diff --git a/block/io.c b/block/io.c
index 4c0831149c..3a321d69d3 100644
--- a/block/io.c
+++ b/block/io.c
@@ -1592,6 +1592,8 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_aligned_pwritev(BdrvChild *child,
     max_transfer = QEMU_ALIGN_DOWN(MIN_NON_ZERO(bs->bl.max_transfer, INT_MAX),
                                    align);
 
+    /* BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING is only for read operation */
+    assert(!(flags & BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING));
     waited = wait_serialising_requests(req);
     assert(!waited || !req->serialising);
     assert(req->overlap_offset <= offset);
@@ -2916,7 +2918,7 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_copy_range_internal(BdrvChild *src,
                                                     BdrvRequestFlags flags,
                                                     bool recurse_src)
 {
-    BdrvTrackedRequest src_req, dst_req;
+    BdrvTrackedRequest req;
     int ret;
 
     if (!dst || !dst->bs) {
@@ -2943,32 +2945,42 @@ static int coroutine_fn bdrv_co_copy_range_internal(BdrvChild *src,
         || src->bs->encrypted || dst->bs->encrypted) {
         return -ENOTSUP;
     }
-    bdrv_inc_in_flight(src->bs);
-    bdrv_inc_in_flight(dst->bs);
-    tracked_request_begin(&src_req, src->bs, src_offset,
-                          bytes, BDRV_TRACKED_READ);
-    tracked_request_begin(&dst_req, dst->bs, dst_offset,
-                          bytes, BDRV_TRACKED_WRITE);
 
-    if (!(flags & BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING)) {
-        wait_serialising_requests(&src_req);
-        wait_serialising_requests(&dst_req);
-    }
     if (recurse_src) {
+        bdrv_inc_in_flight(src->bs);
+        tracked_request_begin(&req, src->bs, src_offset, bytes,
+                              BDRV_TRACKED_READ);
+
+        if (!(flags & BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING)) {
+            wait_serialising_requests(&req);
+        }
+
         ret = src->bs->drv->bdrv_co_copy_range_from(src->bs,
                                                     src, src_offset,
                                                     dst, dst_offset,
                                                     bytes, flags);
+
+        tracked_request_end(&req);
+        bdrv_dec_in_flight(src->bs);
     } else {
+        bdrv_inc_in_flight(dst->bs);
+        tracked_request_begin(&req, dst->bs, dst_offset, bytes,
+                              BDRV_TRACKED_WRITE);
+
+        /* BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING is only for read operation,
+         * so we ignore it in flags.
+         */
+        wait_serialising_requests(&req);
+
         ret = dst->bs->drv->bdrv_co_copy_range_to(dst->bs,
                                                   src, src_offset,
                                                   dst, dst_offset,
                                                   bytes, flags);
+
+        tracked_request_end(&req);
+        bdrv_dec_in_flight(dst->bs);
     }
-    tracked_request_end(&src_req);
-    tracked_request_end(&dst_req);
-    bdrv_dec_in_flight(src->bs);
-    bdrv_dec_in_flight(dst->bs);
+
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 706ef009ad..f7ddff45b6 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -50,6 +50,18 @@ typedef enum {
      * opened with BDRV_O_UNMAP.
      */
     BDRV_REQ_MAY_UNMAP          = 0x4,
+
+    /*
+     * The BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING flag is only valid for reads and means that
+     * we don't want wait_serialising_requests() during the read operation.
+     *
+     * This flag is used for backup copy-on-write operations, when we need to
+     * read old data before write (write notifier triggered). It is okay since
+     * we already waited for other serializing requests in the initiating write
+     * (see bdrv_aligned_pwritev), and it is necessary if the initiating write
+     * is already serializing (without the flag, the read would deadlock
+     * waiting for the serialising write to complete).
+     */
     BDRV_REQ_NO_SERIALISING     = 0x8,
     BDRV_REQ_FUA                = 0x10,
     BDRV_REQ_WRITE_COMPRESSED   = 0x20,