diff --git a/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/BUILD b/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/BUILD
index db86873e0d3..f68ca99307e 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/BUILD
@@ -34,9 +34,11 @@ go_test(
     embed = [":eventfd"],
     deps = [
         "//pkg/abi/linux",
+        "//pkg/hostarch",
         "//pkg/sentry/contexttest",
         "//pkg/sentry/vfs",
         "//pkg/usermem",
         "//pkg/waiter",
+        "@org_golang_x_sys//unix:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd.go b/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd.go
index 45bfca18e75..462c5c4fe74 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ type EventFileDescription struct {
 	semMode bool
 
 	// hostfd is the backing host eventfd, or -1 if none is installed.
+	// A reference to vfsfd keeps an installed fd open after mu is released.
 	//
 	// +checklocks:mu
 	hostfd int
@@ -134,19 +135,28 @@ func (efd *EventFileDescription) HostFD() (int, error) {
 		flags |= linux.EFD_SEMAPHORE
 	}
 
-	fd, _, errno := unix.Syscall(unix.SYS_EVENTFD2, uintptr(efd.val), uintptr(flags), 0)
-	if errno != 0 {
-		return -1, errno
+	// eventfd2 accepts a 32-bit initial value, but writes can raise the
+	// counter above that before a device asks for a host fd.
+	initVal := uint32(efd.val)
+	fd, err := unix.Eventfd(uint(initVal), flags)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
 	}
-
-	if err := fdnotifier.AddFD(int32(fd), &efd.queue); err != nil {
-		if closeErr := unix.Close(int(fd)); closeErr != nil {
+	if rest := efd.val - uint64(initVal); rest != 0 {
+		err = hostWrite(fd, rest)
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		err = fdnotifier.AddFD(int32(fd), &efd.queue)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		if closeErr := unix.Close(fd); closeErr != nil {
 			log.Warningf("close(%d) eventfd failed: %v", fd, closeErr)
 		}
 		return -1, err
 	}
 
-	efd.hostfd = int(fd)
+	efd.val = 0
+	efd.hostfd = fd
 	efd.sentryOwnedHostfd = true
 	return efd.hostfd, nil
 }
@@ -247,11 +257,10 @@ func (efd *EventFileDescription) read(ctx context.Context, dst usermem.IOSequenc
 	return err
 }
 
-// +checklocks:efd.mu
-func (efd *EventFileDescription) hostWriteLocked(val uint64) error {
+func hostWrite(fd int, val uint64) error {
 	var buf [8]byte
 	hostarch.ByteOrder.PutUint64(buf[:], val)
-	_, err := unix.Write(efd.hostfd, buf[:])
+	_, err := unix.Write(fd, buf[:])
 	if err == unix.EWOULDBLOCK {
 		return linuxerr.ErrWouldBlock
 	}
@@ -280,10 +289,9 @@ func (efd *EventFileDescription) Signal(val uint64) error {
 	}
 
 	efd.mu.Lock()
-
-	if efd.hostfd >= 0 {
-		defer efd.mu.Unlock()
-		return efd.hostWriteLocked(val)
+	if fd := efd.hostfd; fd >= 0 {
+		efd.mu.Unlock()
+		return hostWrite(fd, val)
 	}
 
 	// We only allow writes that won't cause the value to go over the max
diff --git a/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd_test.go b/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd_test.go
index 41b4cd7f6e1..d8e92856efe 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/fsimpl/eventfd/eventfd_test.go
@@ -15,9 +15,12 @@
 package eventfd
 
 import (
+	"math"
 	"testing"
 
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/abi/linux"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/hostarch"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/contexttest"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/vfs"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/usermem"
@@ -97,3 +100,62 @@ func TestEventFDStat(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("eventfd size should be 0")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHostFDPreservesCounter(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name  string
+		count uint64
+	}{
+		{"max_uint32", math.MaxUint32},
+		{"above_uint32", 1<<32 + 1},
+		{"max_eventfd", math.MaxUint64 - 1},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name+"/counter", func(t *testing.T) { testHostFDCounter(t, tc.count, false) })
+		t.Run(tc.name+"/semaphore", func(t *testing.T) { testHostFDCounter(t, tc.count, true) })
+	}
+}
+
+func testHostFDCounter(t *testing.T, count uint64, semaphore bool) {
+	ctx := contexttest.Context(t)
+	var vfsObj vfs.VirtualFilesystem
+	if err := vfsObj.Init(ctx); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer vfsObj.Release(ctx)
+	file, err := New(ctx, &vfsObj, 1, semaphore, linux.O_RDWR)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer file.DecRef(ctx)
+	var buf [8]byte
+	hostarch.ByteOrder.PutUint64(buf[:], count-1)
+	if _, err := file.Write(ctx, usermem.BytesIOSequence(buf[:]), vfs.WriteOptions{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	fd, err := file.Impl().(*EventFileDescription).HostFD()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := unix.Read(fd, buf[:]); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read host eventfd: %v", err)
+	}
+	want := count
+	if semaphore {
+		want = 1
+	}
+	if got := hostarch.ByteOrder.Uint64(buf[:]); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("read host eventfd: got %d, want %d", got, want)
+	}
+	if semaphore {
+		// A single read consumes one. Fill the remaining space
+		// to verify the exact count without draining it.
+		hostarch.ByteOrder.PutUint64(buf[:], math.MaxUint64-count)
+		if _, err := unix.Write(fd, buf[:]); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("fill host semaphore: %v", err)
+		}
+		hostarch.ByteOrder.PutUint64(buf[:], 1)
+		if _, err := unix.Write(fd, buf[:]); err != unix.EAGAIN {
+			t.Fatalf("write to full host semaphore: got %v, want EAGAIN", err)
+		}
+	}
+}