diff --git a/drivers/iommu/iommufd/device.c b/drivers/iommu/iommufd/device.c
index a0c66f47a65a..99d34c81d786 100644
--- a/drivers/iommu/iommufd/device.c
+++ b/drivers/iommu/iommufd/device.c
@@ -412,9 +412,12 @@ void iommufd_access_destroy_object(struct iommufd_object *obj)
 	struct iommufd_access *access =
 		container_of(obj, struct iommufd_access, obj);
 
-	iopt_remove_access(&access->ioas->iopt, access);
+	if (access->ioas) {
+		iopt_remove_access(&access->ioas->iopt, access);
+		refcount_dec(&access->ioas->obj.users);
+		access->ioas = NULL;
+	}
 	iommufd_ctx_put(access->ictx);
-	refcount_dec(&access->ioas->obj.users);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -431,12 +434,10 @@ void iommufd_access_destroy_object(struct iommufd_object *obj)
  * The provided ops are required to use iommufd_access_pin_pages().
  */
 struct iommufd_access *
-iommufd_access_create(struct iommufd_ctx *ictx, u32 ioas_id,
+iommufd_access_create(struct iommufd_ctx *ictx,
 		      const struct iommufd_access_ops *ops, void *data)
 {
 	struct iommufd_access *access;
-	struct iommufd_object *obj;
-	int rc;
 
 	/*
 	 * There is no uAPI for the access object, but to keep things symmetric
@@ -449,21 +450,10 @@ iommufd_access_create(struct iommufd_ctx *ictx, u32 ioas_id,
 	access->data = data;
 	access->ops = ops;
 
-	obj = iommufd_get_object(ictx, ioas_id, IOMMUFD_OBJ_IOAS);
-	if (IS_ERR(obj)) {
-		rc = PTR_ERR(obj);
-		goto out_abort;
-	}
-	access->ioas = container_of(obj, struct iommufd_ioas, obj);
-	iommufd_ref_to_users(obj);
-
 	if (ops->needs_pin_pages)
 		access->iova_alignment = PAGE_SIZE;
 	else
 		access->iova_alignment = 1;
-	rc = iopt_add_access(&access->ioas->iopt, access);
-	if (rc)
-		goto out_put_ioas;
 
 	/* The calling driver is a user until iommufd_access_destroy() */
 	refcount_inc(&access->obj.users);
@@ -471,11 +461,6 @@ iommufd_access_create(struct iommufd_ctx *ictx, u32 ioas_id,
 	iommufd_ctx_get(ictx);
 	iommufd_object_finalize(ictx, &access->obj);
 	return access;
-out_put_ioas:
-	refcount_dec(&access->ioas->obj.users);
-out_abort:
-	iommufd_object_abort(ictx, &access->obj);
-	return ERR_PTR(rc);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(iommufd_access_create, IOMMUFD);
 
@@ -494,6 +479,32 @@ void iommufd_access_destroy(struct iommufd_access *access)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(iommufd_access_destroy, IOMMUFD);
 
+int iommufd_access_attach(struct iommufd_access *access, u32 ioas_id)
+{
+	struct iommufd_ioas *new_ioas;
+	struct iommufd_object *obj;
+	int rc = 0;
+
+	if (access->ioas != NULL && access->ioas->obj.id != ioas_id)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	obj = iommufd_get_object(access->ictx, ioas_id, IOMMUFD_OBJ_IOAS);
+	if (IS_ERR(obj))
+		return PTR_ERR(obj);
+	new_ioas = container_of(obj, struct iommufd_ioas, obj);
+
+	rc = iopt_add_access(&new_ioas->iopt, access);
+	if (rc) {
+		iommufd_put_object(obj);
+		return rc;
+	}
+	iommufd_ref_to_users(obj);
+
+	access->ioas = new_ioas;
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(iommufd_access_attach, IOMMUFD);
+
 /**
  * iommufd_access_notify_unmap - Notify users of an iopt to stop using it
  * @iopt: iopt to work on
diff --git a/drivers/iommu/iommufd/selftest.c b/drivers/iommu/iommufd/selftest.c
index cfb5fe9a5e0e..0eabda430c9f 100644
--- a/drivers/iommu/iommufd/selftest.c
+++ b/drivers/iommu/iommufd/selftest.c
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ static int iommufd_test_create_access(struct iommufd_ucmd *ucmd,
 	}
 
