diff --git a/migration/multifd.c b/migration/multifd.c
index fbb40ea10b..ef5dad1019 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.c
+++ b/migration/multifd.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qemu/cutils.h"
 #include "qemu/rcu.h"
+#include "qemu/cutils.h"
 #include "exec/target_page.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "exec/ramblock.h"
diff --git a/migration/options.c b/migration/options.c
index 3c603391b0..3c79b6ccd4 100644
--- a/migration/options.c
+++ b/migration/options.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ Property migration_properties[] = {
                       MIG_MODE_NORMAL),
     DEFINE_PROP_ZERO_PAGE_DETECTION("zero-page-detection", MigrationState,
                        parameters.zero_page_detection,
-                       ZERO_PAGE_DETECTION_LEGACY),
+                       ZERO_PAGE_DETECTION_MULTIFD),
 
     /* Migration capabilities */
     DEFINE_PROP_MIG_CAP("x-xbzrle", MIGRATION_CAPABILITY_XBZRLE),
diff --git a/migration/ram.c b/migration/ram.c
index 5ece9f042e..b088c5a98c 100644
--- a/migration/ram.c
+++ b/migration/ram.c
@@ -1123,10 +1123,6 @@ static int save_zero_page(RAMState *rs, PageSearchStatus *pss,
     QEMUFile *file = pss->pss_channel;
     int len = 0;
 
-    if (migrate_zero_page_detection() != ZERO_PAGE_DETECTION_LEGACY) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-
     if (!buffer_is_zero(p, TARGET_PAGE_SIZE)) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -1256,6 +1252,10 @@ static int ram_save_page(RAMState *rs, PageSearchStatus *pss)
 
 static int ram_save_multifd_page(RAMBlock *block, ram_addr_t offset)
 {
+    assert(migrate_multifd());
+    assert(!migrate_compress());
+    assert(!migration_in_postcopy());
+
     if (!multifd_queue_page(block, offset)) {
         return -1;
     }
@@ -2046,7 +2046,6 @@ static bool save_compress_page(RAMState *rs, PageSearchStatus *pss,
  */
 static int ram_save_target_page_legacy(RAMState *rs, PageSearchStatus *pss)
 {
-    RAMBlock *block = pss->block;
     ram_addr_t offset = ((ram_addr_t)pss->page) << TARGET_PAGE_BITS;
     int res;
 
@@ -2062,17 +2061,40 @@ static int ram_save_target_page_legacy(RAMState *rs, PageSearchStatus *pss)
         return 1;
     }
 
+    return ram_save_page(rs, pss);
+}
+
+/**
+ * ram_save_target_page_multifd: save one target page
+ *
+ * Returns the number of pages written
+ *
+ * @rs: current RAM state
+ * @pss: data about the page we want to send
+ */
+static int ram_save_target_page_multifd(RAMState *rs, PageSearchStatus *pss)
+{
+    RAMBlock *block = pss->block;
+    ram_addr_t offset = ((ram_addr_t)pss->page) << TARGET_PAGE_BITS;
+
+    /* Multifd is not compatible with old compression. */
+    assert(!migrate_compress());
+
+    /* Multifd is not compabible with postcopy. */
+    assert(!migration_in_postcopy());
+
     /*
-     * Do not use multifd in postcopy as one whole host page should be
-     * placed.  Meanwhile postcopy requires atomic update of pages, so even
-     * if host page size == guest page size the dest guest during run may
-     * still see partially copied pages which is data corruption.
+     * Backward compatibility support. While using multifd live
+     * migration, we still need to handle zero page checking on the
+     * migration main thread.
      */
-    if (migrate_multifd() && !migration_in_postcopy()) {
-        return ram_save_multifd_page(block, offset);
+    if (migrate_zero_page_detection() == ZERO_PAGE_DETECTION_LEGACY) {
+        if (save_zero_page(rs, pss, offset)) {
+            return 1;
+        }
     }
 
-    return ram_save_page(rs, pss);
+    return ram_save_multifd_page(block, offset);
 }
 
 /* Should be called before sending a host page */
@@ -2984,7 +3006,12 @@ static int ram_save_setup(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
     }
 
     migration_ops = g_malloc0(sizeof(MigrationOps));
-    migration_ops->ram_save_target_page = ram_save_target_page_legacy;
+
+    if (migrate_multifd()) {
+        migration_ops->ram_save_target_page = ram_save_target_page_multifd;
+    } else {
+        migration_ops->ram_save_target_page = ram_save_target_page_legacy;
+    }
 
     bql_unlock();
     ret = multifd_send_sync_main();
