diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/emulate.c b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/emulate.c
index 5c6261a2f8..043139b9b9 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/hvm/emulate.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/hvm/emulate.c
@@ -421,6 +421,8 @@ static int hvmemul_virtual_to_linear(
                            ? 1 : 4096);
 
     reg = hvmemul_get_seg_reg(seg, hvmemul_ctxt);
+    if ( IS_ERR(reg) )
+        return -PTR_ERR(reg);
 
     if ( (hvmemul_ctxt->ctxt.regs->eflags & X86_EFLAGS_DF) && (*reps > 1) )
     {
@@ -1000,6 +1002,10 @@ static int hvmemul_read_segment(
     struct hvm_emulate_ctxt *hvmemul_ctxt =
         container_of(ctxt, struct hvm_emulate_ctxt, ctxt);
     struct segment_register *sreg = hvmemul_get_seg_reg(seg, hvmemul_ctxt);
+
+    if ( IS_ERR(sreg) )
+         return -PTR_ERR(sreg);
+
     memcpy(reg, sreg, sizeof(struct segment_register));
     return X86EMUL_OKAY;
 }
@@ -1013,6 +1019,9 @@ static int hvmemul_write_segment(
         container_of(ctxt, struct hvm_emulate_ctxt, ctxt);
     struct segment_register *sreg = hvmemul_get_seg_reg(seg, hvmemul_ctxt);
 
+    if ( IS_ERR(sreg) )
+         return -PTR_ERR(sreg);
+
     memcpy(sreg, reg, sizeof(struct segment_register));
     __set_bit(seg, &hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg_dirty);
 
@@ -1477,13 +1486,22 @@ void hvm_emulate_writeback(
     }
 }
 
+/*
+ * Callers which pass a known in-range x86_segment can rely on the return
+ * pointer being valid.  Other callers must explicitly check for errors.
+ */
 struct segment_register *hvmemul_get_seg_reg(
     enum x86_segment seg,
     struct hvm_emulate_ctxt *hvmemul_ctxt)
 {
-    if ( !__test_and_set_bit(seg, &hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg_accessed) )
-        hvm_get_segment_register(current, seg, &hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg[seg]);
-    return &hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg[seg];
+    unsigned int idx = seg;
+
+    if ( idx >= ARRAY_SIZE(hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg) )
+        return ERR_PTR(-X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE);
+
+    if ( !__test_and_set_bit(idx, &hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg_accessed) )
+        hvm_get_segment_register(current, idx, &hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg[idx]);
+    return &hvmemul_ctxt->seg_reg[idx];
 }
 
 static const char *guest_x86_mode_to_str(int mode)
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/mm/shadow/common.c b/xen/arch/x86/mm/shadow/common.c
index 3820297f2d..455106683e 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/mm/shadow/common.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/mm/shadow/common.c
@@ -120,12 +120,22 @@ __initcall(shadow_audit_key_init);
 /* x86 emulator support for the shadow code
  */
 
+/*
+ * Callers which pass a known in-range x86_segment can rely on the return
+ * pointer being valid.  Other callers must explicitly check for errors.
+ */
 struct segment_register *hvm_get_seg_reg(
     enum x86_segment seg, struct sh_emulate_ctxt *sh_ctxt)
 {
-    struct segment_register *seg_reg = &sh_ctxt->seg_reg[seg];
-    if ( !__test_and_set_bit(seg, &sh_ctxt->valid_seg_regs) )
-        hvm_get_segment_register(current, seg, seg_reg);
+    unsigned int idx = seg;
+    struct segment_register *seg_reg;
+
+    if ( idx >= ARRAY_SIZE(sh_ctxt->seg_reg) )
+        return ERR_PTR(-X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE);
+
+    seg_reg = &sh_ctxt->seg_reg[idx];
+    if ( !__test_and_set_bit(idx, &sh_ctxt->valid_seg_regs) )
+        hvm_get_segment_register(current, idx, seg_reg);
     return seg_reg;
 }
 
@@ -140,14 +150,9 @@ static int hvm_translate_linear_addr(
     struct segment_register *reg;
     int okay;
 
-    /*
-     * Can arrive here with non-user segments.  However, no such cirucmstance
-     * is part of a legitimate pagetable update, so fail the emulation.
-     */
-    if ( !is_x86_user_segment(seg) )
-        return X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE;
-
     reg = hvm_get_seg_reg(seg, sh_ctxt);
+    if ( IS_ERR(reg) )
+        return -PTR_ERR(reg);
 
     okay = hvm_virtual_to_linear_addr(
         seg, reg, offset, bytes, access_type, sh_ctxt->ctxt.addr_size, paddr);
@@ -249,9 +254,6 @@ hvm_emulate_write(enum x86_segment seg,
     unsigned long addr;
     int rc;
 
-    if ( !is_x86_user_segment(seg) )
-        return X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE;
-
     /* How many emulations could we save if we unshadowed on stack writes? */
     if ( seg == x86_seg_ss )
         perfc_incr(shadow_fault_emulate_stack);
@@ -279,9 +281,6 @@ hvm_emulate_cmpxchg(enum x86_segment seg,
     unsigned long addr, old[2], new[2];
     int rc;
 
-    if ( !is_x86_user_segment(seg) )
-        return X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE;
-
     rc = hvm_translate_linear_addr(
         seg, offset, bytes, hvm_access_write, sh_ctxt, &addr);
     if ( rc )
diff --git a/xen/include/asm-x86/hvm/emulate.h b/xen/include/asm-x86/hvm/emulate.h
index 5411302eef..9a68ea894d 100644
--- a/xen/include/asm-x86/hvm/emulate.h
+++ b/xen/include/asm-x86/hvm/emulate.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define __ASM_X86_HVM_EMULATE_H__
 
 #include <xen/config.h>
+#include <xen/err.h>
 #include <asm/hvm/hvm.h>
 #include <asm/x86_emulate.h>