diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index b470c69816..84befe7d39 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -1494,6 +1494,14 @@ qemuMigrationSrcIsAllowed(virQEMUDriver *driver,
                                _("cannot migrate domain: %s"), reasons);
                 return false;
             }
+        } else {
+            /* checks here are for anything that doesn't need to be
+             * checked by libvirt if running QEMU that can be queried
+             * about migration blockers.
+             */
+
+            if (!qemuMigrationSrcIsAllowedHostdev(vm->def))
+                return false;
         }
 
         if (remote) {
@@ -1520,9 +1528,6 @@ qemuMigrationSrcIsAllowed(virQEMUDriver *driver,
             return false;
         }
 
-        if (!qemuMigrationSrcIsAllowedHostdev(vm->def))
-            return false;
-
         if (vm->def->cpu) {
             /* QEMU blocks migration and save with invariant TSC enabled
              * unless TSC frequency is explicitly set.