diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 9572ad2fa7..446b767739 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -4412,6 +4412,14 @@ qemuMigrationSrcRun(virQEMUDriver *driver,
     virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     if (virDomainObjIsActive(vm)) {
+        int reason;
+        virDomainState state = virDomainObjGetState(vm, &reason);
+
+        if (state == VIR_DOMAIN_PAUSED && reason == VIR_DOMAIN_PAUSED_POSTCOPY) {
+            VIR_DEBUG("Aborting failed post-copy migration as the destination is not running yet");
+            virDomainObjSetState(vm, state, VIR_DOMAIN_PAUSED_MIGRATION);
+        }
+
         if (cancel &&
             priv->job.current->status != VIR_DOMAIN_JOB_STATUS_HYPERVISOR_COMPLETED &&
             qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorAsync(driver, vm,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index b1725ce4cf..f5a45c898d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -3483,20 +3483,16 @@ qemuProcessRecoverMigrationOut(virQEMUDriver *driver,
     case QEMU_MIGRATION_PHASE_PERFORM2:
     case QEMU_MIGRATION_PHASE_PERFORM3:
         /* migration is still in progress, let's cancel it and resume the
-         * domain; however we can only do that before migration enters
-         * post-copy mode
+         * domain; we can do so even in post-copy phase as the domain was not
+         * resumed on the destination host yet
          */
-        if (postcopy) {
-            qemuMigrationSrcPostcopyFailed(vm);
-        } else {
-            VIR_DEBUG("Cancelling unfinished migration of domain %s",
-                      vm->def->name);
-            if (qemuMigrationSrcCancel(driver, vm) < 0) {
-                VIR_WARN("Could not cancel ongoing migration of domain %s",
-                         vm->def->name);
-            }
-            resume = true;
+        VIR_DEBUG("Cancelling unfinished migration of domain %s",
+                  vm->def->name);
+        if (qemuMigrationSrcCancel(driver, vm) < 0) {
+            VIR_WARN("Could not cancel ongoing migration of domain %s",
+                     vm->def->name);
         }
+        resume = true;
         break;
 
     case QEMU_MIGRATION_PHASE_PERFORM3_DONE: