diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost.c b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
index a1e8b79e1a..06fc71746e 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 
 static struct vhost_log *vhost_log[VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_MAX];
 static struct vhost_log *vhost_log_shm[VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_MAX];
+static QLIST_HEAD(, vhost_dev) vhost_log_devs[VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_MAX];
 
 /* Memslots used by backends that support private memslots (without an fd). */
 static unsigned int used_memslots;
@@ -149,6 +150,47 @@ bool vhost_dev_has_iommu(struct vhost_dev *dev)
     }
 }
 
+static inline bool vhost_dev_should_log(struct vhost_dev *dev)
+{
+    assert(dev->vhost_ops);
+    assert(dev->vhost_ops->backend_type > VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_NONE);
+    assert(dev->vhost_ops->backend_type < VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_MAX);
+
+    return dev == QLIST_FIRST(&vhost_log_devs[dev->vhost_ops->backend_type]);
+}
+
+static inline void vhost_dev_elect_mem_logger(struct vhost_dev *hdev, bool add)
+{
+    VhostBackendType backend_type;
+
+    assert(hdev->vhost_ops);
+
+    backend_type = hdev->vhost_ops->backend_type;
+    assert(backend_type > VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_NONE);
+    assert(backend_type < VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_MAX);
+
+    if (add && !QLIST_IS_INSERTED(hdev, logdev_entry)) {
+        if (QLIST_EMPTY(&vhost_log_devs[backend_type])) {
+            QLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&vhost_log_devs[backend_type],
+                              hdev, logdev_entry);
+        } else {
+            /*
+             * The first vhost_device in the list is selected as the shared
+             * logger to scan memory sections. Put new entry next to the head
+             * to avoid inadvertent change to the underlying logger device.
+             * This is done in order to get better cache locality and to avoid
+             * performance churn on the hot path for log scanning. Even when
+             * new devices come and go quickly, it wouldn't end up changing
+             * the active leading logger device at all.
+             */
+            QLIST_INSERT_AFTER(QLIST_FIRST(&vhost_log_devs[backend_type]),
+                               hdev, logdev_entry);
+        }
+    } else if (!add && QLIST_IS_INSERTED(hdev, logdev_entry)) {
+        QLIST_REMOVE(hdev, logdev_entry);
+    }
+}
+
 static int vhost_sync_dirty_bitmap(struct vhost_dev *dev,
                                    MemoryRegionSection *section,
                                    hwaddr first,
@@ -166,12 +208,14 @@ static int vhost_sync_dirty_bitmap(struct vhost_dev *dev,
     start_addr = MAX(first, start_addr);
     end_addr = MIN(last, end_addr);
 
-    for (i = 0; i < dev->mem->nregions; ++i) {
-        struct vhost_memory_region *reg = dev->mem->regions + i;
-        vhost_dev_sync_region(dev, section, start_addr, end_addr,
-                              reg->guest_phys_addr,
-                              range_get_last(reg->guest_phys_addr,
-                                             reg->memory_size));
+    if (vhost_dev_should_log(dev)) {
+        for (i = 0; i < dev->mem->nregions; ++i) {
+            struct vhost_memory_region *reg = dev->mem->regions + i;
+            vhost_dev_sync_region(dev, section, start_addr, end_addr,
+                                  reg->guest_phys_addr,
+                                  range_get_last(reg->guest_phys_addr,
+                                                 reg->memory_size));
+        }
     }
     for (i = 0; i < dev->nvqs; ++i) {
         struct vhost_virtqueue *vq = dev->vqs + i;
@@ -383,6 +427,7 @@ static void vhost_log_put(struct vhost_dev *dev, bool sync)
         g_free(log);
     }
 
+    vhost_dev_elect_mem_logger(dev, false);
     dev->log = NULL;
     dev->log_size = 0;
 }
@@ -998,6 +1043,15 @@ static int vhost_dev_set_log(struct vhost_dev *dev, bool enable_log)
             goto err_vq;
         }
     }
+
+    /*
+     * At log start we select our vhost_device logger that will scan the
+     * memory sections and skip for the others. This is possible because
+     * the log is shared amongst all vhost devices for a given type of
+     * backend.
+     */
+    vhost_dev_elect_mem_logger(dev, enable_log);
+
     return 0;
 err_vq:
     for (; i >= 0; --i) {
@@ -2075,6 +2129,7 @@ int vhost_dev_start(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev, bool vrings)
             VHOST_OPS_DEBUG(r, "vhost_set_log_base failed");
             goto fail_log;
         }
+        vhost_dev_elect_mem_logger(hdev, true);
     }
     if (vrings) {
         r = vhost_dev_set_vring_enable(hdev, true);
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
index 02477788df..d75faf46e9 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ struct vhost_dev {
     void *opaque;
     struct vhost_log *log;
     QLIST_ENTRY(vhost_dev) entry;
+    QLIST_ENTRY(vhost_dev) logdev_entry;
     QLIST_HEAD(, vhost_iommu) iommu_list;
     IOMMUNotifier n;
     const VhostDevConfigOps *config_ops;