diff --git a/tools/include/xenctrl.h b/tools/include/xenctrl.h
index dba33d5d0f39..45f05a2d3d7e 100644
--- a/tools/include/xenctrl.h
+++ b/tools/include/xenctrl.h
@@ -1839,7 +1839,7 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch,
                           uint32_t domid, bool restore,
                           const uint32_t *featureset,
                           unsigned int nr_features, bool pae, bool itsc,
-                          bool nested_virt, const struct xc_xend_cpuid *xend);
+                          bool nested_virt, const struct xc_xend_cpuid *cpuid);
 int xc_mca_op(xc_interface *xch, struct xen_mc *mc);
 int xc_mca_op_inject_v2(xc_interface *xch, unsigned int flags,
                         xc_cpumap_t cpumap, unsigned int nr_cpus);
diff --git a/tools/include/xenguest.h b/tools/include/xenguest.h
index 2672fd043cf9..705a93a058fb 100644
--- a/tools/include/xenguest.h
+++ b/tools/include/xenguest.h
@@ -817,6 +817,11 @@ int xc_cpu_policy_get_msr(xc_interface *xch, const xc_cpu_policy_t *policy,
 bool xc_cpu_policy_is_compatible(xc_interface *xch, xc_cpu_policy_t *host,
                                  xc_cpu_policy_t *guest);
 
+/* Apply an array of xc_xend_cpuid leafs to the policy. */
+int xc_cpu_policy_apply_cpuid(xc_interface *xch, xc_cpu_policy_t *policy,
+                              const struct xc_xend_cpuid *cpuid,
+                              const xc_cpu_policy_t *host);
+
 int xc_get_cpu_levelling_caps(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t *caps);
 int xc_get_cpu_featureset(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t index,
                           uint32_t *nr_features, uint32_t *featureset);
diff --git a/tools/libs/guest/xg_cpuid_x86.c b/tools/libs/guest/xg_cpuid_x86.c
index 1e532b255c21..0d0970d4bd69 100644
--- a/tools/libs/guest/xg_cpuid_x86.c
+++ b/tools/libs/guest/xg_cpuid_x86.c
@@ -254,145 +254,67 @@ int xc_set_domain_cpu_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid,
     return ret;
 }
 
-static int compare_leaves(const void *l, const void *r)
+int xc_cpu_policy_apply_cpuid(xc_interface *xch, xc_cpu_policy_t *policy,
+                              const struct xc_xend_cpuid *cpuid,
+                              const xc_cpu_policy_t *host)
 {
-    const xen_cpuid_leaf_t *lhs = l;
-    const xen_cpuid_leaf_t *rhs = r;
-
-    if ( lhs->leaf != rhs->leaf )
-        return lhs->leaf < rhs->leaf ? -1 : 1;
-
-    if ( lhs->subleaf != rhs->subleaf )
-        return lhs->subleaf < rhs->subleaf ? -1 : 1;
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
-static xen_cpuid_leaf_t *find_leaf(
-    xen_cpuid_leaf_t *leaves, unsigned int nr_leaves,
-    const struct xc_xend_cpuid *xend)
-{
-    const xen_cpuid_leaf_t key = { xend->leaf, xend->subleaf };
-
-    return bsearch(&key, leaves, nr_leaves, sizeof(*leaves), compare_leaves);
-}
-
-static int xc_cpuid_xend_policy(
-    xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid, const struct xc_xend_cpuid *xend)
-{
-    int rc;
-    bool hvm;
-    xc_domaininfo_t di;
-    unsigned int nr_leaves, nr_msrs;
-    uint32_t err_leaf = -1, err_subleaf = -1, err_msr = -1;
-    /*
-     * Three full policies.  The host, default for the domain type,
-     * and domain current.
-     */
-    xen_cpuid_leaf_t *host = NULL, *def = NULL, *cur = NULL;
-    unsigned int nr_host, nr_def, nr_cur;
-
-    if ( (rc = xc_domain_getinfo_single(xch, domid, &di)) < 0 )
-    {
-        PERROR("Failed to obtain d%d info", domid);
-        rc = -errno;
-        goto fail;
-    }
-    hvm = di.flags & XEN_DOMINF_hvm_guest;
-
-    rc = xc_cpu_policy_get_size(xch, &nr_leaves, &nr_msrs);
-    if ( rc )
-    {
-        PERROR("Failed to obtain policy info size");
-        rc = -errno;
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
-    rc = -ENOMEM;
-    if ( (host = calloc(nr_leaves, sizeof(*host))) == NULL ||
-         (def  = calloc(nr_leaves, sizeof(*def)))  == NULL ||
-         (cur  = calloc(nr_leaves, sizeof(*cur)))  == NULL )
-    {
-        ERROR("Unable to allocate memory for %u CPUID leaves", nr_leaves);
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
-    /* Get the domain's current policy. */
-    nr_msrs = 0;
-    nr_cur = nr_leaves;
-    rc = get_domain_cpu_policy(xch, domid, &nr_cur, cur, &nr_msrs, NULL);
-    if ( rc )
-    {
-        PERROR("Failed to obtain d%d current policy", domid);
-        rc = -errno;
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
-    /* Get the domain type's default policy. */
-    nr_msrs = 0;
-    nr_def = nr_leaves;
-    rc = get_system_cpu_policy(xch, hvm ? XEN_SYSCTL_cpu_policy_hvm_default
-                                        : XEN_SYSCTL_cpu_policy_pv_default,
-                               &nr_def, def, &nr_msrs, NULL);
-    if ( rc )
+    for ( ; cpuid->leaf != XEN_CPUID_INPUT_UNUSED; ++cpuid )
     {
-        PERROR("Failed to obtain %s def policy", hvm ? "hvm" : "pv");
-        rc = -errno;
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
-    /* Get the host policy. */
-    nr_msrs = 0;
-    nr_host = nr_leaves;
-    rc = get_system_cpu_policy(xch, XEN_SYSCTL_cpu_policy_host,
-                               &nr_host, host, &nr_msrs, NULL);
-    if ( rc )
-    {
-        PERROR("Failed to obtain host policy");
-        rc = -errno;
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
-    rc = -EINVAL;
-    for ( ; xend->leaf != XEN_CPUID_INPUT_UNUSED; ++xend )
-    {
-        xen_cpuid_leaf_t *cur_leaf = find_leaf(cur, nr_cur, xend);
-        const xen_cpuid_leaf_t *def_leaf = find_leaf(def, nr_def, xend);
-        const xen_cpuid_leaf_t *host_leaf = find_leaf(host, nr_host, xend);
+        xen_cpuid_leaf_t cur_leaf, host_leaf;
+        int rc;
 
