diff --git a/include/migration/vmstate.h b/include/migration/vmstate.h
index ad24aa1934..64680d824e 100644
--- a/include/migration/vmstate.h
+++ b/include/migration/vmstate.h
@@ -178,7 +178,21 @@ struct VMStateField {
 
 struct VMStateDescription {
     const char *name;
-    int unmigratable;
+    bool unmigratable;
+    /*
+     * This VMSD describes something that should be sent during setup phase
+     * of migration. It plays similar role as save_setup() for explicitly
+     * registered vmstate entries, so it can be seen as a way to describe
+     * save_setup() in VMSD structures.
+     *
+     * Note that for now, a SaveStateEntry cannot have a VMSD and
+     * operations (e.g., save_setup()) set at the same time. Consequently,
+     * save_setup() and a VMSD with early_setup set to true are mutually
+     * exclusive. For this reason, also early_setup VMSDs are migrated in a
+     * QEMU_VM_SECTION_FULL section, while save_setup() data is migrated in
+     * a QEMU_VM_SECTION_START section.
+     */
+    bool early_setup;
     int version_id;
     int minimum_version_id;
     MigrationPriority priority;
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index 28f88b5521..6d985ad4af 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -1201,6 +1201,15 @@ void qemu_savevm_state_setup(QEMUFile *f)
 
     trace_savevm_state_setup();
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(se, &savevm_state.handlers, entry) {
+        if (se->vmsd && se->vmsd->early_setup) {
+            ret = vmstate_save(f, se, ms->vmdesc);
+            if (ret) {
+                qemu_file_set_error(f, ret);
+                break;
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+
         if (!se->ops || !se->ops->save_setup) {
             continue;
         }
@@ -1403,6 +1412,11 @@ int qemu_savevm_state_complete_precopy_non_iterable(QEMUFile *f,
     int ret;
 
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(se, &savevm_state.handlers, entry) {
+        if (se->vmsd && se->vmsd->early_setup) {
+            /* Already saved during qemu_savevm_state_setup(). */
+            continue;
+        }
+
         ret = vmstate_save(f, se, vmdesc);
         if (ret) {
             qemu_file_set_error(f, ret);