diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 5be6fff027..33cc0f0ffe 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -2899,7 +2899,8 @@ qemuMigrationSrcBeginPhase(virQEMUDriver *driver,
          vm->newDef && !qemuDomainVcpuHotplugIsInOrder(vm->newDef)))
         cookieFlags |= QEMU_MIGRATION_COOKIE_CPU_HOTPLUG;
 
-    if (qemuBlockNodesEnsureActive(vm, vm->job->asyncJob) < 0)
+    if (virDomainObjIsActive(vm) &&
+        qemuBlockNodesEnsureActive(vm, vm->job->asyncJob) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
     return qemuMigrationSrcBeginXML(vm, xmlin,