diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index eec5503a42..f374da85b9 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -2343,6 +2343,27 @@ static int loadvm_handle_cmd_packaged(MigrationIncomingState *mis)
 
     QEMUFile *packf = qemu_file_new_input(QIO_CHANNEL(bioc));
 
+    /*
+     * Before loading the guest states, ensure that the preempt channel has
+     * been ready to use, as some of the states (e.g. via virtio_load) might
+     * trigger page faults that will be handled through the preempt channel.
+     * So yield to the main thread in the case that the channel create event
+     * hasn't been dispatched.
+     *
+     * TODO: if we can move migration loadvm out of main thread, then we
+     * won't block main thread from polling the accept() fds.  We can drop
+     * this as a whole when that is done.
+     */
+    do {
+        if (!migrate_postcopy_preempt() || !qemu_in_coroutine() ||
+            mis->postcopy_qemufile_dst) {
+            break;
+        }
+
+        aio_co_schedule(qemu_get_current_aio_context(), qemu_coroutine_self());
+        qemu_coroutine_yield();
+    } while (1);
+
     ret = qemu_loadvm_state_main(packf, mis);
     trace_loadvm_handle_cmd_packaged_main(ret);
     qemu_fclose(packf);