diff --git a/include/qemu/rfifolock.h b/include/qemu/rfifolock.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b23ab53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/qemu/rfifolock.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+ * Recursive FIFO lock
+ *
+ * Copyright Red Hat, Inc. 2013
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ *  Stefan Hajnoczi   <stefanha@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or later.
+ * See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef QEMU_RFIFOLOCK_H
+#define QEMU_RFIFOLOCK_H
+
+#include "qemu/thread.h"
+
+/* Recursive FIFO lock
+ *
+ * This lock provides more features than a plain mutex:
+ *
+ * 1. Fairness - enforces FIFO order.
+ * 2. Nesting - can be taken recursively.
+ * 3. Contention callback - optional, called when thread must wait.
+ *
+ * The recursive FIFO lock is heavyweight so prefer other synchronization
+ * primitives if you do not need its features.
+ */
+typedef struct {
+    QemuMutex lock;             /* protects all fields */
+
+    /* FIFO order */
+    unsigned int head;          /* active ticket number */
+    unsigned int tail;          /* waiting ticket number */
+    QemuCond cond;              /* used to wait for our ticket number */
+
+    /* Nesting */
+    QemuThread owner_thread;    /* thread that currently has ownership */
+    unsigned int nesting;       /* amount of nesting levels */
+
+    /* Contention callback */
+    void (*cb)(void *);         /* called when thread must wait, with ->lock
+                                 * held so it may not recursively lock/unlock
+                                 */
+    void *cb_opaque;
+} RFifoLock;
+
+void rfifolock_init(RFifoLock *r, void (*cb)(void *), void *opaque);
+void rfifolock_destroy(RFifoLock *r);
+void rfifolock_lock(RFifoLock *r);
+void rfifolock_unlock(RFifoLock *r);
+
+#endif /* QEMU_RFIFOLOCK_H */
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index e146f81..190e596 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 check-unit-y += tests/test-iov$(EXESUF)
 gcov-files-test-iov-y = util/iov.c
 check-unit-y += tests/test-aio$(EXESUF)
+check-unit-y += tests/test-rfifolock$(EXESUF)
 check-unit-y += tests/test-throttle$(EXESUF)
 gcov-files-test-aio-$(CONFIG_WIN32) = aio-win32.c
 gcov-files-test-aio-$(CONFIG_POSIX) = aio-posix.c
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@
 tests/check-qom-interface$(EXESUF): tests/check-qom-interface.o $(qom-core-obj) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
 tests/test-coroutine$(EXESUF): tests/test-coroutine.o $(block-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
 tests/test-aio$(EXESUF): tests/test-aio.o $(block-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
+tests/test-rfifolock$(EXESUF): tests/test-rfifolock.o libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
 tests/test-throttle$(EXESUF): tests/test-throttle.o $(block-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
 tests/test-thread-pool$(EXESUF): tests/test-thread-pool.o $(block-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
 tests/test-iov$(EXESUF): tests/test-iov.o libqemuutil.a
diff --git a/tests/test-rfifolock.c b/tests/test-rfifolock.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0572ebb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-rfifolock.c
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+/*
+ * RFifoLock tests
+ *
+ * Copyright Red Hat, Inc. 2013
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ *  Stefan Hajnoczi    <stefanha@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU LGPL, version 2 or later.
+ * See the COPYING.LIB file in the top-level directory.
+ */
+
+#include <glib.h>
+#include "qemu-common.h"
+#include "qemu/rfifolock.h"
+
+static void test_nesting(void)
+{
+    RFifoLock lock;
+
+    /* Trivial test, ensure the lock is recursive */
+    rfifolock_init(&lock, NULL, NULL);
+    rfifolock_lock(&lock);
+    rfifolock_lock(&lock);
+    rfifolock_lock(&lock);
+    rfifolock_unlock(&lock);
+    rfifolock_unlock(&lock);
+    rfifolock_unlock(&lock);
+    rfifolock_destroy(&lock);
+}
+
+typedef struct {
+    RFifoLock lock;
+    int fd[2];
+} CallbackTestData;
+
+static void rfifolock_cb(void *opaque)
+{
+    CallbackTestData *data = opaque;
+    int ret;
+    char c = 0;
+
+    ret = write(data->fd[1], &c, sizeof(c));
+    g_assert(ret == 1);
+}
+
+static void *callback_thread(void *opaque)
+{
+    CallbackTestData *data = opaque;
+
+    /* The other thread holds the lock so the contention callback will be
+     * invoked...
