diff --git a/migration/multifd.h b/migration/multifd.h
index 50d58c0c9c..bd337631ec 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.h
+++ b/migration/multifd.h
@@ -19,6 +19,18 @@
 typedef struct MultiFDRecvData MultiFDRecvData;
 typedef struct MultiFDSendData MultiFDSendData;
 
+typedef enum {
+    /* No sync request */
+    MULTIFD_SYNC_NONE = 0,
+    /* Sync locally on the sender threads without pushing messages */
+    MULTIFD_SYNC_LOCAL,
+    /*
+     * Sync not only on the sender threads, but also push "SYNC" message to
+     * the wire (which is for a remote sync).
+     */
+    MULTIFD_SYNC_ALL,
+} MultiFDSyncReq;
+
 bool multifd_send_setup(void);
 void multifd_send_shutdown(void);
 void multifd_send_channel_created(void);
@@ -28,7 +40,7 @@ void multifd_recv_shutdown(void);
 bool multifd_recv_all_channels_created(void);
 void multifd_recv_new_channel(QIOChannel *ioc, Error **errp);
 void multifd_recv_sync_main(void);
-int multifd_send_sync_main(void);
+int multifd_send_sync_main(MultiFDSyncReq req);
 bool multifd_queue_page(RAMBlock *block, ram_addr_t offset);
 bool multifd_recv(void);
 MultiFDRecvData *multifd_get_recv_data(void);
@@ -143,7 +155,7 @@ typedef struct {
     /* multifd flags for each packet */
     uint32_t flags;
     /*
-     * The sender thread has work to do if either of below boolean is set.
+     * The sender thread has work to do if either of below field is set.
      *
      * @pending_job:  a job is pending
      * @pending_sync: a sync request is pending
@@ -152,7 +164,8 @@ typedef struct {
      * cleared by the multifd sender threads.
      */
     bool pending_job;
-    bool pending_sync;
+    MultiFDSyncReq pending_sync;
+
     MultiFDSendData *data;
 
     /* thread local variables. No locking required */
diff --git a/migration/multifd-nocomp.c b/migration/multifd-nocomp.c
index 55191152f9..219f9e58ef 100644
--- a/migration/multifd-nocomp.c
+++ b/migration/multifd-nocomp.c
@@ -345,6 +345,8 @@ retry:
 
 int multifd_ram_flush_and_sync(void)
 {
+    MultiFDSyncReq req;
+
     if (!migrate_multifd()) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -356,7 +358,10 @@ int multifd_ram_flush_and_sync(void)
         }
     }
 
-    return multifd_send_sync_main();
+    /* File migrations only need to sync with threads */
+    req = migrate_mapped_ram() ? MULTIFD_SYNC_LOCAL : MULTIFD_SYNC_ALL;
+
+    return multifd_send_sync_main(req);
 }
 
 bool multifd_send_prepare_common(MultiFDSendParams *p)
diff --git a/migration/multifd.c b/migration/multifd.c
index 498e71fd10..2248bd2d46 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.c
+++ b/migration/multifd.c
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ static int multifd_zero_copy_flush(QIOChannel *c)
     return ret;
 }
 
-int multifd_send_sync_main(void)
+int multifd_send_sync_main(MultiFDSyncReq req)
 {
     int i;
     bool flush_zero_copy;
@@ -543,8 +543,8 @@ int multifd_send_sync_main(void)
          * We should be the only user so far, so not possible to be set by
          * others concurrently.
          */
-        assert(qatomic_read(&p->pending_sync) == false);
-        qatomic_set(&p->pending_sync, true);
+        assert(qatomic_read(&p->pending_sync) == MULTIFD_SYNC_NONE);
+        qatomic_set(&p->pending_sync, req);
         qemu_sem_post(&p->sem);
     }
     for (i = 0; i < migrate_multifd_channels(); i++) {
@@ -635,14 +635,17 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
              */
             qatomic_store_release(&p->pending_job, false);
         } else {
+            MultiFDSyncReq req = qatomic_read(&p->pending_sync);
+
             /*
              * If not a normal job, must be a sync request.  Note that
              * pending_sync is a standalone flag (unlike pending_job), so
              * it doesn't require explicit memory barriers.
              */
-            assert(qatomic_read(&p->pending_sync));
+            assert(req != MULTIFD_SYNC_NONE);
 
-            if (use_packets) {
+            /* Only push the SYNC message if it involves a remote sync */
+            if (req == MULTIFD_SYNC_ALL) {
                 p->flags = MULTIFD_FLAG_SYNC;
                 multifd_send_fill_packet(p);
                 ret = qio_channel_write_all(p->c, (void *)p->packet,
@@ -654,7 +657,7 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
                 stat64_add(&mig_stats.multifd_bytes, p->packet_len);
             }
 
-            qatomic_set(&p->pending_sync, false);
+            qatomic_set(&p->pending_sync, MULTIFD_SYNC_NONE);
             qemu_sem_post(&p->sem_sync);
         }
     }
