diff --git a/migration/ram.c b/migration/ram.c
index 92c7b788ae..680a5158aa 100644
--- a/migration/ram.c
+++ b/migration/ram.c
@@ -1656,6 +1656,17 @@ static inline void populate_read_range(RAMBlock *block, ram_addr_t offset,
     }
 }
 
+static inline int populate_read_section(MemoryRegionSection *section,
+                                        void *opaque)
+{
+    const hwaddr size = int128_get64(section->size);
+    hwaddr offset = section->offset_within_region;
+    RAMBlock *block = section->mr->ram_block;
+
+    populate_read_range(block, offset, size);
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * ram_block_populate_read: preallocate page tables and populate pages in the
  *   RAM block by reading a byte of each page.
@@ -1665,9 +1676,32 @@ static inline void populate_read_range(RAMBlock *block, ram_addr_t offset,
  *
  * @block: RAM block to populate
  */
-static void ram_block_populate_read(RAMBlock *block)
+static void ram_block_populate_read(RAMBlock *rb)
 {
-    populate_read_range(block, 0, block->used_length);
+    /*
+     * Skip populating all pages that fall into a discarded range as managed by
+     * a RamDiscardManager responsible for the mapped memory region of the
+     * RAMBlock. Such discarded ("logically unplugged") parts of a RAMBlock
+     * must not get populated automatically. We don't have to track
+     * modifications via userfaultfd WP reliably, because these pages will
+     * not be part of the migration stream either way -- see
+     * ramblock_dirty_bitmap_exclude_discarded_pages().
+     *
+     * Note: The result is only stable while migrating (precopy/postcopy).
+     */
+    if (rb->mr && memory_region_has_ram_discard_manager(rb->mr)) {
+        RamDiscardManager *rdm = memory_region_get_ram_discard_manager(rb->mr);
+        MemoryRegionSection section = {
+            .mr = rb->mr,
+            .offset_within_region = 0,
+            .size = rb->mr->size,
+        };
+
+        ram_discard_manager_replay_populated(rdm, &section,
+                                             populate_read_section, NULL);
+    } else {
+        populate_read_range(rb, 0, rb->used_length);
+    }
 }
 
 /*