diff --git a/migration/ram.c b/migration/ram.c
index e043a192e1..6b699650ca 100644
--- a/migration/ram.c
+++ b/migration/ram.c
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ struct DecompressParam {
     void *des;
     uint8_t *compbuf;
     int len;
+    z_stream stream;
 };
 typedef struct DecompressParam DecompressParam;
 
@@ -2526,6 +2527,31 @@ void ram_handle_compressed(void *host, uint8_t ch, uint64_t size)
     }
 }
 
+/* return the size after decompression, or negative value on error */
+static int
+qemu_uncompress_data(z_stream *stream, uint8_t *dest, size_t dest_len,
+                     const uint8_t *source, size_t source_len)
+{
+    int err;
+
+    err = inflateReset(stream);
+    if (err != Z_OK) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    stream->avail_in = source_len;
+    stream->next_in = (uint8_t *)source;
+    stream->avail_out = dest_len;
+    stream->next_out = dest;
+
+    err = inflate(stream, Z_NO_FLUSH);
+    if (err != Z_STREAM_END) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return stream->total_out;
+}
+
 static void *do_data_decompress(void *opaque)
 {
     DecompressParam *param = opaque;
@@ -2542,13 +2568,13 @@ static void *do_data_decompress(void *opaque)
             qemu_mutex_unlock(&param->mutex);
 
             pagesize = TARGET_PAGE_SIZE;
-            /* uncompress() will return failed in some case, especially
-             * when the page is dirted when doing the compression, it's
-             * not a problem because the dirty page will be retransferred
+            /* qemu_uncompress_data() will return failed in some case,
+             * especially when the page is dirtied when doing the compression,
+             * it's not a problem because the dirty page will be retransferred
              * and uncompress() won't break the data in other pages.
              */
-            uncompress((Bytef *)des, &pagesize,
-                       (const Bytef *)param->compbuf, len);
+            qemu_uncompress_data(&param->stream, des, pagesize, param->compbuf,
+                                 len);
 
             qemu_mutex_lock(&decomp_done_lock);
             param->done = true;
@@ -2583,30 +2609,6 @@ static void wait_for_decompress_done(void)
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&decomp_done_lock);
 }
 
-static void compress_threads_load_setup(void)
-{
-    int i, thread_count;
-
-    if (!migrate_use_compression()) {
-        return;
-    }
-    thread_count = migrate_decompress_threads();
-    decompress_threads = g_new0(QemuThread, thread_count);
-    decomp_param = g_new0(DecompressParam, thread_count);
-    qemu_mutex_init(&decomp_done_lock);
-    qemu_cond_init(&decomp_done_cond);
-    for (i = 0; i < thread_count; i++) {
-        qemu_mutex_init(&decomp_param[i].mutex);
-        qemu_cond_init(&decomp_param[i].cond);
-        decomp_param[i].compbuf = g_malloc0(compressBound(TARGET_PAGE_SIZE));
-        decomp_param[i].done = true;
-        decomp_param[i].quit = false;
-        qemu_thread_create(decompress_threads + i, "decompress",
-                           do_data_decompress, decomp_param + i,
-                           QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
-    }
-}
-
 static void compress_threads_load_cleanup(void)
 {
     int i, thread_count;
@@ -2616,16 +2618,27 @@ static void compress_threads_load_cleanup(void)
     }
     thread_count = migrate_decompress_threads();
     for (i = 0; i < thread_count; i++) {
+        /* see the comments in compress_threads_save_cleanup() */
+        if (!decomp_param[i].stream.opaque) {
+            break;
+        }
+
         qemu_mutex_lock(&decomp_param[i].mutex);
         decomp_param[i].quit = true;
         qemu_cond_signal(&decomp_param[i].cond);
         qemu_mutex_unlock(&decomp_param[i].mutex);
     }
     for (i = 0; i < thread_count; i++) {
+        if (!decomp_param[i].stream.opaque) {
+            break;
+        }
+
         qemu_thread_join(decompress_threads + i);
         qemu_mutex_destroy(&decomp_param[i].mutex);
         qemu_cond_destroy(&decomp_param[i].cond);
         g_free(decomp_param[i].compbuf);
+        inflateEnd(&decomp_param[i].stream);
+        decomp_param[i].stream.opaque = NULL;
     }
     g_free(decompress_threads);
     g_free(decomp_param);
@@ -2633,6 +2646,40 @@ static void compress_threads_load_cleanup(void)
     decomp_param = NULL;
 }
 
+static int compress_threads_load_setup(void)
+{
+    int i, thread_count;
+
+    if (!migrate_use_compression()) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    thread_count = migrate_decompress_threads();
+    decompress_threads = g_new0(QemuThread, thread_count);
+    decomp_param = g_new0(DecompressParam, thread_count);
+    qemu_mutex_init(&decomp_done_lock);
+    qemu_cond_init(&decomp_done_cond);
+    for (i = 0; i < thread_count; i++) {
+        if (inflateInit(&decomp_param[i].stream) != Z_OK) {
+            goto exit;
+        }
+        decomp_param[i].stream.opaque = &decomp_param[i];
+
+        qemu_mutex_init(&decomp_param[i].mutex);
+        qemu_cond_init(&decomp_param[i].cond);
+        decomp_param[i].compbuf = g_malloc0(compressBound(TARGET_PAGE_SIZE));
+        decomp_param[i].done = true;
+        decomp_param[i].quit = false;
+        qemu_thread_create(decompress_threads + i, "decompress",
+                           do_data_decompress, decomp_param + i,
+                           QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
+    }
+    return 0;
+exit:
+    compress_threads_load_cleanup();
+    return -1;
+}
+
 static void decompress_data_with_multi_threads(QEMUFile *f,
                                                void *host, int len)
 {
@@ -2672,8 +2719,11 @@ static void decompress_data_with_multi_threads(QEMUFile *f,
  */
 static int ram_load_setup(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
 {
+    if (compress_threads_load_setup()) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     xbzrle_load_setup();
-    compress_threads_load_setup();
     ramblock_recv_map_init();
     return 0;
 }
