserWRMulti;
+
 #endif /* VFIO_USER_PROTOCOL_H */
diff --git a/hw/vfio/user.c b/hw/vfio/user.c
index f13381f310..b866c84b4c 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/user.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/user.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ static void vfio_user_request(void *opaque);
 static int vfio_user_send_queued(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserMsg *msg);
 static void vfio_user_send_async(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
                                  VFIOUserFDs *fds);
+static void vfio_user_flush_multi(VFIOUserProxy *proxy);
 
 static inline void vfio_user_set_error(VFIOUserHdr *hdr, uint32_t err)
 {
@@ -465,6 +466,11 @@ static void vfio_user_send(void *opaque)
         }
         qio_channel_set_aio_fd_handler(proxy->ioc, proxy->ctx,
                                        vfio_user_recv, NULL, NULL, proxy);
+
+        /* queue empty - send any pending multi write msgs */
+        if (proxy->wr_multi != NULL) {
+            vfio_user_flush_multi(proxy);
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -485,6 +491,7 @@ static int vfio_user_send_one(VFIOUserProxy *proxy)
     }
 
     QTAILQ_REMOVE(&proxy->outgoing, msg, next);
+    proxy->num_outgoing--;
     if (msg->type == VFIO_MSG_ASYNC) {
         vfio_user_recycle(proxy, msg);
     } else {
@@ -592,11 +599,18 @@ static int vfio_user_send_queued(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserMsg *msg)
 {
     int ret;
 
+    /* older coalesced writes go first */
+    if (proxy->wr_multi != NULL &&
+        ((msg->hdr->flags & VFIO_USER_TYPE) == VFIO_USER_REQUEST)) {
+        vfio_user_flush_multi(proxy);
+    }
+
     /*
      * Unsent outgoing msgs - add to tail
      */
     if (!QTAILQ_EMPTY(&proxy->outgoing)) {
         QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&proxy->outgoing, msg, next);
+        proxy->num_outgoing++;
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -610,6 +624,7 @@ static int vfio_user_send_queued(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserMsg *msg)
     }
     if (ret == QIO_CHANNEL_ERR_BLOCK) {
         QTAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&proxy->outgoing, msg, next);
+        proxy->num_outgoing = 1;
         qio_channel_set_aio_fd_handler(proxy->ioc, proxy->ctx,
                                        vfio_user_recv, proxy->ctx,
                                        vfio_user_send, proxy);
@@ -1149,12 +1164,27 @@ static bool check_migr(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, QObject *qobj, Error **errp)
     return caps_parse(proxy, qdict, caps_migr, errp);
 }
 
+static bool check_multi(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, QObject *qobj, Error **errp)
+{
+    QBool *qb = qobject_to(QBool, qobj);
+
+    if (qb == NULL) {
+        error_setg(errp, "malformed %s", VFIO_USER_CAP_MULTI);
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (qbool_get_bool(qb)) {
+        proxy->flags |= VFIO_PROXY_USE_MULTI;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 static struct cap_entry caps_cap[] = {
     { VFIO_USER_CAP_MAX_FDS, check_max_fds },
     { VFIO_USER_CAP_MAX_XFER, check_max_xfer },
     { VFIO_USER_CAP_PGSIZES, check_pgsizes },
     { VFIO_USER_CAP_MAP_MAX, check_max_dma },
     { VFIO_USER_CAP_MIGR, check_migr },
+    { VFIO_USER_CAP_MULTI, check_multi },
     { NULL }
 };
 
@@ -1213,6 +1243,7 @@ static GString *caps_json(void)
     qdict_put_int(capdict, VFIO_USER_CAP_MAX_XFER, VFIO_USER_DEF_MAX_XFER);
     qdict_put_int(capdict, VFIO_USER_CAP_PGSIZES, VFIO_USER_DEF_PGSIZE);
     qdict_put_int(capdict, VFIO_USER_CAP_MAP_MAX, VFIO_USER_DEF_MAP_MAX);
+    qdict_put_bool(capdict, VFIO_USER_CAP_MULTI, true);
 
     qdict_put_obj(dict, VFIO_USER_CAP, QOBJECT(capdict));
 
@@ -1481,19 +1512,114 @@ static int vfio_user_region_read(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, uint8_t index,
     return msgp->count;
 }
 
