diff --git a/block/dirty-bitmap.c b/block/dirty-bitmap.c
index 8ac933cf1c..9603cdd29b 100644
--- a/block/dirty-bitmap.c
+++ b/block/dirty-bitmap.c
@@ -176,6 +176,12 @@ bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
     return bitmap->successor;
 }
 
+/* Both conditions disallow user-modification via QMP. */
+bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_user_locked(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap) {
+    return bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap) ||
+           bdrv_dirty_bitmap_qmp_locked(bitmap);
+}
+
 void bdrv_dirty_bitmap_set_qmp_locked(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap, bool qmp_locked)
 {
     qemu_mutex_lock(bitmap->mutex);
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index d685bb7746..9da0cf1a72 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -2010,11 +2010,8 @@ static void block_dirty_bitmap_clear_prepare(BlkActionState *common,
         return;
     }
 
-    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(state->bitmap)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "Cannot modify a frozen bitmap");
-        return;
-    } else if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_qmp_locked(state->bitmap)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "Cannot modify a locked bitmap");
+    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_user_locked(state->bitmap)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Cannot modify a bitmap in use by another operation");
         return;
     } else if (!bdrv_dirty_bitmap_enabled(state->bitmap)) {
         error_setg(errp, "Cannot clear a disabled bitmap");
@@ -2883,15 +2880,10 @@ void qmp_block_dirty_bitmap_remove(const char *node, const char *name,
         return;
     }
 
-    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap)) {
+    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_user_locked(bitmap)) {
         error_setg(errp,
-                   "Bitmap '%s' is currently frozen and cannot be removed",
-                   name);
-        return;
-    } else if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_qmp_locked(bitmap)) {
-        error_setg(errp,
-                   "Bitmap '%s' is currently locked and cannot be removed",
-                   name);
+                   "Bitmap '%s' is currently in use by another operation and"
+                   " cannot be removed", name);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -2921,15 +2913,10 @@ void qmp_block_dirty_bitmap_clear(const char *node, const char *name,
         return;
     }
 
-    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap)) {
+    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_user_locked(bitmap)) {
         error_setg(errp,
-                   "Bitmap '%s' is currently frozen and cannot be modified",
-                   name);
-        return;
-    } else if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_qmp_locked(bitmap)) {
-        error_setg(errp,
-                   "Bitmap '%s' is currently locked and cannot be modified",
-                   name);
+                   "Bitmap '%s' is currently in use by another operation"
+                   " and cannot be cleared", name);
         return;
     } else if (!bdrv_dirty_bitmap_enabled(bitmap)) {
         error_setg(errp,
diff --git a/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h b/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h
index 201ff7f20b..14639439a2 100644
--- a/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h
+++ b/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ bool bdrv_has_readonly_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs);
 bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_get_autoload(const BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_get_persistance(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_qmp_locked(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
+bool bdrv_dirty_bitmap_user_locked(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 bool bdrv_has_changed_persistent_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs);
 BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_dirty_bitmap_next(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                         BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
diff --git a/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c b/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
index 477826330c..dfbfb853b7 100644
--- a/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
+++ b/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
@@ -301,14 +301,8 @@ static int init_dirty_bitmap_migration(void)
                 goto fail;
             }
 
-            if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap)) {
-                error_report("Can't migrate frozen dirty bitmap: '%s",
-                             bdrv_dirty_bitmap_name(bitmap));
-                goto fail;
-            }
-
-            if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_qmp_locked(bitmap)) {
-                error_report("Can't migrate locked dirty bitmap: '%s",
+            if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_user_locked(bitmap)) {
+                error_report("Can't migrate a bitmap that is in use by another operation: '%s'",
                              bdrv_dirty_bitmap_name(bitmap));
                 goto fail;
             }