diff --git a/include/migration/vmstate.h b/include/migration/vmstate.h
index 28a3b92aa1..084f5e784a 100644
--- a/include/migration/vmstate.h
+++ b/include/migration/vmstate.h
@@ -147,6 +147,9 @@ enum VMStateFlags {
      * VMStateField.struct_version_id to tell which version of the
      * structure we are referencing to use. */
     VMS_VSTRUCT           = 0x8000,
+
+    /* Marker for end of list */
+    VMS_END = 0x10000
 };
 
 typedef enum {
@@ -1183,7 +1186,9 @@ extern const VMStateInfo vmstate_info_qlist;
     VMSTATE_UNUSED_BUFFER(_test, 0, _size)
 
 #define VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()                                         \
-    {}
+    {                     \
+        .flags = VMS_END, \
+    }
 
 int vmstate_load_state(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                        void *opaque, int version_id);
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index 6d985ad4af..5c3e5b1bb5 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ static void dump_vmstate_vmsd(FILE *out_file,
             field++;
             first = false;
         }
+        assert(field->flags == VMS_END);
         fprintf(out_file, "\n%*s]", indent, "");
     }
     if (vmsd->subsections != NULL) {
diff --git a/migration/vmstate.c b/migration/vmstate.c
index 924494bda3..83ca4c7d3e 100644
--- a/migration/vmstate.c
+++ b/migration/vmstate.c
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ int vmstate_load_state(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
         }
         field++;
     }
+    assert(field->flags == VMS_END);
     ret = vmstate_subsection_load(f, vmsd, opaque);
     if (ret != 0) {
         return ret;
@@ -408,6 +409,7 @@ int vmstate_save_state_v(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
         }
         field++;
     }
+    assert(field->flags == VMS_END);
 
     if (vmdesc) {
         json_writer_end_array(vmdesc);