diff --git a/tests/qtest/meson.build b/tests/qtest/meson.build
index 1fba07f4ed..66795cfcd2 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/meson.build
+++ b/tests/qtest/meson.build
@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ qtests = {
   'tpm-tis-i2c-test': [io, tpmemu_files, 'qtest_aspeed.c'],
   'tpm-tis-device-swtpm-test': [io, tpmemu_files, 'tpm-tis-util.c'],
   'tpm-tis-device-test': [io, tpmemu_files, 'tpm-tis-util.c'],
+  'virtio-net-failover': files('migration-helpers.c'),
   'vmgenid-test': files('boot-sector.c', 'acpi-utils.c'),
   'netdev-socket': files('netdev-socket.c', '../unit/socket-helpers.c'),
 }
diff --git a/tests/qtest/migration-test.c b/tests/qtest/migration-test.c
index 48778565a3..84660b3e3d 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/migration-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/migration-test.c
@@ -1970,8 +1970,7 @@ static void *test_migrate_fd_start_hook(QTestState *from,
     close(pair[0]);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    qtest_qmp_assert_success(to, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming',"
-                             "  'arguments': { 'uri': 'fd:fd-mig' }}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "fd:fd-mig", "{}");
 
     /* Send the 2nd socket to the target */
     qtest_qmp_fds_assert_success(from, &pair[1], 1,
@@ -2193,8 +2192,7 @@ test_migrate_precopy_tcp_multifd_start_common(QTestState *from,
     migrate_set_capability(to, "multifd", true);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    qtest_qmp_assert_success(to, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming',"
-                             "  'arguments': { 'uri': 'tcp:127.0.0.1:0' }}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", "{}");
 
     return NULL;
 }
@@ -2447,8 +2445,7 @@ static void test_multifd_tcp_cancel(void)
     migrate_set_capability(to, "multifd", true);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    qtest_qmp_assert_success(to, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming',"
-                             "  'arguments': { 'uri': 'tcp:127.0.0.1:0' }}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", "{}");
 
     /* Wait for the first serial output from the source */
     wait_for_serial("src_serial");
@@ -2478,8 +2475,7 @@ static void test_multifd_tcp_cancel(void)
     migrate_set_capability(to2, "multifd", true);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    qtest_qmp_assert_success(to2, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming',"
-                             "  'arguments': { 'uri': 'tcp:127.0.0.1:0' }}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to2, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", "{}");
 
     g_free(uri);
     uri = migrate_get_socket_address(to2, "socket-address");
diff --git a/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c b/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
index 4a809590bf..0d40bc1f2d 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "libqtest.h"
 #include "libqos/pci.h"
 #include "libqos/pci-pc.h"
+#include "migration-helpers.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qdict.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qlist.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qjson.h"
@@ -736,26 +737,10 @@ static void test_migrate_out(gconstpointer opaque)
     machine_stop(qts);
 }
 
-static QDict *get_migration_event(QTestState *qts)
-{
-    QDict *resp;
-    QDict *data;
-
-    resp = qtest_qmp_eventwait_ref(qts, "MIGRATION");
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "data"));
-
-    data = qdict_get_qdict(resp, "data");
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(data, "status"));
-    qobject_ref(data);
-    qobject_unref(resp);
-
-    return data;
-}
-
 static void test_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
 {
     QTestState *qts;
-    QDict *resp, *args, *ret;
+    QDict *resp, *ret;
     g_autofree gchar *uri = g_strdup_printf("exec: cat %s", (gchar *)opaque);
 
     qts = machine_start(BASE_MACHINE
@@ -787,18 +772,7 @@ static void test_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    args = qdict_from_jsonf_nofail("{}");
-    g_assert_nonnull(args);
-    qdict_put_str(args, "uri", uri);
-
-    resp = qtest_qmp(qts, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming', 'arguments': %p}",
-                     args);
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "return"));
-    qobject_unref(resp);
-
-    resp = get_migration_event(qts);
-    g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "status"), ==, "setup");
-    qobject_unref(resp);
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
 
     resp = get_failover_negociated_event(qts);
     g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "device-id"), ==, "standby0");
@@ -888,7 +862,7 @@ static void test_off_migrate_out(gconstpointer opaque)
 static void test_off_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
 {
     QTestState *qts;
-    QDict *resp, *args, *ret;
+    QDict *ret;
     g_autofree gchar *uri = g_strdup_printf("exec: cat %s", (gchar *)opaque);
 
     qts = machine_start(BASE_MACHINE
@@ -920,18 +894,7 @@ static void test_off_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    args = qdict_from_jsonf_nofail("{}");
-    g_assert_nonnull(args);
-    qdict_put_str(args, "uri", uri);
-
-    resp = qtest_qmp(qts, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming', 'arguments': %p}",
-                     args);
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "return"));
-    qobject_unref(resp);
-
-    resp = get_migration_event(qts);
-    g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "status"), ==, "setup");
-    qobject_unref(resp);
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -1026,7 +989,7 @@ static void test_guest_off_migrate_out(gconstpointer opaque)
 static void test_guest_off_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
 {
     QTestState *qts;
-    QDict *resp, *args, *ret;
+    QDict *ret;
     g_autofree gchar *uri = g_strdup_printf("exec: cat %s", (gchar *)opaque);
 
     qts = machine_start(BASE_MACHINE
@@ -1058,18 +1021,7 @@ static void test_guest_off_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    args = qdict_from_jsonf_nofail("{}");
-    g_assert_nonnull(args);
-    qdict_put_str(args, "uri", uri);
-
-    resp = qtest_qmp(qts, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming', 'arguments': %p}",
-                     args);
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "return"));
-    qobject_unref(resp);
-
-    resp = get_migration_event(qts);
-    g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "status"), ==, "setup");
-    qobject_unref(resp);
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -1728,7 +1680,7 @@ static void test_multi_out(gconstpointer opaque)
 static void test_multi_in(gconstpointer opaque)
 {
     QTestState *qts;
-    QDict *resp, *args, *ret;
+    QDict *resp, *ret;
     g_autofree gchar *uri = g_strdup_printf("exec: cat %s", (gchar *)opaque);
 
     qts = machine_start(BASE_MACHINE
@@ -1794,18 +1746,7 @@ static void test_multi_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby1", MAC_STANDBY1);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary1", MAC_PRIMARY1);
 
-    args = qdict_from_jsonf_nofail("{}");
-    g_assert_nonnull(args);
-    qdict_put_str(args, "uri", uri);
-
-    resp = qtest_qmp(qts, "{ 'execute': 'migrate-incoming', 'arguments': %p}",
-                     args);
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "return"));
-    qobject_unref(resp);
-
-    resp = get_migration_event(qts);
-    g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "status"), ==, "setup");
-    qobject_unref(resp);
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
 
     resp = get_failover_negociated_event(qts);
     g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "device-id"), ==, "standby0");