diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/block.rs b/vm-virtio/src/block.rs
index b3051e7b1..6f14eb140 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/block.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/block.rs
@@ -832,8 +832,6 @@ 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
@@ -841,6 +839,11 @@ impl<T: DiskFile> BlockEpollHandler<T> {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         error!("Unknown event for virtio-block");
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/console.rs b/vm-virtio/src/console.rs
index 9086915f8..1ec8d8048 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/console.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/console.rs
@@ -313,8 +313,6 @@ 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
@@ -322,6 +320,11 @@ impl ConsoleEpollHandler {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         error!("Unknown event for virtio-console");
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs b/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs
index 1ec1b7c89..59b71c04d 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/iommu.rs
@@ -744,8 +744,6 @@ 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
@@ -753,6 +751,11 @@ impl IommuEpollHandler {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         error!("Unknown event for virtio-iommu");
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/mem.rs b/vm-virtio/src/mem.rs
index 248978caf..dc95fbf27 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/mem.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/mem.rs
@@ -747,6 +747,11 @@ impl MemEpollHandler {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         return Err(DeviceError::EpollHander(String::from(
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/net.rs b/vm-virtio/src/net.rs
index 0cadc1c41..529f8cb21 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/net.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/net.rs
@@ -395,8 +395,6 @@ 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.
@@ -405,6 +403,11 @@ impl NetEpollHandler {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         error!("Unknown event for virtio-net");
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs b/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs
index 4bfd2287e..3f25ad73e 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/net_util.rs
@@ -316,8 +316,6 @@ 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
@@ -325,6 +323,11 @@ impl NetCtrlEpollHandler {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             std::thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         error!("Unknown event for virtio-net");
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs b/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
index ebb474eba..e833c08e5 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/pmem.rs
@@ -324,8 +324,6 @@ 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
@@ -333,6 +331,11 @@ impl PmemEpollHandler {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         error!("Unknown event for virtio-block");
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs b/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs
index 295e06b86..6bb156165 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/rng.rs
@@ -167,8 +167,6 @@ 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
@@ -176,6 +174,11 @@ impl RngEpollHandler {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     _ => {
                         error!("Unknown event for virtio-block");
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs b/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs
index 8197c6938..2ac8b3276 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/vhost_user/handler.rs
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ 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
@@ -172,6 +170,11 @@ impl<S: VhostUserMasterReqHandler> VhostUserEpollHandler<S> {
                         while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                             thread::park();
                         }
+
+                        // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                        // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                        // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                        let _ = self.vu_epoll_cfg.pause_evt.read();
                     }
                     x if (slave_evt_index.is_some() && slave_evt_index.unwrap() == x) => {
                         if let Some(slave_req_handler) =
diff --git a/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs b/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs
index 6dd01e392..10e0f45e2 100644
--- a/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs
+++ b/vm-virtio/src/vsock/device.rs
@@ -365,8 +365,6 @@ 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
@@ -374,6 +372,11 @@ where
                 while paused.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
                     thread::park();
                 }
+
+                // Drain pause event after the device has been resumed.
+                // This ensures the pause event has been seen by each
+                // and every thread related to this virtio device.
+                let _ = self.pause_evt.read();
             }
             other => {
                 error!("Unknown event for virtio-vsock");