diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/processor.c b/arch/x86/kernel/processor.c
index 7cae4339f..6fc3f35ac 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/processor.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/processor.c
@@ -637,10 +637,6 @@ int cpu_detection(void) {
 
 
 	if (first_time) {
-		// enable fast string operations
-		uint64_t misc = rdmsr(MSR_IA32_MISC_ENABLE);
-		wrmsr(MSR_IA32_MISC_ENABLE, misc | MSR_IA32_MISC_ENABLE_FAST_STRING);
-
 		LOG_INFO("CR0 0x%llx, CR4 0x%llx\n", read_cr0(), read_cr4());
 		LOG_INFO("size of xsave_t: %d\n", sizeof(xsave_t));
 		if (has_msr()) {
diff --git a/tools/uhyve.c b/tools/uhyve.c
index 4e4c736fb..5bd3b3f70 100644
--- a/tools/uhyve.c
+++ b/tools/uhyve.c
@@ -1069,9 +1069,21 @@ static int vcpu_init(void)
 		kvm_ioctl(vcpufd, KVM_SET_XSAVE, &xsave);
 		kvm_ioctl(vcpufd, KVM_SET_VCPU_EVENTS, &events);
 	} else {
+		struct {
+			struct kvm_msrs info;
+			struct kvm_msr_entry entries[MAX_MSR_ENTRIES];
+		} msr_data;
+		struct kvm_msr_entry *msrs = msr_data.entries;
+
 		// be sure that the multiprocessor is runable
 		kvm_ioctl(vcpufd, KVM_SET_MP_STATE, &mp_state);
 
+		// enable fast string operations
+		msrs[0].index = MSR_IA32_MISC_ENABLE;
+		msrs[0].data = 1;
+		msr_data.info.nmsrs = 1;
+		kvm_ioctl(vcpufd, KVM_SET_MSRS, &msr_data);
+
 		/* Setup registers and memory. */
 		setup_system(vcpufd, guest_mem, cpuid);
 		kvm_ioctl(vcpufd, KVM_SET_REGS, &regs);