diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/spec_ctrl.c b/xen/arch/x86/spec_ctrl.c
index 16d2a1d172..a5569c7f2b 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/spec_ctrl.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/spec_ctrl.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ bool __read_mostly opt_ibpb = true;
 bool __read_mostly opt_ssbd = false;
 int8_t __read_mostly opt_eager_fpu = -1;
 int8_t __read_mostly opt_l1d_flush = -1;
-bool __read_mostly opt_branch_harden = true;
+static bool __initdata opt_branch_harden = true;
 
 bool __initdata bsp_delay_spec_ctrl;
 uint8_t __read_mostly default_xen_spec_ctrl;
@@ -1121,8 +1121,9 @@ void __init init_speculation_mitigations(void)
     else if ( opt_l1d_flush == -1 )
         opt_l1d_flush = cpu_has_bug_l1tf && !(caps & ARCH_CAPS_SKIP_L1DFL);
 
-    if ( opt_branch_harden )
-        setup_force_cpu_cap(X86_FEATURE_SC_BRANCH_HARDEN);
+    /* We compile lfence's in by default, and nop them out if requested. */
+    if ( !opt_branch_harden )
+        setup_force_cpu_cap(X86_FEATURE_SC_NO_BRANCH_HARDEN);
 
     /*
      * We do not disable HT by default on affected hardware.
diff --git a/xen/include/asm-x86/cpufeatures.h b/xen/include/asm-x86/cpufeatures.h
index 72beb7babc..b10154fc44 100644
--- a/xen/include/asm-x86/cpufeatures.h
+++ b/xen/include/asm-x86/cpufeatures.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ XEN_CPUFEATURE(XEN_SMAP,          X86_SYNTH(11)) /* SMAP gets used by Xen itself
 /* Bit 12 - unused. */
 XEN_CPUFEATURE(IND_THUNK_LFENCE,  X86_SYNTH(13)) /* Use IND_THUNK_LFENCE */
 XEN_CPUFEATURE(IND_THUNK_JMP,     X86_SYNTH(14)) /* Use IND_THUNK_JMP */
-XEN_CPUFEATURE(SC_BRANCH_HARDEN,  X86_SYNTH(15)) /* Conditional Branch Hardening */
+XEN_CPUFEATURE(SC_NO_BRANCH_HARDEN, X86_SYNTH(15)) /* (Disable) Conditional branch hardening */
 XEN_CPUFEATURE(SC_MSR_PV,         X86_SYNTH(16)) /* MSR_SPEC_CTRL used by Xen for PV */
 XEN_CPUFEATURE(SC_MSR_HVM,        X86_SYNTH(17)) /* MSR_SPEC_CTRL used by Xen for HVM */
 XEN_CPUFEATURE(SC_RSB_PV,         X86_SYNTH(18)) /* RSB overwrite needed for PV */
diff --git a/xen/include/asm-x86/nospec.h b/xen/include/asm-x86/nospec.h
index f6eb84eee5..5312ae4c6f 100644
--- a/xen/include/asm-x86/nospec.h
+++ b/xen/include/asm-x86/nospec.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 static always_inline bool barrier_nospec_true(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SPECULATIVE_HARDEN_BRANCH
-    alternative("", "lfence", X86_FEATURE_SC_BRANCH_HARDEN);
+    alternative("lfence", "", X86_FEATURE_SC_NO_BRANCH_HARDEN);
 #endif
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/xen/include/asm-x86/spec_ctrl.h b/xen/include/asm-x86/spec_ctrl.h
index e671b6fd8d..a803d16f90 100644
--- a/xen/include/asm-x86/spec_ctrl.h
+++ b/xen/include/asm-x86/spec_ctrl.h
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ extern bool opt_ibpb;
 extern bool opt_ssbd;
 extern int8_t opt_eager_fpu;
 extern int8_t opt_l1d_flush;
-extern bool opt_branch_harden;
 
 extern bool bsp_delay_spec_ctrl;
 extern uint8_t default_xen_spec_ctrl;