diff --git a/net/colo-compare.c b/net/colo-compare.c
index 37ce75c3e4..a6fc2ff48b 100644
--- a/net/colo-compare.c
+++ b/net/colo-compare.c
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ typedef struct CompareState {
     /* compare thread, a thread for each NIC */
     QemuThread thread;
 
+    GMainContext *worker_context;
     GMainLoop *compare_loop;
 } CompareState;
 
@@ -497,30 +498,29 @@ static gboolean check_old_packet_regular(void *opaque)
 
 static void *colo_compare_thread(void *opaque)
 {
-    GMainContext *worker_context;
     CompareState *s = opaque;
     GSource *timeout_source;
 
-    worker_context = g_main_context_new();
+    s->worker_context = g_main_context_new();
 
     qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&s->chr_pri_in, compare_chr_can_read,
-                             compare_pri_chr_in, NULL, s, worker_context, true);
+                          compare_pri_chr_in, NULL, s, s->worker_context, true);
     qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&s->chr_sec_in, compare_chr_can_read,
-                             compare_sec_chr_in, NULL, s, worker_context, true);
+                          compare_sec_chr_in, NULL, s, s->worker_context, true);
 
-    s->compare_loop = g_main_loop_new(worker_context, FALSE);
+    s->compare_loop = g_main_loop_new(s->worker_context, FALSE);
 
     /* To kick any packets that the secondary doesn't match */
     timeout_source = g_timeout_source_new(REGULAR_PACKET_CHECK_MS);
     g_source_set_callback(timeout_source,
                           (GSourceFunc)check_old_packet_regular, s, NULL);
-    g_source_attach(timeout_source, worker_context);
+    g_source_attach(timeout_source, s->worker_context);
 
     g_main_loop_run(s->compare_loop);
 
     g_source_unref(timeout_source);
     g_main_loop_unref(s->compare_loop);
-    g_main_context_unref(worker_context);
+    g_main_context_unref(s->worker_context);
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -717,8 +717,10 @@ static void colo_compare_finalize(Object *obj)
 {
     CompareState *s = COLO_COMPARE(obj);
 
-    qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&s->chr_pri_in);
-    qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&s->chr_sec_in);
+    qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&s->chr_pri_in, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
+                             s->worker_context, true);
+    qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&s->chr_sec_in, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
+                             s->worker_context, true);
     qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&s->chr_out);
 
     g_main_loop_quit(s->compare_loop);