+     */
+    rfifolock_lock(&data->lock);
+    rfifolock_unlock(&data->lock);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void test_callback(void)
+{
+    CallbackTestData data;
+    QemuThread thread;
+    int ret;
+    char c;
+
+    rfifolock_init(&data.lock, rfifolock_cb, &data);
+    ret = qemu_pipe(data.fd);
+    g_assert(ret == 0);
+
+    /* Hold lock but allow the callback to kick us by writing to the pipe */
+    rfifolock_lock(&data.lock);
+    qemu_thread_create(&thread, "callback_thread",
+                       callback_thread, &data, QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
+    ret = read(data.fd[0], &c, sizeof(c));
+    g_assert(ret == 1);
+    rfifolock_unlock(&data.lock);
+    /* If we got here then the callback was invoked, as expected */
+
+    qemu_thread_join(&thread);
+    close(data.fd[0]);
+    close(data.fd[1]);
+    rfifolock_destroy(&data.lock);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    g_test_init(&argc, &argv, NULL);
+    g_test_add_func("/nesting", test_nesting);
+    g_test_add_func("/callback", test_callback);
+    return g_test_run();
+}
diff --git a/util/Makefile.objs b/util/Makefile.objs
index 937376b..df83b62 100644
--- a/util/Makefile.objs
+++ b/util/Makefile.objs
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@
 util-obj-y += throttle.o
 util-obj-y += getauxval.o
 util-obj-y += readline.o
+util-obj-y += rfifolock.o
diff --git a/util/rfifolock.c b/util/rfifolock.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..afbf748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/rfifolock.c
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*
+ * Recursive FIFO lock
+ *
+ * Copyright Red Hat, Inc. 2013
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ *  Stefan Hajnoczi   <stefanha@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU LGPL, version 2 or later.
+ * See the COPYING.LIB file in the top-level directory.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include <assert.h>
+#include "qemu/rfifolock.h"
+
+void rfifolock_init(RFifoLock *r, void (*cb)(void *), void *opaque)
+{
+    qemu_mutex_init(&r->lock);
+    r->head = 0;
+    r->tail = 0;
+    qemu_cond_init(&r->cond);
+    r->nesting = 0;
+    r->cb = cb;
+    r->cb_opaque = opaque;
+}
+
+void rfifolock_destroy(RFifoLock *r)
+{
+    qemu_cond_destroy(&r->cond);
+    qemu_mutex_destroy(&r->lock);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Theory of operation:
+ *
+ * In order to ensure FIFO ordering, implement a ticketlock.  Threads acquiring
+ * the lock enqueue themselves by incrementing the tail index.  When the lock
+ * is unlocked, the head is incremented and waiting threads are notified.
+ *
+ * Recursive locking does not take a ticket since the head is only incremented
+ * when the outermost recursive caller unlocks.
+ */
+void rfifolock_lock(RFifoLock *r)
+{
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&r->lock);
+
+    /* Take a ticket */
+    unsigned int ticket = r->tail++;
+
+    if (r->nesting > 0 && qemu_thread_is_self(&r->owner_thread)) {
+        r->tail--; /* put ticket back, we're nesting */
+    } else {
+        while (ticket != r->head) {
+            /* Invoke optional contention callback */
+            if (r->cb) {
+                r->cb(r->cb_opaque);
+            }
+            qemu_cond_wait(&r->cond, &r->lock);
+        }
+    }
+
+    qemu_thread_get_self(&r->owner_thread);
+    r->nesting++;
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&r->lock);
+}
+
+void rfifolock_unlock(RFifoLock *r)
+{
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&r->lock);
+    assert(r->nesting > 0);
+    assert(qemu_thread_is_self(&r->owner_thread));
+    if (--r->nesting == 0) {
+        r->head++;
+        qemu_cond_broadcast(&r->cond);
+    }
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&r->lock);
+}