diff --git a/kernel/src/platform/mod.rs b/kernel/src/platform/mod.rs
index 8e24265203..1edb77472d 100644
--- a/kernel/src/platform/mod.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/platform/mod.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use tdp::TdpPlatform;
 
 use core::arch::asm;
 use core::fmt::Debug;
+use core::mem::MaybeUninit;
 
 use crate::address::{PhysAddr, VirtAddr};
 use crate::config::SvsmConfig;
@@ -224,9 +225,13 @@ pub trait SvsmPlatform: Sync {
     ///
     /// # Safety
     ///
-    /// Caller must ensure that `pa` points to a properly aligned memory location and the
+    /// Caller must ensure that `paddr` points to a properly aligned memory location and the
     /// memory accessed is part of a valid MMIO range.
-    unsafe fn mmio_read(&self, _paddr: PhysAddr, _data: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), SvsmError>;
+    unsafe fn mmio_read(
+        &self,
+        paddr: PhysAddr,
+        data: &mut [MaybeUninit<u8>],
+    ) -> Result<(), SvsmError>;
 }
 
 //FIXME - remove Copy trait
diff --git a/kernel/src/platform/native.rs b/kernel/src/platform/native.rs
index 069422f458..8aa6137d0a 100644
--- a/kernel/src/platform/native.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/platform/native.rs
@@ -237,7 +237,11 @@ impl SvsmPlatform for NativePlatform {
         unimplemented!()
     }
 
-    unsafe fn mmio_read(&self, _paddr: PhysAddr, _data: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
+    unsafe fn mmio_read(
+        &self,
+        _paddr: PhysAddr,
+        _data: &mut [MaybeUninit<u8>],
+    ) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
         unimplemented!()
     }
 }
diff --git a/kernel/src/platform/snp.rs b/kernel/src/platform/snp.rs
index 0404cc3d1a..303bb64a07 100644
--- a/kernel/src/platform/snp.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/platform/snp.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ use crate::utils::immut_after_init::ImmutAfterInitCell;
 use crate::utils::MemoryRegion;
 use syscall::GlobalFeatureFlags;
 
+use core::mem::MaybeUninit;
 use core::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, Ordering};
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -393,7 +394,11 @@ impl SvsmPlatform for SnpPlatform {
     ///
     /// Caller must ensure that `paddr` points to a properly aligned memory location and the
     /// memory accessed is part of a valid MMIO range.
-    unsafe fn mmio_read(&self, paddr: PhysAddr, data: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
+    unsafe fn mmio_read(
+        &self,
+        paddr: PhysAddr,
+        data: &mut [MaybeUninit<u8>],
+    ) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
         // SAFETY: We are trusting the caller to ensure validity of `paddr` and alignment of data.
         unsafe { crate::cpu::percpu::current_ghcb().mmio_read(paddr, data) }
     }
diff --git a/kernel/src/platform/tdp.rs b/kernel/src/platform/tdp.rs
index 19d0dd3bb4..61792947f5 100644
--- a/kernel/src/platform/tdp.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/platform/tdp.rs
@@ -284,7 +284,11 @@ impl SvsmPlatform for TdpPlatform {
         unimplemented!()
     }
 
-    unsafe fn mmio_read(&self, _paddr: PhysAddr, _data: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
+    unsafe fn mmio_read(
+        &self,
+        _paddr: PhysAddr,
+        _data: &mut [MaybeUninit<u8>],
+    ) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
         unimplemented!()
     }
 }
diff --git a/kernel/src/sev/ghcb.rs b/kernel/src/sev/ghcb.rs
index fd4d25cedb..b355d6011b 100644
--- a/kernel/src/sev/ghcb.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/sev/ghcb.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use crate::utils::MemoryRegion;
 
 use crate::mm::PageBox;
 use core::arch::global_asm;
-use core::mem::{self, offset_of};
+use core::mem::{self, offset_of, MaybeUninit};
 use core::ops::Deref;
 use core::ptr;
 use core::sync::atomic::{AtomicU16, AtomicU32, AtomicU64, AtomicU8, Ordering};
@@ -548,7 +548,11 @@ impl GHCB {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn read_buffer_slice(&self, data: &mut [u8], offset: usize) -> Result<(), GhcbError> {
+    fn read_buffer_slice(
+        &self,
+        data: &mut [MaybeUninit<u8>],
+        offset: usize,
+    ) -> Result<(), GhcbError> {
         let src = &self
             .buffer
             .get(offset..)
@@ -556,7 +560,7 @@ impl GHCB {
             .get(..data.len())
             .ok_or(GhcbError::InvalidOffset)?;
         for (d, s) in data.iter_mut().zip(src.iter()) {
-            *d = s.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+            d.write(s.load(Ordering::Relaxed));
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -587,7 +591,11 @@ impl GHCB {
     ///
     /// Caller must ensure that `pa` points to a properly aligned memory location and the
     /// memory accessed is part of a valid MMIO range.
-    pub unsafe fn mmio_read(&self, pa: PhysAddr, value: &mut [u8]) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
+    pub unsafe fn mmio_read(
+        &self,
+        pa: PhysAddr,
+        value: &mut [MaybeUninit<u8>],
+    ) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
         self.clear();
         self.pepare_buffer();
         self.vmgexit(GHCBExitCode::MMIO_READ, u64::from(pa), value.len() as u64)?;
diff --git a/kernel/src/virtio/hal.rs b/kernel/src/virtio/hal.rs
index cdf662a141..b3868b4b52 100644
--- a/kernel/src/virtio/hal.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/virtio/hal.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use crate::{locking::SpinLock, platform::SVSM_PLATFORM};
 use alloc::vec::Vec;
 use core::{
     cell::OnceCell,
+    mem::{size_of, MaybeUninit},
     ptr::{addr_of, NonNull},
 };
 use zerocopy::{FromBytes, Immutable, IntoBytes};
@@ -202,13 +203,21 @@ unsafe impl virtio_drivers::Hal for SvsmHal {
             .phys_addr(VirtAddr::from(addr_of!(*src)))
             .unwrap();
 
-        let mut b = alloc::vec![0; size_of::<T>()];
+        let mut b = MaybeUninit::<T>::uninit();
         // SAFETY: We are trusting the caller (the virtio driver) to ensure `src` is a valid MMIO
-        // address and that it is alinged properly.
+        // address and that it is aligned properly. If SVSM_PLATFORM.mmio_read() doesn't fail
+        // we can assume that all the bytes are read from the device.
         unsafe {
-            SVSM_PLATFORM.mmio_read(paddr, &mut b).unwrap();
+            // MaybeUninit::as_bytes_mut() can avoid this, but it's still
+            // unstable. When it will be stabilized, we can simply use
+            // `b.as_bytes_mut()` instead of creating `b_slice`.
+            let b_slice = core::slice::from_raw_parts_mut(
+                b.as_mut_ptr().cast::<MaybeUninit<u8>>(),
+                size_of::<T>(),
+            );
+            SVSM_PLATFORM.mmio_read(paddr, b_slice).unwrap();
+            b.assume_init()
         }
-        T::try_read_from_bytes(b.as_slice()).unwrap()
     }
 
     /// Performs memory mapped write of `value` to the location of `dst`.