diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.h b/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.h
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.h
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.h
@@ -314,14 +314,14 @@
 
 	uint32_t vq_pfn;	/* PFN of virt queue (not shifted!) */
 
-	volatile struct vring_desc *vq_desc;	/* descriptor array */
-	volatile struct vring_avail *vq_avail;	/* the "avail" ring */
-	volatile struct vring_used *vq_used;	/* the "used" ring */
+	struct vring_desc *vq_desc;	/* descriptor array */
+	struct vring_avail *vq_avail;	/* the "avail" ring */
+	struct vring_used *vq_used;	/* the "used" ring */
 
 };
 /* as noted above, these are sort of backwards, name-wise */
 #define VQ_AVAIL_EVENT_IDX(vq) \
-	(*(volatile uint16_t *)&(vq)->vq_used->ring[(vq)->vq_qsize])
+	(*(uint16_t *)&(vq)->vq_used->ring[(vq)->vq_qsize])
 #define VQ_USED_EVENT_IDX(vq) \
 	((vq)->vq_avail->ring[(vq)->vq_qsize])
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.c
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/virtio.c
@@ -214,10 +214,9 @@
  * descriptor.
  */
 static inline void
-_vq_record(int i, volatile struct vring_desc *vd,
-	   struct vmctx *ctx, struct iovec *iov, int n_iov,
-	   struct vi_req *reqp) {
-
+_vq_record(int i, struct vring_desc *vd, struct vmctx *ctx, struct iovec *iov,
+    int n_iov, struct vi_req *reqp)
+{
 	if (i >= n_iov)
 		return;
 	iov[i].iov_base = paddr_guest2host(ctx, vd->addr, vd->len);
@@ -271,7 +270,7 @@
 	u_int ndesc, n_indir;
 	u_int idx, next;
 	struct vi_req req;
-	volatile struct vring_desc *vdir, *vindir, *vp;
+	struct vring_desc *vdir, *vindir, *vp;
 	struct vmctx *ctx;
 	struct virtio_softc *vs;
 	const char *name;
@@ -409,8 +408,8 @@
 void
 vq_relchain_prepare(struct vqueue_info *vq, uint16_t idx, uint32_t iolen)
 {
-	volatile struct vring_used *vuh;
-	volatile struct vring_used_elem *vue;
+	struct vring_used *vuh;
+	struct vring_used_elem *vue;
 	uint16_t mask;
 
 	/*