diff --git a/hw/scsi/esp.c b/hw/scsi/esp.c
index ccb8ad4bae..bcebd00831 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/esp.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/esp.c
@@ -321,7 +321,6 @@ static void do_command_phase(ESPState *s)
     fifo8_reset(&s->cmdfifo);
     s->data_ready = false;
     if (datalen != 0) {
-        s->ti_cmd = 0;
         /*
          * Switch to DATA phase but wait until initial data xfer is
          * complete before raising the command completion interrupt
@@ -908,12 +907,12 @@ void esp_transfer_data(SCSIRequest *req, uint32_t len)
      * async data transfer is delayed then s->dma is set incorrectly.
      */
 
-    if (s->ti_cmd == (CMD_TI | CMD_DMA)) {
+    if (s->rregs[ESP_CMD] == (CMD_TI | CMD_DMA)) {
         /* When the SCSI layer returns more data, raise deferred INTR_BS */
         esp_dma_ti_check(s);
 
         esp_do_dma(s);
-    } else if (s->ti_cmd == CMD_TI) {
+    } else if (s->rregs[ESP_CMD] == CMD_TI) {
         esp_do_nodma(s);
     }
 }
@@ -927,7 +926,6 @@ static void handle_ti(ESPState *s)
         return;
     }
 
-    s->ti_cmd = s->rregs[ESP_CMD];
     if (s->dma) {
         dmalen = esp_get_tc(s);
         trace_esp_handle_ti(dmalen);
@@ -1200,6 +1198,14 @@ static bool esp_is_version_6(void *opaque, int version_id)
     return version_id >= 6;
 }
 
+static bool esp_is_between_version_5_and_6(void *opaque, int version_id)
+{
+    ESPState *s = ESP(opaque);
+
+    version_id = MIN(version_id, s->mig_version_id);
+    return version_id >= 5 && version_id <= 6;
+}
+
 int esp_pre_save(void *opaque)
 {
     ESPState *s = ESP(object_resolve_path_component(
@@ -1237,7 +1243,7 @@ static int esp_post_load(void *opaque, int version_id)
 
 const VMStateDescription vmstate_esp = {
     .name = "esp",
-    .version_id = 6,
+    .version_id = 7,
     .minimum_version_id = 3,
     .post_load = esp_post_load,
     .fields = (const VMStateField[]) {
@@ -1265,7 +1271,8 @@ const VMStateDescription vmstate_esp = {
         VMSTATE_UINT8_TEST(cmdfifo_cdb_offset, ESPState, esp_is_version_5),
         VMSTATE_FIFO8_TEST(fifo, ESPState, esp_is_version_5),
         VMSTATE_FIFO8_TEST(cmdfifo, ESPState, esp_is_version_5),
-        VMSTATE_UINT8_TEST(ti_cmd, ESPState, esp_is_version_5),
+        VMSTATE_UINT8_TEST(mig_ti_cmd, ESPState,
+                           esp_is_between_version_5_and_6),
         VMSTATE_UINT8_TEST(lun, ESPState, esp_is_version_6),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     },
diff --git a/include/hw/scsi/esp.h b/include/hw/scsi/esp.h
index 1036606943..39b416f538 100644
--- a/include/hw/scsi/esp.h
+++ b/include/hw/scsi/esp.h
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ struct ESPState {
     uint32_t do_cmd;
 
     bool data_ready;
-    uint8_t ti_cmd;
     int dma_enabled;
 
     uint32_t async_len;
@@ -62,6 +61,8 @@ struct ESPState {
     uint8_t mig_ti_buf[ESP_FIFO_SZ];
     uint8_t mig_cmdbuf[ESP_CMDFIFO_SZ];
     uint32_t mig_cmdlen;
+
+    uint8_t mig_ti_cmd;
 };
 
 #define TYPE_SYSBUS_ESP "sysbus-esp"