diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 6065d9e420..5f133cae83 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 /* vl.c */
 
 extern const char *bios_name;
+extern int only_migratable;
 extern const char *qemu_name;
 extern QemuUUID qemu_uuid;
 extern bool qemu_uuid_set;
diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index 69f75124c9..f6076e5295 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -1707,7 +1707,7 @@ static GSList *migration_blockers;
 
 int migrate_add_blocker(Error *reason, Error **errp)
 {
-    if (migrate_get_current()->only_migratable) {
+    if (only_migratable) {
         error_propagate_prepend(errp, error_copy(reason),
                                 "disallowing migration blocker "
                                 "(--only_migratable) for: ");
@@ -3337,7 +3337,7 @@ void migration_global_dump(Monitor *mon)
     monitor_printf(mon, "store-global-state: %s\n",
                    ms->store_global_state ? "on" : "off");
     monitor_printf(mon, "only-migratable: %s\n",
-                   ms->only_migratable ? "on" : "off");
+                   only_migratable ? "on" : "off");
     monitor_printf(mon, "send-configuration: %s\n",
                    ms->send_configuration ? "on" : "off");
     monitor_printf(mon, "send-section-footer: %s\n",
@@ -3352,7 +3352,6 @@ void migration_global_dump(Monitor *mon)
 static Property migration_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("store-global-state", MigrationState,
                      store_global_state, true),
-    DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("only-migratable", MigrationState, only_migratable, false),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("send-configuration", MigrationState,
                      send_configuration, true),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("send-section-footer", MigrationState,
diff --git a/migration/migration.h b/migration/migration.h
index 0f986935e1..438f17edad 100644
--- a/migration/migration.h
+++ b/migration/migration.h
@@ -219,9 +219,6 @@ struct MigrationState
      */
     bool store_global_state;
 
-    /* Whether the VM is only allowing for migratable devices */
-    bool only_migratable;
-
     /* Whether we send QEMU_VM_CONFIGURATION during migration */
     bool send_configuration;
     /* Whether we send section footer during migration */
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index 1415001d1c..34bcad3807 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -2844,7 +2844,7 @@ void vmstate_register_ram_global(MemoryRegion *mr)
 bool vmstate_check_only_migratable(const VMStateDescription *vmsd)
 {
     /* check needed if --only-migratable is specified */
-    if (!migrate_get_current()->only_migratable) {
+    if (!only_migratable) {
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 9b215341a3..0d517a09e1 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ const char *prom_envs[MAX_PROM_ENVS];
 int boot_menu;
 bool boot_strict;
 uint8_t *boot_splash_filedata;
+int only_migratable; /* turn it off unless user states otherwise */
 bool wakeup_suspend_enabled;
 
 int icount_align_option;
@@ -3800,13 +3801,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                 incoming = optarg;
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_only_migratable:
-                /*
-                 * TODO: we can remove this option one day, and we
-                 * should all use:
-                 *
-                 * "-global migration.only-migratable=true"
-                 */
-                qemu_global_option("migration.only-migratable=true");
+                only_migratable = 1;
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_nodefaults:
                 has_defaults = 0;