diff --git a/hw/ide/core.c b/hw/ide/core.c
index 95beb17..da250ac 100644
--- a/hw/ide/core.c
+++ b/hw/ide/core.c
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ static int ide_handle_rw_error(IDEState *s, int error, int op)
     if ((error == ENOSPC && action == BLOCK_ERR_STOP_ENOSPC)
             || action == BLOCK_ERR_STOP_ANY) {
         s->bus->dma->ops->set_unit(s->bus->dma, s->unit);
-        s->bus->dma->ops->add_status(s->bus->dma, op);
+        s->bus->error_status = op;
         bdrv_mon_event(s->bs, BDRV_ACTION_STOP, is_read);
         vm_stop(VMSTOP_DISKFULL);
     } else {
@@ -1847,6 +1847,13 @@ static bool ide_atapi_gesn_needed(void *opaque)
     return s->events.new_media || s->events.eject_request;
 }
 
+static bool ide_error_needed(void *opaque)
+{
+    IDEBus *bus = opaque;
+
+    return (bus->error_status != 0);
+}
+
 /* Fields for GET_EVENT_STATUS_NOTIFICATION ATAPI command */
 const VMStateDescription vmstate_ide_atapi_gesn_state = {
     .name ="ide_drive/atapi/gesn_state",
@@ -1921,6 +1928,17 @@ const VMStateDescription vmstate_ide_drive = {
     }
 };
 
+const VMStateDescription vmstate_ide_error_status = {
+    .name ="ide_bus/error",
+    .version_id = 1,
+    .minimum_version_id = 1,
+    .minimum_version_id_old = 1,
+    .fields = (VMStateField []) {
+        VMSTATE_INT32(error_status, IDEBus),
+        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    }
+};
+
 const VMStateDescription vmstate_ide_bus = {
     .name = "ide_bus",
     .version_id = 1,
@@ -1930,6 +1948,14 @@ const VMStateDescription vmstate_ide_bus = {
         VMSTATE_UINT8(cmd, IDEBus),
         VMSTATE_UINT8(unit, IDEBus),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    },
+    .subsections = (VMStateSubsection []) {
+        {
+            .vmsd = &vmstate_ide_error_status,
+            .needed = ide_error_needed,
+        }, {
+            /* empty */
+        }
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/hw/ide/internal.h b/hw/ide/internal.h
index c2b35ec..8d18cc3 100644
--- a/hw/ide/internal.h
+++ b/hw/ide/internal.h
@@ -486,6 +486,8 @@ struct IDEBus {
     uint8_t unit;
     uint8_t cmd;
     qemu_irq irq;
+
+    int error_status;
 };
 
 struct IDEDevice {
@@ -505,11 +507,17 @@ struct IDEDeviceInfo {
 #define BM_STATUS_DMAING 0x01
 #define BM_STATUS_ERROR  0x02
 #define BM_STATUS_INT    0x04
+
+/* FIXME These are not status register bits */
 #define BM_STATUS_DMA_RETRY  0x08
 #define BM_STATUS_PIO_RETRY  0x10
 #define BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ  0x20
 #define BM_STATUS_RETRY_FLUSH 0x40
 
+#define BM_MIGRATION_COMPAT_STATUS_BITS \
+        (BM_STATUS_DMA_RETRY | BM_STATUS_PIO_RETRY | \
+        BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ | BM_STATUS_RETRY_FLUSH)
+
 #define BM_CMD_START     0x01
 #define BM_CMD_READ      0x08
 
diff --git a/hw/ide/pci.c b/hw/ide/pci.c
index a4726ad..7fa32bd 100644
--- a/hw/ide/pci.c
+++ b/hw/ide/pci.c
@@ -183,27 +183,33 @@ static void bmdma_restart_dma(BMDMAState *bm, int is_read)
     bmdma_start_dma(&bm->dma, s, bm->dma_cb);
 }
 
+/* TODO This should be common IDE code */
 static void bmdma_restart_bh(void *opaque)
 {
     BMDMAState *bm = opaque;
+    IDEBus *bus = bm->bus;
     int is_read;
 
     qemu_bh_delete(bm->bh);
     bm->bh = NULL;
 
-    is_read = !!(bm->status & BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ);
+    if (bm->unit == (uint8_t) -1) {
+        return;
+    }
 
