diff --git a/tests/migration-test.c b/tests/migration-test.c
index d0abad40f5..97fdb1988e 100644
--- a/tests/migration-test.c
+++ b/tests/migration-test.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * QTest testcase for migration
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2016 Red Hat, Inc. and/or its affiliates
+ * Copyright (c) 2016-2018 Red Hat, Inc. and/or its affiliates
  *   based on the vhost-user-test.c that is:
  *      Copyright (c) 2014 Virtual Open Systems Sarl.
  *
@@ -78,59 +78,15 @@ static bool ufd_version_check(void)
 static const char *tmpfs;
 
 /* A simple PC boot sector that modifies memory (1-100MB) quickly
- * outputing a 'B' every so often if it's still running.
+ * outputting a 'B' every so often if it's still running.
  */
-unsigned char bootsect[] = {
-  0xfa, 0x0f, 0x01, 0x16, 0x74, 0x7c, 0x66, 0xb8, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x0f, 0x22, 0xc0, 0x66, 0xea, 0x20, 0x7c, 0x00, 0x00, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xe4, 0x92, 0x0c, 0x02,
-  0xe6, 0x92, 0xb8, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x8e, 0xd8, 0x66, 0xb8, 0x41,
-  0x00, 0x66, 0xba, 0xf8, 0x03, 0xee, 0xb3, 0x00, 0xb8, 0x00, 0x00, 0x10,
-  0x00, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x05, 0x00, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3d, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40,
-  0x06, 0x7c, 0xf2, 0xfe, 0xc3, 0x75, 0xe9, 0x66, 0xb8, 0x42, 0x00, 0x66,
-  0xba, 0xf8, 0x03, 0xee, 0xeb, 0xde, 0x66, 0x90, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x9a, 0xcf, 0x00,
-  0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x92, 0xcf, 0x00, 0x27, 0x00, 0x5c, 0x7c,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x55, 0xaa
-};
+#include "tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.h"
 
 static void init_bootfile_x86(const char *bootpath)
 {
     FILE *bootfile = fopen(bootpath, "wb");
 
