diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/block.rs b/vm-virtio/src/block.rs
index 7aebfc2ee..2653dbb58 100755
--- a/vm-virtio/src/block.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/block.rs
@@ -745,6 +745,8 @@ impl<T: DiskFile> BlockEpollHandler<T> {
                         break 'epoll;
                     }
                     PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing virtio-block epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/console.rs b/vm-virtio/src/console.rs
index b4ec7ecc8..26247daf0 100755
--- a/vm-virtio/src/console.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/console.rs
@@ -275,6 +275,8 @@ impl ConsoleEpollHandler {
                         break 'epoll;
                     }
                     PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing virtio-console epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs b/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs
index f952a446e..3340ddf62 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs
@@ -729,6 +729,8 @@ impl IommuEpollHandler {
                         break 'epoll;
                     }
                     PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing virtio-iommu epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/net.rs b/vm-virtio/src/net.rs
index 0f02cc7ea..4187b7406 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/net.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/net.rs
@@ -272,6 +272,8 @@ impl NetEpollHandler {
                         break 'epoll;
                     }
                     PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing virtio-net epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs b/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs
index c9bbd6267..43e0f3dd9 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs
@@ -269,6 +269,8 @@ impl NetCtrlEpollHandler {
                         break 'epoll;
                     }
                     PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing vhost-user epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs b/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
index a7ee9a088..c40200dd6 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
@@ -290,6 +290,8 @@ impl PmemEpollHandler {
                         break 'epoll;
                     }
                     PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing virtio-pmem epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs b/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs
index 8d2b675a1..917b84adf 100755
--- a/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ impl RngEpollHandler {
                         break 'epoll;
                     }
                     PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing virtio-rng epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs b/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs
index b5d5fa311..c7fa06ddd 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ impl<S: VhostUserMasterReqHandler> VhostUserEpollHandler<S> {
                         break 'poll;
                     }
                     x if pause_evt_index == x => {
+                        // Drain pause event
+                        let _ = self.vu_epoll_cfg.pause_evt.read();
                         debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing vhost-user epoll loop");
                         // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                         // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs b/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs
index a7efe6a68..2dfeae3b2 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs
@@ -351,6 +351,8 @@ where
                 return Ok(true);
             }
             PAUSE_EVENT => {
+                // Drain pause event
+                let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                 debug!("PAUSE_EVENT received, pausing virtio-vsock epoll loop");
                 // We loop here to handle spurious park() returns.
                 // Until we have not resumed, the paused boolean will