diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v2.c b/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v2.c
index 944b00457e..9adb4a9ea4 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v2.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v2.c
@@ -494,11 +494,10 @@ static int vgic_v2_distr_mmio_write(struct vcpu *v, mmio_info_t *info,
         return 0;
 
     case VRANGE32(GICD_ICACTIVER, GICD_ICACTIVERN):
-        if ( dabt.size != DABT_WORD ) goto bad_width;
         printk(XENLOG_G_ERR
                "%pv: vGICD: unhandled word write %#"PRIregister" to ICACTIVER%d\n",
                v, r, gicd_reg - GICD_ICACTIVER);
-        return 0;
+        goto write_ignore_32;
 
     case VRANGE32(GICD_IPRIORITYR, GICD_IPRIORITYRN):
     {
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v3.c b/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v3.c
index 5893b714f4..dba2449168 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v3.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/vgic-v3.c
@@ -621,11 +621,10 @@ static int __vgic_v3_distr_common_mmio_write(const char *name, struct vcpu *v,
         return 0;
 
     case VRANGE32(GICD_ICACTIVER, GICD_ICACTIVERN):
-        if ( dabt.size != DABT_WORD ) goto bad_width;
         printk(XENLOG_G_ERR
                "%pv: %s: unhandled word write %#"PRIregister" to ICACTIVER%d\n",
                v, name, r, reg - GICD_ICACTIVER);
-        return 0;
+        goto write_ignore_32;
 
     case VRANGE32(GICD_IPRIORITYR, GICD_IPRIORITYRN):
     {