+static void vfio_user_flush_multi(VFIOUserProxy *proxy)
+{
+    VFIOUserMsg *msg;
+    VFIOUserWRMulti *wm = proxy->wr_multi;
+    int ret;
+
+    proxy->wr_multi = NULL;
+
+    /* adjust size for actual # of writes */
+    wm->hdr.size -= (VFIO_USER_MULTI_MAX - wm->wr_cnt) * sizeof(VFIOUserWROne);
+
+    msg = vfio_user_getmsg(proxy, &wm->hdr, NULL);
+    msg->id = wm->hdr.id;
+    msg->rsize = 0;
+    msg->type = VFIO_MSG_ASYNC;
+    trace_vfio_user_wrmulti("flush", wm->wr_cnt);
+
+    ret = vfio_user_send_queued(proxy, msg);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        vfio_user_recycle(proxy, msg);
+    }
+}
+
+static void vfio_user_create_multi(VFIOUserProxy *proxy)
+{
+    VFIOUserWRMulti *wm;
+
+    wm = g_malloc0(sizeof(*wm));
+    vfio_user_request_msg(&wm->hdr, VFIO_USER_REGION_WRITE_MULTI,
+                          sizeof(*wm), VFIO_USER_NO_REPLY);
+    proxy->wr_multi = wm;
+}
+
+static void vfio_user_add_multi(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, uint8_t index,
+                                off_t offset, uint32_t count, void *data)
+{
+    VFIOUserWRMulti *wm = proxy->wr_multi;
+    VFIOUserWROne *w1 = &wm->wrs[wm->wr_cnt];
+
+    w1->offset = offset;
+    w1->region = index;
+    w1->count = count;
+    memcpy(&w1->data, data, count);
+
+    wm->wr_cnt++;
+    trace_vfio_user_wrmulti("add", wm->wr_cnt);
+    if (wm->wr_cnt == VFIO_USER_MULTI_MAX ||
+        proxy->num_outgoing < VFIO_USER_OUT_LOW) {
+        vfio_user_flush_multi(proxy);
+    }
+}
+
 static int vfio_user_region_write(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, uint8_t index,
                                   off_t offset, uint32_t count, void *data,
                                   bool post)
 {
     VFIOUserRegionRW *msgp = NULL;
-    int flags = post ? VFIO_USER_NO_REPLY : 0;
+    int flags;
     int size = sizeof(*msgp) + count;
+    bool can_multi;
     int ret;
 
     if (count > proxy->max_xfer_size) {
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
+    if (proxy->flags & VFIO_PROXY_NO_POST) {
+        post = false;
+    }
+
+    /* write eligible to be in a WRITE_MULTI msg ? */
+    can_multi = (proxy->flags & VFIO_PROXY_USE_MULTI) && post &&
+        count <= VFIO_USER_MULTI_DATA;
+
+    /*
+     * This should be a rare case, so first check without the lock,
+     * if we're wrong, vfio_send_queued() will flush any posted writes
+     * we missed here
+     */
+    if (proxy->wr_multi != NULL ||
+        (proxy->num_outgoing > VFIO_USER_OUT_HIGH && can_multi)) {
+
+        /*
+         * re-check with lock
+         *
+         * if already building a WRITE_MULTI msg,
+         *  add this one if possible else flush pending before
+         *  sending the current one
+         *
+         * else if outgoing queue is over the highwater,
+         *  start a new WRITE_MULTI message
+         */
+        WITH_QEMU_LOCK_GUARD(&proxy->lock) {
+            if (proxy->wr_multi != NULL) {
+                if (can_multi) {
+                    vfio_user_add_multi(proxy, index, offset, count, data);
+                    return count;
+                }
+                vfio_user_flush_multi(proxy);
+            } else if (proxy->num_outgoing > VFIO_USER_OUT_HIGH && can_multi) {
+                vfio_user_create_multi(proxy);
+                vfio_user_add_multi(proxy, index, offset, count, data);
+                return count;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    flags = post ? VFIO_USER_NO_REPLY : 0;
     msgp = g_malloc0(size);
     vfio_user_request_msg(&msgp->hdr, VFIO_USER_REGION_WRITE, size, flags);
     msgp->offset = offset;
@@ -1503,7 +1629,7 @@ static int vfio_user_region_write(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, uint8_t index,
     trace_vfio_user_region_rw(msgp->region, msgp->offset, msgp->count);
 
     /* async send will free msg after it's sent */
-    if (post && !(proxy->flags & VFIO_PROXY_NO_POST)) {
+    if (post) {
         vfio_user_send_async(proxy, &msgp->hdr, NULL);
         return count;
     }
diff --git a/hw/vfio/user.h b/hw/vfio/user.h
index ff2aa005eb..dc4d41cc0e 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/user.h
+++ b/hw/vfio/user.h
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ typedef struct VFIOUserProxy {
     VFIOUserMsg *last_nowait;
     VFIOUserMsg *part_recv;
     size_t recv_left;
+    VFIOUserWRMulti *wr_multi;
+    int num_outgoing;
     enum proxy_state state;
 } VFIOUserProxy;
 
@@ -98,6 +100,11 @@ typedef struct VFIOUserProxy {
 #define VFIO_PROXY_NO_MMAP       0x2
 #define VFIO_PROXY_FORCE_QUEUED  0x4
 #define VFIO_PROXY_NO_POST       0x8
+#define VFIO_PROXY_USE_MULTI     0x10
+
+/* coalescing high and low water marks for VFIOProxy num_outgoing */
+#define VFIO_USER_OUT_HIGH       1024
+#define VFIO_USER_OUT_LOW        128
 
 typedef struct VFIODevice VFIODevice;
 