-    g_assert_cmpint(fwrite(bootsect, 512, 1, bootfile), ==, 1);
+    g_assert_cmpint(fwrite(x86_bootsect, 512, 1, bootfile), ==, 1);
     fclose(bootfile);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/migration/rebuild-x86-bootblock.sh b/tests/migration/rebuild-x86-bootblock.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..86cec5d284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/migration/rebuild-x86-bootblock.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Copyright (c) 2016-2018 Red Hat, Inc. and/or its affiliates
+# This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or later.
+# See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+#
+# Author: dgilbert@redhat.com
+
+ASMFILE=$PWD/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.s
+HEADER=$PWD/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.h
+
+if [ ! -e "$ASMFILE" ]
+then
+  echo "Couldn't find $ASMFILE" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+ASM_WORK_DIR=$(mktemp -d --tmpdir X86BB.XXXXXX)
+cd "$ASM_WORK_DIR" &&
+as --32 -march=i486 "$ASMFILE" -o x86.o &&
+objcopy -O binary x86.o x86.boot &&
+dd if=x86.boot of=x86.bootsect bs=256 count=2 skip=124 &&
+xxd -i x86.bootsect |
+sed -e 's/.*int.*//' > x86.hex &&
+cat - x86.hex <<HERE > "$HEADER"
+/* This file is automatically generated from
+ * tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.s, edit that and then run
+ * tests/migration/rebuild-x86-bootblock.sh to update,
+ * and then remember to send both in your patch submission.
+ */
+HERE
+
+rm x86.hex x86.bootsect x86.boot x86.o
+cd .. && rmdir "$ASM_WORK_DIR"
diff --git a/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.h b/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..78a151fe2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.h
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/* This file is automatically generated from
+ * tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.s, edit that and then run
+ * tests/migration/rebuild-x86-bootblock.sh to update,
+ * and then remember to send both in your patch submission.
+ */
+unsigned char x86_bootsect[] = {
+  0xfa, 0x0f, 0x01, 0x16, 0x74, 0x7c, 0x66, 0xb8, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x0f, 0x22, 0xc0, 0x66, 0xea, 0x20, 0x7c, 0x00, 0x00, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xe4, 0x92, 0x0c, 0x02,
+  0xe6, 0x92, 0xb8, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x8e, 0xd8, 0x66, 0xb8, 0x41,
+  0x00, 0x66, 0xba, 0xf8, 0x03, 0xee, 0xb3, 0x00, 0xb8, 0x00, 0x00, 0x10,
+  0x00, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x05, 0x00, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3d, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40,
+  0x06, 0x7c, 0xf2, 0xfe, 0xc3, 0x75, 0xe9, 0x66, 0xb8, 0x42, 0x00, 0x66,
+  0xba, 0xf8, 0x03, 0xee, 0xeb, 0xde, 0x66, 0x90, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x9a, 0xcf, 0x00,
+  0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x92, 0xcf, 0x00, 0x27, 0x00, 0x5c, 0x7c,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x55, 0xaa
+};
+
diff --git a/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.s b/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.s
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1642641a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/migration/x86-a-b-bootblock.s
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+# x86 bootblock used in migration test
+#  repeatedly increments the first byte of each page in a 100MB
+#  range.
+#  Outputs an initial 'A' on serial followed by repeated 'B's
+#
+# run   tests/migration/rebuild-x86-bootblock.sh
+#   to regenerate the hex, and remember to include both the .h and .s
+#   in any patches.
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2016 Red Hat, Inc. and/or its affiliates
+# This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or later.
+# See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+#
+# Author: dgilbert@redhat.com
+
+
+.code16
+.org 0x7c00
+        .file   "fill.s"
+        .text
+        .globl  start
+        .type   start, @function
+start:             # at 0x7c00 ?
+        cli
+        lgdt gdtdesc
+        mov $1,%eax
+        mov %eax,%cr0  # Protected mode enable
+        data32 ljmp $8,$0x7c20
+
+.org 0x7c20
+.code32
+        # A20 enable - not sure I actually need this
+        inb $0x92,%al
+        or  $2,%al
+        outb %al, $0x92
+
+        # set up DS for the whole of RAM (needed on KVM)
+        mov $16,%eax
+        mov %eax,%ds
+
+        mov $65,%ax
+        mov $0x3f8,%dx
+        outb %al,%dx
+
+        # bl keeps a counter so we limit the output speed
+        mov $0, %bl
+mainloop:
+        # Start from 1MB
+        mov $(1024*1024),%eax
+innerloop:
+        incb (%eax)
+        add $4096,%eax
+        cmp $(100*1024*1024),%eax
+        jl innerloop
+
+        inc %bl
+        jnz mainloop
+
+        mov $66,%ax
+        mov $0x3f8,%dx
+        outb %al,%dx
+
+        jmp mainloop
+
+        # GDT magic from old (GPLv2)  Grub startup.S
+        .p2align        2       /* force 4-byte alignment */
+gdt:
+        .word   0, 0
+        .byte   0, 0, 0, 0
+
+        /* -- code segment --
+         * base = 0x00000000, limit = 0xFFFFF (4 KiB Granularity), present
+         * type = 32bit code execute/read, DPL = 0
+         */
+        .word   0xFFFF, 0
+        .byte   0, 0x9A, 0xCF, 0
+
+        /* -- data segment --
+         * base = 0x00000000, limit 0xFFFFF (4 KiB Granularity), present
+         * type = 32 bit data read/write, DPL = 0
+         */
+        .word   0xFFFF, 0
+        .byte   0, 0x92, 0xCF, 0
+
+gdtdesc:
+        .word   0x27                    /* limit */
+        .long   gdt                     /* addr */
+
+/* I'm a bootable disk */
+.org 0x7dfe
+        .byte 0x55
+        .byte 0xAA