diff --git a/src/libvirt.c b/src/libvirt.c
index 6aa952bea9..8f9b6cebda 100644
--- a/src/libvirt.c
+++ b/src/libvirt.c
@@ -3842,6 +3842,12 @@ finish:
      */
     cancelled = ret == 0 && ddomain == NULL ? 1 : 0;
 
+    /* If finish3 set an error, and we don't have an earlier
+     * one we need to preserve it in case confirm3 overwrites
+     */
+    if (!orig_err)
+        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+
     /*
      * If cancelled, then src VM will be restarted, else
      * it will be killed
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index dd3bc6c3da..df6e1c2bef 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -6002,7 +6002,6 @@ qemudDomainMigrateFinish2 (virConnectPtr dconn,
     struct qemud_driver *driver = dconn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
-    virErrorPtr orig_err;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_MIGRATE_LIVE |
                   VIR_MIGRATE_PEER2PEER |
@@ -6013,9 +6012,6 @@ qemudDomainMigrateFinish2 (virConnectPtr dconn,
                   VIR_MIGRATE_NON_SHARED_DISK |
                   VIR_MIGRATE_NON_SHARED_INC, NULL);
 
-    /* Migration failed. Save the current error so nothing squashes it */
-    orig_err = virSaveLastError();
-
     qemuDriverLock(driver);
     vm = virDomainFindByName(&driver->domains, dname);
     if (!vm) {
@@ -6033,10 +6029,6 @@ qemudDomainMigrateFinish2 (virConnectPtr dconn,
                               flags, retcode, false);
 
 cleanup:
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
     qemuDriverUnlock(driver);
     return dom;
 }
@@ -6255,7 +6247,6 @@ qemuDomainMigrateFinish3(virConnectPtr dconn,
 {
     struct qemud_driver *driver = dconn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
-    virErrorPtr orig_err;
     int ret = -1;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_MIGRATE_LIVE |
@@ -6267,9 +6258,6 @@ qemuDomainMigrateFinish3(virConnectPtr dconn,
                   VIR_MIGRATE_NON_SHARED_DISK |
                   VIR_MIGRATE_NON_SHARED_INC, -1);
 
-    /* Migration failed. Save the current error so nothing squashes it */
-    orig_err = virSaveLastError();
-
     qemuDriverLock(driver);
     vm = virDomainFindByName(&driver->domains, dname);
     if (!vm) {
@@ -6286,10 +6274,6 @@ qemuDomainMigrateFinish3(virConnectPtr dconn,
     ret = 0;
 
 cleanup:
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
     qemuDriverUnlock(driver);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -6304,7 +6288,6 @@ qemuDomainMigrateConfirm3(virDomainPtr domain,
     struct qemud_driver *driver = domain->conn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     int ret = -1;
-    virErrorPtr orig_err;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_MIGRATE_LIVE |
                   VIR_MIGRATE_PEER2PEER |
@@ -6332,8 +6315,6 @@ qemuDomainMigrateConfirm3(virDomainPtr domain,
                                cookiein, cookieinlen,
                                flags, cancelled);
 
-    orig_err = virSaveLastError();
-
     if (qemuDomainObjEndJob(vm) == 0) {
         vm = NULL;
     } else if (!virDomainObjIsActive(vm) &&
@@ -6344,11 +6325,6 @@ qemuDomainMigrateConfirm3(virDomainPtr domain,
         vm = NULL;
     }
 
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
-
 cleanup:
     if (vm)
         virDomainObjUnlock(vm);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 30df054c1c..660365568c 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -1956,6 +1956,12 @@ finish:
      */
     cancelled = ret == 0 && ddomain == NULL ? 1 : 0;
 
+    /* If finish3 set an error, and we don't have an earlier
+     * one we need to preserve it in case confirm3 overwrites
+     */
+    if (!orig_err)
+        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+
     /*
      * If cancelled, then src VM will be restarted, else
      * it will be killed
@@ -2249,6 +2255,7 @@ qemuMigrationFinish(struct qemud_driver *driver,
               "cookieout=%p, cookieoutlen=%p, flags=%lu, retcode=%d",
               driver, dconn, vm, NULLSTR(cookiein), cookieinlen,
               cookieout, cookieoutlen, flags, retcode);
+    virErrorPtr orig_err = NULL;
 
     priv = vm->privateData;
     if (priv->jobActive != QEMU_JOB_MIGRATION_IN) {
@@ -2314,6 +2321,14 @@ qemuMigrationFinish(struct qemud_driver *driver,
              */
             if (qemuProcessStartCPUs(driver, vm, dconn,
                                      VIR_DOMAIN_RUNNING_MIGRATED) < 0) {
+                if (virGetLastError() == NULL)
+                    qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                                    "%s", _("resume operation failed"));
+                /* Need to save the current error, in case shutting
+                 * down the process overwrites it
+                 */
+                orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+
                 /*
                  * In v3 protocol, the source VM is still available to
                  * restart during confirm() step, so we kill it off
@@ -2334,9 +2349,6 @@ qemuMigrationFinish(struct qemud_driver *driver,
                         vm = NULL;
                     }
                 }
-                if (virGetLastError() == NULL)
-                    qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                                    "%s", _("resume operation failed"));
                 goto endjob;
             }
         }
@@ -2384,6 +2396,10 @@ cleanup:
     if (event)
         qemuDomainEventQueue(driver, event);
     qemuMigrationCookieFree(mig);
+    if (orig_err) {
+        virSetError(orig_err);
+        virFreeError(orig_err);
+    }
     return dom;
 }