diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index 2d306582eb..21b94f75a3 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -2867,6 +2867,7 @@ static int open_return_path_on_source(MigrationState *ms,
 
     qemu_thread_create(&ms->rp_state.rp_thread, "return path",
                        source_return_path_thread, ms, QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
+    ms->rp_state.rp_thread_created = true;
 
     trace_open_return_path_on_source_continue();
 
@@ -2891,6 +2892,7 @@ static int await_return_path_close_on_source(MigrationState *ms)
     }
     trace_await_return_path_close_on_source_joining();
     qemu_thread_join(&ms->rp_state.rp_thread);
+    ms->rp_state.rp_thread_created = false;
     trace_await_return_path_close_on_source_close();
     return ms->rp_state.error;
 }
@@ -3170,7 +3172,7 @@ static void migration_completion(MigrationState *s)
      * it will wait for the destination to send it's status in
      * a SHUT command).
      */
-    if (s->rp_state.from_dst_file) {
+    if (s->rp_state.rp_thread_created) {
         int rp_error;
         trace_migration_return_path_end_before();
         rp_error = await_return_path_close_on_source(s);
diff --git a/migration/migration.h b/migration/migration.h
index 2ebb740dfa..c302879fad 100644
--- a/migration/migration.h
+++ b/migration/migration.h
@@ -195,6 +195,13 @@ struct MigrationState {
         QEMUFile     *from_dst_file;
         QemuThread    rp_thread;
         bool          error;
+        /*
+         * We can also check non-zero of rp_thread, but there's no "official"
+         * way to do this, so this bool makes it slightly more elegant.
+         * Checking from_dst_file for this is racy because from_dst_file will
+         * be cleared in the rp_thread!
+         */
+        bool          rp_thread_created;
         QemuSemaphore rp_sem;
     } rp_state;