-    if (bm->status & BM_STATUS_DMA_RETRY) {
-        bm->status &= ~(BM_STATUS_DMA_RETRY | BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ);
+    is_read = !!(bus->error_status & BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ);
+
+    if (bus->error_status & BM_STATUS_DMA_RETRY) {
+        bus->error_status &= ~(BM_STATUS_DMA_RETRY | BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ);
         bmdma_restart_dma(bm, is_read);
-    } else if (bm->status & BM_STATUS_PIO_RETRY) {
-        bm->status &= ~(BM_STATUS_PIO_RETRY | BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ);
+    } else if (bus->error_status & BM_STATUS_PIO_RETRY) {
+        bus->error_status &= ~(BM_STATUS_PIO_RETRY | BM_STATUS_RETRY_READ);
         if (is_read) {
             ide_sector_read(bmdma_active_if(bm));
         } else {
             ide_sector_write(bmdma_active_if(bm));
         }
-    } else if (bm->status & BM_STATUS_RETRY_FLUSH) {
+    } else if (bus->error_status & BM_STATUS_RETRY_FLUSH) {
         ide_flush_cache(bmdma_active_if(bm));
     }
 }
@@ -351,6 +357,43 @@ static bool ide_bmdma_current_needed(void *opaque)
     return (bm->cur_prd_len != 0);
 }
 
+static bool ide_bmdma_status_needed(void *opaque)
+{
+    BMDMAState *bm = opaque;
+
+    /* Older versions abused some bits in the status register for internal
+     * error state. If any of these bits are set, we must add a subsection to
+     * transfer the real status register */
+    uint8_t abused_bits = BM_MIGRATION_COMPAT_STATUS_BITS;
+
+    return ((bm->status & abused_bits) != 0);
+}
+
+static void ide_bmdma_pre_save(void *opaque)
+{
+    BMDMAState *bm = opaque;
+    uint8_t abused_bits = BM_MIGRATION_COMPAT_STATUS_BITS;
+
+    bm->migration_compat_status =
+        (bm->status & ~abused_bits) | (bm->bus->error_status & abused_bits);
+}
+
+/* This function accesses bm->bus->error_status which is loaded only after
+ * BMDMA itself. This is why the function is called from ide_pci_post_load
+ * instead of being registered with VMState where it would run too early. */
+static int ide_bmdma_post_load(void *opaque, int version_id)
+{
+    BMDMAState *bm = opaque;
+    uint8_t abused_bits = BM_MIGRATION_COMPAT_STATUS_BITS;
+
+    if (bm->status == 0) {
+        bm->status = bm->migration_compat_status & ~abused_bits;
+        bm->bus->error_status |= bm->migration_compat_status & abused_bits;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static const VMStateDescription vmstate_bmdma_current = {
     .name = "ide bmdma_current",
     .version_id = 1,
@@ -365,15 +408,26 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_bmdma_current = {
     }
 };
 
+const VMStateDescription vmstate_bmdma_status = {
+    .name ="ide bmdma/status",
+    .version_id = 1,
+    .minimum_version_id = 1,
+    .minimum_version_id_old = 1,
+    .fields = (VMStateField []) {
+        VMSTATE_UINT8(status, BMDMAState),
+        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    }
+};
 
 static const VMStateDescription vmstate_bmdma = {
     .name = "ide bmdma",
     .version_id = 3,
     .minimum_version_id = 0,
     .minimum_version_id_old = 0,
+    .pre_save  = ide_bmdma_pre_save,
     .fields      = (VMStateField []) {
         VMSTATE_UINT8(cmd, BMDMAState),
-        VMSTATE_UINT8(status, BMDMAState),
+        VMSTATE_UINT8(migration_compat_status, BMDMAState),
         VMSTATE_UINT32(addr, BMDMAState),
         VMSTATE_INT64(sector_num, BMDMAState),
         VMSTATE_UINT32(nsector, BMDMAState),
@@ -385,6 +439,9 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_bmdma = {
             .vmsd = &vmstate_bmdma_current,
             .needed = ide_bmdma_current_needed,
         }, {
+            .vmsd = &vmstate_bmdma_status,
+            .needed = ide_bmdma_status_needed,
+        }, {
             /* empty */
         }
     }
@@ -399,7 +456,9 @@ static int ide_pci_post_load(void *opaque, int version_id)
         /* current versions always store 0/1, but older version
            stored bigger values. We only need last bit */
         d->bmdma[i].unit &= 1;
+        ide_bmdma_post_load(&d->bmdma[i], -1);
     }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/ide/pci.h b/hw/ide/pci.h
index cd72cba..b4f3691 100644
--- a/hw/ide/pci.h
+++ b/hw/ide/pci.h
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ typedef struct BMDMAState {
     IORange addr_ioport;
     QEMUBH *bh;
     qemu_irq irq;
+
+    /* Bit 0-2 and 7:   BM status register
+     * Bit 3-6:         bus->error_status */
+    uint8_t migration_compat_status;
 } BMDMAState;
 
 typedef struct PCIIDEState {