-        if ( cur_leaf == NULL || def_leaf == NULL || host_leaf == NULL )
+        rc = xc_cpu_policy_get_cpuid(xch, policy, cpuid->leaf, cpuid->subleaf,
+                                     &cur_leaf);
+        if ( rc )
         {
-            ERROR("Missing leaf %#x, subleaf %#x", xend->leaf, xend->subleaf);
-            goto fail;
+            ERROR("Failed to get current policy leaf %#x subleaf %#x",
+                  cpuid->leaf, cpuid->subleaf);
+            return rc;
+        }
+        rc = xc_cpu_policy_get_cpuid(xch, host, cpuid->leaf, cpuid->subleaf,
+                                     &host_leaf);
+        if ( rc )
+        {
+            ERROR("Failed to get host policy leaf %#x subleaf %#x",
+                  cpuid->leaf, cpuid->subleaf);
+            return rc;
         }
 
-        for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(xend->policy); i++ )
+        for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(cpuid->policy); i++ )
         {
-            uint32_t *cur_reg = &cur_leaf->a + i;
-            const uint32_t *def_reg = &def_leaf->a + i;
-            const uint32_t *host_reg = &host_leaf->a + i;
+            uint32_t *cur_reg = &cur_leaf.a + i;
+            const uint32_t *host_reg = &host_leaf.a + i;
 
-            if ( xend->policy[i] == NULL )
+            if ( cpuid->policy[i] == NULL )
                 continue;
 
             for ( unsigned int j = 0; j < 32; j++ )
             {
                 bool val;
 
-                if ( xend->policy[i][j] == '1' )
+                switch ( cpuid->policy[i][j] )
+                {
+                case '1':
                     val = true;
-                else if ( xend->policy[i][j] == '0' )
+                    break;
+
+                case '0':
                     val = false;
-                else if ( xend->policy[i][j] == 'x' )
-                    val = test_bit(31 - j, def_reg);
-                else if ( xend->policy[i][j] == 'k' ||
-                          xend->policy[i][j] == 's' )
+                    break;
+
+                case 'x':
+                    /* Leave alone: the current policy is the default one. */
+                    continue;
+
+                case 'k':
+                case 's':
                     val = test_bit(31 - j, host_reg);
-                else
-                {
+                    break;
+
+                default:
                     ERROR("Bad character '%c' in policy[%d] string '%s'",
-                          xend->policy[i][j], i, xend->policy[i]);
-                    goto fail;
+                          cpuid->policy[i][j], i, cpuid->policy[i]);
+                    return -EINVAL;
                 }
 
                 clear_bit(31 - j, cur_reg);
@@ -400,33 +322,19 @@ static int xc_cpuid_xend_policy(
                     set_bit(31 - j, cur_reg);
             }
         }
-    }
 
-    /* Feed the transformed currrent policy back up to Xen. */
-    rc = xc_set_domain_cpu_policy(xch, domid, nr_cur, cur, 0, NULL,
-                                  &err_leaf, &err_subleaf, &err_msr);
-    if ( rc )
-    {
-        PERROR("Failed to set d%d's policy (err leaf %#x, subleaf %#x, msr %#x)",
-               domid, err_leaf, err_subleaf, err_msr);
-        rc = -errno;
-        goto fail;
+        rc = xc_cpu_policy_update_cpuid(xch, policy, &cur_leaf, 1);
+        if ( rc )
+            return rc;
     }
 
-    /* Success! */
-
- fail:
-    free(cur);
-    free(def);
-    free(host);
-
-    return rc;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid, bool restore,
                           const uint32_t *featureset, unsigned int nr_features,
                           bool pae, bool itsc, bool nested_virt,
-                          const struct xc_xend_cpuid *xend)
+                          const struct xc_xend_cpuid *cpuid)
 {
     int rc;
     bool hvm;
@@ -617,6 +525,16 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid, bool restore,
         }
     }
 
+    if ( cpuid )
+    {
+        rc = xc_cpu_policy_apply_cpuid(xch, policy, cpuid, host);
+        if ( rc )
+        {
+            rc = -errno;
+            goto out;
+        }
+    }
+
     rc = xc_cpu_policy_set_domain(xch, domid, policy);
     if ( rc )
     {
@@ -624,9 +542,6 @@ int xc_cpuid_apply_policy(xc_interface *xch, uint32_t domid, bool restore,
         goto out;
     }
 
-    if ( xend && (rc = xc_cpuid_xend_policy(xch, domid, xend)) )
-        goto out;
-
     rc = 0;
 
 out:
