diff --git a/include/migration/register.h b/include/migration/register.h
index 2b12c6adec..fed1d04a3c 100644
--- a/include/migration/register.h
+++ b/include/migration/register.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ typedef struct SaveVMHandlers {
      * used to perform early checks.
      */
     int (*save_prepare)(void *opaque, Error **errp);
+    int (*save_setup)(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque);
     void (*save_cleanup)(void *opaque);
     int (*save_live_complete_postcopy)(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque);
     int (*save_live_complete_precopy)(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque);
@@ -50,7 +51,6 @@ typedef struct SaveVMHandlers {
     int (*save_live_iterate)(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque);
 
     /* This runs outside the iothread lock!  */
-    int (*save_setup)(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque);
     /* Note for save_live_pending:
      * must_precopy:
      * - must be migrated in precopy or in stopped state
diff --git a/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c b/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
index 032fc5f405..03cb2e72ee 100644
--- a/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
+++ b/migration/block-dirty-bitmap.c
@@ -1214,9 +1214,7 @@ static int dirty_bitmap_save_setup(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
     DBMSaveState *s = &((DBMState *)opaque)->save;
     SaveBitmapState *dbms = NULL;
 
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     if (init_dirty_bitmap_migration(s) < 0) {
-        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -1224,7 +1222,6 @@ static int dirty_bitmap_save_setup(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
         send_bitmap_start(f, s, dbms);
     }
     qemu_put_bitmap_flags(f, DIRTY_BITMAP_MIG_FLAG_EOS);
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/migration/block.c b/migration/block.c
index d115e1cfa5..b60698d6e2 100644
--- a/migration/block.c
+++ b/migration/block.c
@@ -731,18 +731,13 @@ static int block_save_setup(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
     trace_migration_block_save("setup", block_mig_state.submitted,
                                block_mig_state.transferred);
 
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     ret = init_blk_migration(f);
     if (ret < 0) {
-        qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
         return ret;
     }
 
     /* start track dirty blocks */
     ret = set_dirty_tracking();
-
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
-
     if (ret) {
         return ret;
     }
diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index 98151b1424..79fa11e3f6 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -3020,7 +3020,9 @@ static void *migration_thread(void *opaque)
     object_ref(OBJECT(s));
     update_iteration_initial_status(s);
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     qemu_savevm_state_header(s->to_dst_file);
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 
     /*
      * If we opened the return path, we need to make sure dst has it
@@ -3048,7 +3050,9 @@ static void *migration_thread(void *opaque)
         qemu_savevm_send_colo_enable(s->to_dst_file);
     }
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     qemu_savevm_state_setup(s->to_dst_file);
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 
     qemu_savevm_wait_unplug(s, MIGRATION_STATUS_SETUP,
                                MIGRATION_STATUS_ACTIVE);
@@ -3159,8 +3163,10 @@ static void *bg_migration_thread(void *opaque)
     ram_write_tracking_prepare();
 #endif
 
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     qemu_savevm_state_header(s->to_dst_file);
     qemu_savevm_state_setup(s->to_dst_file);
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 
     qemu_savevm_wait_unplug(s, MIGRATION_STATUS_SETUP,
                                MIGRATION_STATUS_ACTIVE);
diff --git a/migration/ram.c b/migration/ram.c
index e8df4dc862..d3d9c8b65b 100644
--- a/migration/ram.c
+++ b/migration/ram.c
@@ -2891,8 +2891,6 @@ static void migration_bitmap_clear_discarded_pages(RAMState *rs)
 
 static void ram_init_bitmaps(RAMState *rs)
 {
-    /* For memory_global_dirty_log_start below.  */
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     qemu_mutex_lock_ramlist();
 
     WITH_RCU_READ_LOCK_GUARD() {
@@ -2904,7 +2902,6 @@ static void ram_init_bitmaps(RAMState *rs)
         }
     }
     qemu_mutex_unlock_ramlist();
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
 
     /*
      * After an eventual first bitmap sync, fixup the initial bitmap
@@ -3067,7 +3064,10 @@ static int ram_save_setup(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
 
     migration_ops = g_malloc0(sizeof(MigrationOps));
     migration_ops->ram_save_target_page = ram_save_target_page_legacy;
+
+    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     ret = multifd_send_sync_main(f);
+    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
     if (ret < 0) {
         return ret;
     }
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index bce698b0af..8622f229e5 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -1672,10 +1672,8 @@ static int qemu_savevm_state(QEMUFile *f, Error **errp)
     }
     ms->to_dst_file = f;
 
-    qemu_mutex_unlock_iothread();
     qemu_savevm_state_header(f);
     qemu_savevm_state_setup(f);
-    qemu_mutex_lock_iothread();
 
     while (qemu_file_get_error(f) == 0) {
         if (qemu_savevm_state_iterate(f, false) > 0) {