diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index c7f628caa6..140b2a4de6 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -542,8 +542,13 @@ process_incoming_migration_co(void *opaque)
         /* Else if something went wrong then just fall out of the normal exit */
     }
 
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        error_report("load of migration failed: %s", strerror(-ret));
+        goto fail;
+    }
+
     /* we get COLO info, and know if we are in COLO mode */
-    if (!ret && migration_incoming_colo_enabled()) {
+    if (migration_incoming_colo_enabled()) {
         QemuThread colo_incoming_thread;
 
         /* Make sure all file formats throw away their mutable metadata */
@@ -565,10 +570,6 @@ process_incoming_migration_co(void *opaque)
         colo_release_ram_cache();
     }
 
-    if (ret < 0) {
-        error_report("load of migration failed: %s", strerror(-ret));
-        goto fail;
-    }
     mis->bh = qemu_bh_new(process_incoming_migration_bh, mis);
     qemu_bh_schedule(mis->bh);
     mis->migration_incoming_co = NULL;