 	access = iommufd_access_create(
-		ucmd->ictx, ioas_id,
+		ucmd->ictx,
 		(flags & MOCK_FLAGS_ACCESS_CREATE_NEEDS_PIN_PAGES) ?
 			&selftest_access_ops_pin :
 			&selftest_access_ops,
@@ -580,6 +580,9 @@ static int iommufd_test_create_access(struct iommufd_ucmd *ucmd,
 		rc = PTR_ERR(access);
 		goto out_put_fdno;
 	}
+	rc = iommufd_access_attach(access, ioas_id);
+	if (rc)
+		goto out_destroy;
 	cmd->create_access.out_access_fd = fdno;
 	rc = iommufd_ucmd_respond(ucmd, sizeof(*cmd));
 	if (rc)
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/iommufd.c b/drivers/vfio/iommufd.c
index db4efbd56042..6b4b495b24c4 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/iommufd.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/iommufd.c
@@ -138,10 +138,18 @@ static const struct iommufd_access_ops vfio_user_ops = {
 int vfio_iommufd_emulated_bind(struct vfio_device *vdev,
 			       struct iommufd_ctx *ictx, u32 *out_device_id)
 {
+	struct iommufd_access *user;
+
 	lockdep_assert_held(&vdev->dev_set->lock);
 
-	vdev->iommufd_ictx = ictx;
 	iommufd_ctx_get(ictx);
+	user = iommufd_access_create(ictx, &vfio_user_ops, vdev);
+	if (IS_ERR(user)) {
+		iommufd_ctx_put(ictx);
+		return PTR_ERR(user);
+	}
+	vdev->iommufd_access = user;
+	vdev->iommufd_ictx = ictx;
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vfio_iommufd_emulated_bind);
@@ -152,6 +160,7 @@ void vfio_iommufd_emulated_unbind(struct vfio_device *vdev)
 
 	if (vdev->iommufd_access) {
 		iommufd_access_destroy(vdev->iommufd_access);
+		vdev->iommufd_attached = false;
 		vdev->iommufd_access = NULL;
 	}
 	iommufd_ctx_put(vdev->iommufd_ictx);
@@ -161,15 +170,20 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vfio_iommufd_emulated_unbind);
 
 int vfio_iommufd_emulated_attach_ioas(struct vfio_device *vdev, u32 *pt_id)
 {
-	struct iommufd_access *user;
+	int rc;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&vdev->dev_set->lock);
 
-	user = iommufd_access_create(vdev->iommufd_ictx, *pt_id, &vfio_user_ops,
-				     vdev);
-	if (IS_ERR(user))
-		return PTR_ERR(user);
-	vdev->iommufd_access = user;
+	if (WARN_ON(!vdev->iommufd_ictx))
+		return -EINVAL;
+	if (WARN_ON(!vdev->iommufd_access))
+		return -ENOENT;
+	if (vdev->iommufd_attached)
+		return -EBUSY;
+	rc = iommufd_access_attach(vdev->iommufd_access, *pt_id);
+	if (rc)
+		return rc;
+	vdev->iommufd_attached = true;
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vfio_iommufd_emulated_attach_ioas);
diff --git a/include/linux/iommufd.h b/include/linux/iommufd.h
index c0b5b3ac34f1..155d3630aedc 100644
--- a/include/linux/iommufd.h
+++ b/include/linux/iommufd.h
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ enum {
 };
 
 struct iommufd_access *
-iommufd_access_create(struct iommufd_ctx *ictx, u32 ioas_id,
+iommufd_access_create(struct iommufd_ctx *ictx,
 		      const struct iommufd_access_ops *ops, void *data);
 void iommufd_access_destroy(struct iommufd_access *access);
+int iommufd_access_attach(struct iommufd_access *access, u32 ioas_id);
 
 void iommufd_ctx_get(struct iommufd_ctx *ictx);
 
