diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index 616f3a207c..29b57f6448 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@
 #include "hw/virtio/virtio-pci.h"
 #include "qom/object_interfaces.h"
 
-GlobalProperty hw_compat_7_2[] = {};
+GlobalProperty hw_compat_7_2[] = {
+    { "virtio-mem", "x-early-migration", "false" },
+};
 const size_t hw_compat_7_2_len = G_N_ELEMENTS(hw_compat_7_2);
 
 GlobalProperty hw_compat_7_1[] = {
diff --git a/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.c b/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.c
index 02f7b5469a..ca37949df8 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.c
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include CONFIG_DEVICES
 #include "trace.h"
 
+static const VMStateDescription vmstate_virtio_mem_device_early;
+
 /*
  * We only had legacy x86 guests that did not support
  * VIRTIO_MEM_F_UNPLUGGED_INACCESSIBLE. Other targets don't have legacy guests.
@@ -878,6 +880,10 @@ static void virtio_mem_device_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     host_memory_backend_set_mapped(vmem->memdev, true);
     vmstate_register_ram(&vmem->memdev->mr, DEVICE(vmem));
+    if (vmem->early_migration) {
+        vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(vmem), VMSTATE_INSTANCE_ID_ANY,
+                         &vmstate_virtio_mem_device_early, vmem);
+    }
     qemu_register_reset(virtio_mem_system_reset, vmem);
 
     /*
@@ -899,6 +905,10 @@ static void virtio_mem_device_unrealize(DeviceState *dev)
      */
     memory_region_set_ram_discard_manager(&vmem->memdev->mr, NULL);
     qemu_unregister_reset(virtio_mem_system_reset, vmem);
+    if (vmem->early_migration) {
+        vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(vmem), &vmstate_virtio_mem_device_early,
+                           vmem);
+    }
     vmstate_unregister_ram(&vmem->memdev->mr, DEVICE(vmem));
     host_memory_backend_set_mapped(vmem->memdev, false);
     virtio_del_queue(vdev, 0);
@@ -1015,18 +1025,53 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_virtio_mem_sanity_checks = {
     },
 };
 
+static bool virtio_mem_vmstate_field_exists(void *opaque, int version_id)
+{
+    const VirtIOMEM *vmem = VIRTIO_MEM(opaque);
+
+    /* With early migration, these fields were already migrated. */
+    return !vmem->early_migration;
+}
+
 static const VMStateDescription vmstate_virtio_mem_device = {
     .name = "virtio-mem-device",
     .minimum_version_id = 1,
     .version_id = 1,
     .priority = MIG_PRI_VIRTIO_MEM,
     .post_load = virtio_mem_post_load,
+    .fields = (VMStateField[]) {
+        VMSTATE_WITH_TMP_TEST(VirtIOMEM, virtio_mem_vmstate_field_exists,
+                              VirtIOMEMMigSanityChecks,
+                              vmstate_virtio_mem_sanity_checks),
+        VMSTATE_UINT64(usable_region_size, VirtIOMEM),
+        VMSTATE_UINT64_TEST(size, VirtIOMEM, virtio_mem_vmstate_field_exists),
+        VMSTATE_UINT64(requested_size, VirtIOMEM),
+        VMSTATE_BITMAP_TEST(bitmap, VirtIOMEM, virtio_mem_vmstate_field_exists,
+                            0, bitmap_size),
+        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    },
+};
+
+/*
+ * Transfer properties that are immutable while migration is active early,
+ * such that we have have this information around before migrating any RAM
+ * content.
+ *
+ * Note that virtio_mem_is_busy() makes sure these properties can no longer
+ * change on the migration source until migration completed.
+ *
+ * With QEMU compat machines, we transmit these properties later, via
+ * vmstate_virtio_mem_device instead -- see virtio_mem_vmstate_field_exists().
+ */
+static const VMStateDescription vmstate_virtio_mem_device_early = {
+    .name = "virtio-mem-device-early",
+    .minimum_version_id = 1,
+    .version_id = 1,
+    .early_setup = true,
     .fields = (VMStateField[]) {
         VMSTATE_WITH_TMP(VirtIOMEM, VirtIOMEMMigSanityChecks,
                          vmstate_virtio_mem_sanity_checks),
-        VMSTATE_UINT64(usable_region_size, VirtIOMEM),
         VMSTATE_UINT64(size, VirtIOMEM),
-        VMSTATE_UINT64(requested_size, VirtIOMEM),
         VMSTATE_BITMAP(bitmap, VirtIOMEM, 0, bitmap_size),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     },
@@ -1211,6 +1256,8 @@ static Property virtio_mem_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_ON_OFF_AUTO(VIRTIO_MEM_UNPLUGGED_INACCESSIBLE_PROP, VirtIOMEM,
                             unplugged_inaccessible, ON_OFF_AUTO_AUTO),
 #endif
+    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL(VIRTIO_MEM_EARLY_MIGRATION_PROP, VirtIOMEM,
+                     early_migration, true),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.h
index 7745cfc1a3..f15e561785 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-mem.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ OBJECT_DECLARE_TYPE(VirtIOMEM, VirtIOMEMClass,
 #define VIRTIO_MEM_BLOCK_SIZE_PROP "block-size"
 #define VIRTIO_MEM_ADDR_PROP "memaddr"
 #define VIRTIO_MEM_UNPLUGGED_INACCESSIBLE_PROP "unplugged-inaccessible"
+#define VIRTIO_MEM_EARLY_MIGRATION_PROP "x-early-migration"
 #define VIRTIO_MEM_PREALLOC_PROP "prealloc"
 
 struct VirtIOMEM {
@@ -74,6 +75,13 @@ struct VirtIOMEM {
     /* whether to prealloc memory when plugging new blocks */
     bool prealloc;
 
+    /*
+     * Whether we migrate properties that are immutable while migration is
+     * active early, before state of other devices and especially, before
+     * migrating any RAM content.
+     */
+    bool early_migration;
+
     /* notifiers to notify when "size" changes */
     NotifierList size_change_notifiers;
 
