diff --git a/hw/vfio/migration.c b/hw/vfio/migration.c
index 2674f4bc47..8acd182a8b 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/migration.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/migration.c
@@ -383,6 +383,19 @@ static void vfio_save_cleanup(void *opaque)
     VFIODevice *vbasedev = opaque;
     VFIOMigration *migration = vbasedev->migration;
 
+    /*
+     * Changing device state from STOP_COPY to STOP can take time. Do it here,
+     * after migration has completed, so it won't increase downtime.
+     */
+    if (migration->device_state == VFIO_DEVICE_STATE_STOP_COPY) {
+        /*
+         * If setting the device in STOP state fails, the device should be
+         * reset. To do so, use ERROR state as a recover state.
+         */
+        vfio_migration_set_state(vbasedev, VFIO_DEVICE_STATE_STOP,
+                                 VFIO_DEVICE_STATE_ERROR);
+    }
+
     g_free(migration->data_buffer);
     migration->data_buffer = NULL;
     migration->precopy_init_size = 0;
@@ -508,12 +521,6 @@ static int vfio_save_complete_precopy(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
         return ret;
     }
 
-    /*
-     * If setting the device in STOP state fails, the device should be reset.
-     * To do so, use ERROR state as a recover state.
-     */
-    ret = vfio_migration_set_state(vbasedev, VFIO_DEVICE_STATE_STOP,
-                                   VFIO_DEVICE_STATE_ERROR);
     trace_vfio_save_complete_precopy(vbasedev->name, ret);
 
     return ret;