diff --git a/migration/colo.c b/migration/colo.c
index 57a85424fc..956ac236b7 100644
--- a/migration/colo.c
+++ b/migration/colo.c
@@ -131,6 +131,11 @@ static void primary_vm_do_failover(void)
 
     migrate_set_state(&s->state, MIGRATION_STATUS_COLO,
                       MIGRATION_STATUS_COMPLETED);
+    /*
+     * kick COLO thread which might wait at
+     * qemu_sem_wait(&s->colo_checkpoint_sem).
+     */
+    colo_checkpoint_notify(migrate_get_current());
 
     /*
      * Wake up COLO thread which may blocked in recv() or send(),
@@ -539,6 +544,9 @@ static void colo_process_checkpoint(MigrationState *s)
 
         qemu_sem_wait(&s->colo_checkpoint_sem);
 
+        if (s->state != MIGRATION_STATUS_COLO) {
+            goto out;
+        }
         ret = colo_do_checkpoint_transaction(s, bioc, fb);
         if (ret < 0) {
             goto out;