diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/hvm.c b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/hvm.c
index 704fd6441a..deb1783848 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/hvm.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/hvm.c
@@ -2512,6 +2512,10 @@ bool_t hvm_virtual_to_linear_addr(
          */
         addr = (uint32_t)(addr + reg->base);
 
+        /* Segment not valid for use (cooked meaning of .p)? */
+        if ( !reg->attr.fields.p )
+            goto out;
+
         switch ( access_type )
         {
         case hvm_access_read:
@@ -2767,6 +2771,10 @@ static int hvm_load_segment_selector(
     hvm_get_segment_register(
         v, (sel & 4) ? x86_seg_ldtr : x86_seg_gdtr, &desctab);
 
+    /* Segment not valid for use (cooked meaning of .p)? */
+    if ( !desctab.attr.fields.p )
+        goto fail;
+
     /* Check against descriptor table limit. */
     if ( ((sel & 0xfff8) + 7) > desctab.limit )
         goto fail;
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/svm/svm.c b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/svm/svm.c
index c9dbbea42f..98a037d4dc 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/svm/svm.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/svm/svm.c
@@ -627,6 +627,7 @@ static void svm_get_segment_register(struct vcpu *v, enum x86_segment seg,
     {
     case x86_seg_cs:
         memcpy(reg, &vmcb->cs, sizeof(*reg));
+        reg->attr.fields.p = 1;
         reg->attr.fields.g = reg->limit > 0xFFFFF;
         break;
     case x86_seg_ds:
@@ -660,13 +661,16 @@ static void svm_get_segment_register(struct vcpu *v, enum x86_segment seg,
     case x86_seg_tr:
         svm_sync_vmcb(v);
         memcpy(reg, &vmcb->tr, sizeof(*reg));
+        reg->attr.fields.p = 1;
         reg->attr.fields.type |= 0x2;
         break;
     case x86_seg_gdtr:
         memcpy(reg, &vmcb->gdtr, sizeof(*reg));
+        reg->attr.bytes = 0x80;
         break;
     case x86_seg_idtr:
         memcpy(reg, &vmcb->idtr, sizeof(*reg));
+        reg->attr.bytes = 0x80;
         break;
     case x86_seg_ldtr:
         svm_sync_vmcb(v);
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/vmx/vmx.c b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/vmx/vmx.c
index a18db28f6f..0a52624994 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/vmx/vmx.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/vmx/vmx.c
@@ -1035,10 +1035,12 @@ void vmx_get_segment_register(struct vcpu *v, enum x86_segment seg,
     reg->sel = sel;
     reg->limit = limit;
 
-    reg->attr.bytes = (attr & 0xff) | ((attr >> 4) & 0xf00);
-    /* Unusable flag is folded into Present flag. */
-    if ( attr & (1u<<16) )
-        reg->attr.fields.p = 0;
+    /*
+     * Fold VT-x representation into Xen's representation.  The Present bit is
+     * unconditionally set to the inverse of unusable.
+     */
+    reg->attr.bytes =
+        (!(attr & (1u << 16)) << 7) | (attr & 0x7f) | ((attr >> 4) & 0xf00);
 
     /* Adjust for virtual 8086 mode */
     if ( v->arch.hvm_vmx.vmx_realmode && seg <= x86_seg_tr 
@@ -1118,11 +1120,11 @@ static void vmx_set_segment_register(struct vcpu *v, enum x86_segment seg,
         }
     }
 
-    attr = ((attr & 0xf00) << 4) | (attr & 0xff);
-
-    /* Not-present must mean unusable. */
-    if ( !reg->attr.fields.p )
-        attr |= (1u << 16);
+    /*
+     * Unfold Xen representation into VT-x representation.  The unusable bit
+     * is unconditionally set to the inverse of present.
+     */
+    attr = (!(attr & (1u << 7)) << 16) | ((attr & 0xf00) << 4) | (attr & 0xff);
 
     /* VMX has strict consistency requirement for flag G. */
     attr |= !!(limit >> 20) << 15;
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/x86_emulate/x86_emulate.c b/xen/arch/x86/x86_emulate/x86_emulate.c
index 26214877c3..f9cdb63426 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/x86_emulate/x86_emulate.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/x86_emulate/x86_emulate.c
@@ -1367,6 +1367,10 @@ protmode_load_seg(
                                  &desctab, ctxt)) )
         return rc;
 
+    /* Segment not valid for use (cooked meaning of .p)? */
+    if ( !desctab.attr.fields.p )
+        goto raise_exn;
+
     /* Check against descriptor table limit. */
     if ( ((sel & 0xfff8) + 7) > desctab.limit )
         goto raise_exn;