diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
index e1c7801598..f0b0edc634 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
@@ -167,6 +167,66 @@ build-system-centos:
       x86_64-softmmu rx-softmmu sh4-softmmu nios2-softmmu
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-build
 
+# Previous QEMU release. Used for cross-version migration tests.
+build-previous-qemu:
+  extends: .native_build_job_template
+  artifacts:
+    when: on_success
+    expire_in: 2 days
+    paths:
+      - build-previous
+    exclude:
+      - build-previous/**/*.p
+      - build-previous/**/*.a.p
+      - build-previous/**/*.fa.p
+      - build-previous/**/*.c.o
+      - build-previous/**/*.c.o.d
+      - build-previous/**/*.fa
+  needs:
+    job: amd64-opensuse-leap-container
+  variables:
+    IMAGE: opensuse-leap
+    TARGETS: x86_64-softmmu aarch64-softmmu
+  before_script:
+    - export QEMU_PREV_VERSION="$(sed 's/\([0-9.]*\)\.[0-9]*/v\1.0/' VERSION)"
+    - git checkout $QEMU_PREV_VERSION
+  after_script:
+    - mv build build-previous
+
+.migration-compat-common:
+  extends: .common_test_job_template
+  needs:
+    - job: build-previous-qemu
+    - job: build-system-opensuse
+  # The old QEMU could have bugs unrelated to migration that are
+  # already fixed in the current development branch, so this test
+  # might fail.
+  allow_failure: true
+  variables:
+    IMAGE: opensuse-leap
+    MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-build
+  script:
+    # Use the migration-tests from the older QEMU tree. This avoids
+    # testing an old QEMU against new features/tests that it is not
+    # compatible with.
+    - cd build-previous
+    # old to new
+    - QTEST_QEMU_BINARY_SRC=./qemu-system-${TARGET}
+          QTEST_QEMU_BINARY=../build/qemu-system-${TARGET} ./tests/qtest/migration-test
+    # new to old
+    - QTEST_QEMU_BINARY_DST=./qemu-system-${TARGET}
+          QTEST_QEMU_BINARY=../build/qemu-system-${TARGET} ./tests/qtest/migration-test
+
+migration-compat-aarch64:
+  extends: .migration-compat-common
+  variables:
+    TARGET: aarch64
+
+migration-compat-x86_64:
+  extends: .migration-compat-common
+  variables:
+    TARGET: x86_64
+
 check-system-centos:
   extends: .native_test_job_template
   needs: