diff --git a/migration/multifd.h b/migration/multifd.h
index 4ec005f53f..34a2ecb9f4 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.h
+++ b/migration/multifd.h
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } MultiFDMethods;
 
 void multifd_register_ops(int method, MultiFDMethods *ops);
+void multifd_send_fill_packet(MultiFDSendParams *p);
 
 static inline void multifd_send_prepare_header(MultiFDSendParams *p)
 {
diff --git a/migration/multifd-zlib.c b/migration/multifd-zlib.c
index 100809abc1..012e3bdea1 100644
--- a/migration/multifd-zlib.c
+++ b/migration/multifd-zlib.c
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ static int zlib_send_prepare(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
     int ret;
     uint32_t i;
 
+    multifd_send_prepare_header(p);
+
     for (i = 0; i < pages->num; i++) {
         uint32_t available = z->zbuff_len - out_size;
         int flush = Z_NO_FLUSH;
@@ -172,6 +174,8 @@ static int zlib_send_prepare(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
     p->next_packet_size = out_size;
     p->flags |= MULTIFD_FLAG_ZLIB;
 
+    multifd_send_fill_packet(p);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/migration/multifd-zstd.c b/migration/multifd-zstd.c
index 2023edd8cc..dc8fe43e94 100644
--- a/migration/multifd-zstd.c
+++ b/migration/multifd-zstd.c
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ static int zstd_send_prepare(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
     int ret;
     uint32_t i;
 
+    multifd_send_prepare_header(p);
+
     z->out.dst = z->zbuff;
     z->out.size = z->zbuff_len;
     z->out.pos = 0;
@@ -161,6 +163,8 @@ static int zstd_send_prepare(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
     p->next_packet_size = z->out.pos;
     p->flags |= MULTIFD_FLAG_ZSTD;
 
+    multifd_send_fill_packet(p);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/migration/multifd.c b/migration/multifd.c
index cd4467aff4..6aa44340de 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.c
+++ b/migration/multifd.c
@@ -50,15 +50,15 @@ typedef struct {
 /**
  * nocomp_send_setup: setup send side
  *
- * For no compression this function does nothing.
- *
- * Returns 0 for success or -1 for error
- *
  * @p: Params for the channel that we are using
  * @errp: pointer to an error
  */
 static int nocomp_send_setup(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
 {
+    if (migrate_zero_copy_send()) {
+        p->write_flags |= QIO_CHANNEL_WRITE_FLAG_ZERO_COPY;
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -88,7 +88,17 @@ static void nocomp_send_cleanup(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
  */
 static int nocomp_send_prepare(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
 {
+    bool use_zero_copy_send = migrate_zero_copy_send();
     MultiFDPages_t *pages = p->pages;
+    int ret;
+
+    if (!use_zero_copy_send) {
+        /*
+         * Only !zerocopy needs the header in IOV; zerocopy will
+         * send it separately.
+         */
+        multifd_send_prepare_header(p);
+    }
 
     for (int i = 0; i < pages->num; i++) {
         p->iov[p->iovs_num].iov_base = pages->block->host + pages->offset[i];
@@ -98,6 +108,18 @@ static int nocomp_send_prepare(MultiFDSendParams *p, Error **errp)
 
     p->next_packet_size = pages->num * p->page_size;
     p->flags |= MULTIFD_FLAG_NOCOMP;
+
+    multifd_send_fill_packet(p);
+
+    if (use_zero_copy_send) {
+        /* Send header first, without zerocopy */
+        ret = qio_channel_write_all(p->c, (void *)p->packet,
+                                    p->packet_len, errp);
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -266,7 +288,7 @@ static void multifd_pages_clear(MultiFDPages_t *pages)
     g_free(pages);
 }
 
-static void multifd_send_fill_packet(MultiFDSendParams *p)
+void multifd_send_fill_packet(MultiFDSendParams *p)
 {
     MultiFDPacket_t *packet = p->packet;
     MultiFDPages_t *pages = p->pages;
@@ -688,7 +710,6 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
     MigrationThread *thread = NULL;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     int ret = 0;
-    bool use_zero_copy_send = migrate_zero_copy_send();
 
     thread = migration_threads_add(p->name, qemu_get_thread_id());
 
@@ -713,15 +734,6 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
             MultiFDPages_t *pages = p->pages;
 
             p->iovs_num = 0;
-
-            if (!use_zero_copy_send) {
-                /*
-                 * Only !zerocopy needs the header in IOV; zerocopy will
-                 * send it separately.
-                 */
-                multifd_send_prepare_header(p);
-            }
-
             assert(pages->num);
 
             ret = multifd_send_state->ops->send_prepare(p, &local_err);
@@ -730,17 +742,6 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
                 break;
             }
 
-            multifd_send_fill_packet(p);
-
-            if (use_zero_copy_send) {
-                /* Send header first, without zerocopy */
-                ret = qio_channel_write_all(p->c, (void *)p->packet,
-                                            p->packet_len, &local_err);
-                if (ret != 0) {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-
             ret = qio_channel_writev_full_all(p->c, p->iov, p->iovs_num, NULL,
                                               0, p->write_flags, &local_err);
             if (ret != 0) {
@@ -945,13 +946,7 @@ int multifd_save_setup(Error **errp)
         p->iov = g_new0(struct iovec, page_count + 1);
         p->page_size = qemu_target_page_size();
         p->page_count = page_count;
-
-        if (migrate_zero_copy_send()) {
-            p->write_flags = QIO_CHANNEL_WRITE_FLAG_ZERO_COPY;
-        } else {
-            p->write_flags = 0;
-        }
-
+        p->write_flags = 0;
         multifd_new_send_channel_create(p);
     }
 
