diff --git a/drivers/vhost/vhost.c b/drivers/vhost/vhost.c
index adbb957c8b5f..d8c0ea118bb1 100644
--- a/drivers/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/drivers/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ static void vhost_worker_queue(struct vhost_worker *worker,
 		 * test_and_set_bit() implies a memory barrier.
 		 */
 		llist_add(&work->node, &worker->work_list);
-		vhost_task_wake(worker->vtsk);
+		worker->ops->wakeup(worker);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ static void vhost_worker_destroy(struct vhost_dev *dev,
 
 	WARN_ON(!llist_empty(&worker->work_list));
 	xa_erase(&dev->worker_xa, worker->id);
-	vhost_task_stop(worker->vtsk);
+	worker->ops->stop(worker);
 	kfree(worker);
 }
 
@@ -720,42 +720,123 @@ static void vhost_workers_free(struct vhost_dev *dev)
 	xa_destroy(&dev->worker_xa);
 }
 
+static void vhost_task_wakeup_fn(struct vhost_worker *worker)
+{
+	return vhost_task_wake(worker->vtsk);
+}
+
+static void vhost_kthread_wakeup_fn(struct vhost_worker *worker)
+{
+	wake_up_process(worker->kthread_task);
+}
+
+static void vhost_task_stop_fn(struct vhost_worker *worker)
+{
+	return vhost_task_stop(worker->vtsk);
+}
+
+static void vhost_kthread_stop_fn(struct vhost_worker *worker)
+{
+	kthread_stop(worker->kthread_task);
+}
+
+static int vhost_task_worker_create_fn(struct vhost_worker *worker,
+				       struct vhost_dev *dev, const char *name)
+{
+	struct vhost_task *vtsk;
+	u32 id;
+	int ret;
+
+	vtsk = vhost_task_create(vhost_run_work_list, vhost_worker_killed,
+				 worker, name);
+	if (!vtsk)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	worker->vtsk = vtsk;
+	vhost_task_start(vtsk);
+	ret = xa_alloc(&dev->worker_xa, &id, worker, xa_limit_32b, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		vhost_task_stop_fn(worker);
+		return ret;
+	}
+	worker->id = id;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int kthread_worker_create_fn(struct vhost_worker *worker,
+				    struct vhost_dev *dev, const char *name)
+{
+	struct task_struct *task;
+	u32 id;
+	int ret;
+
+	task = kthread_create(vhost_run_work_kthread_list, worker, "%s", name);
+	if (IS_ERR(task))
+		return PTR_ERR(task);
+
+	worker->kthread_task = task;
+	wake_up_process(task);
+	ret = xa_alloc(&dev->worker_xa, &id, worker, xa_limit_32b, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		goto stop_worker;
+
+	ret = vhost_attach_task_to_cgroups(worker);
+	if (ret)
+		goto stop_worker;
+
+	worker->id = id;
+	return 0;
+
+stop_worker:
+	vhost_kthread_stop_fn(worker);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+static const struct vhost_worker_ops vhost_task_ops = {
+	.create = vhost_task_worker_create_fn,
+	.stop = vhost_task_stop_fn,
+	.wakeup = vhost_task_wakeup_fn,
+};
+
+static const struct vhost_worker_ops kthread_ops = {
+	.create = kthread_worker_create_fn,
+	.stop = vhost_kthread_stop_fn,
+	.wakeup = vhost_kthread_wakeup_fn,
+};
+
 static struct vhost_worker *vhost_worker_create(struct vhost_dev *dev)
 {
 	struct vhost_worker *worker;
-	struct vhost_task *vtsk;
 	char name[TASK_COMM_LEN];
 	int ret;
-	u32 id;
+	const struct vhost_worker_ops *ops =
+		dev->inherit_owner ? &vhost_task_ops : &kthread_ops;
 
 	worker = kzalloc(sizeof(*worker), GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT);
 	if (!worker)
 		return NULL;
 
 	worker->dev = dev;
+	worker->ops = ops;
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "vhost-%d", current->pid);
 
-	vtsk = vhost_task_create(vhost_run_work_list, vhost_worker_killed,
-				 worker, name);
-	if (!vtsk)
-		goto free_worker;
-
 	mutex_init(&worker->mutex);
 	init_llist_head(&worker->work_list);
 	worker->kcov_handle = kcov_common_handle();
-	worker->vtsk = vtsk;
-
-	vhost_task_start(vtsk);
+	/*
+	 * If inherit_owner is true we use vhost_tasks to create
+	 * the worker so all settings/limits like cgroups, NPROC,
+	 * scheduler, etc are inherited from the owner. If false,
+	 * we use kthreads and only attach to the same cgroups
+	 * as the owner for compat with older kernels.
+	 */
 
-	ret = xa_alloc(&dev->worker_xa, &id, worker, xa_limit_32b, GFP_KERNEL);
+	ret = ops->create(worker, dev, name);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto stop_worker;
-	worker->id = id;
+		goto free_worker;
 
 	return worker;
 
-stop_worker:
-	vhost_task_stop(vtsk);
 free_worker:
 	kfree(worker);
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/drivers/vhost/vhost.h b/drivers/vhost/vhost.h
index c650c4506c70..029c203147be 100644
--- a/drivers/vhost/vhost.h
+++ b/drivers/vhost/vhost.h
@@ -26,7 +26,18 @@ struct vhost_work {
 	unsigned long		flags;
 };
 
+struct vhost_worker;
+struct vhost_dev;
+
+struct vhost_worker_ops {
+	int (*create)(struct vhost_worker *worker, struct vhost_dev *dev,
+		      const char *name);
+	void (*stop)(struct vhost_worker *worker);
+	void (*wakeup)(struct vhost_worker *worker);
+};
+
 struct vhost_worker {
+	struct task_struct *kthread_task;
 	struct vhost_task	*vtsk;
 	struct vhost_dev	*dev;
 	/* Used to serialize device wide flushing with worker swapping. */
@@ -36,6 +47,7 @@ struct vhost_worker {
 	u32			id;
 	int			attachment_cnt;
 	bool			killed;
+	const struct vhost_worker_ops *ops;
 };
 
 /* Poll a file (eventfd or socket) */
