diff --git a/migration-tcp.c b/migration-tcp.c
index 78337a3..e8bc76a 100644
--- a/migration-tcp.c
+++ b/migration-tcp.c
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ int tcp_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *host_port,
 
     s->fd = inet_nonblocking_connect(host_port, tcp_wait_for_connect, s, &local_err);
     if (local_err != NULL) {
-        migrate_fd_error(s);
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/migration-unix.c b/migration-unix.c
index 169de88..d349662 100644
--- a/migration-unix.c
+++ b/migration-unix.c
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ int unix_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *path)
 
     if (ret < 0) {
         DPRINTF("connect failed\n");
-        migrate_fd_error(s);
         return ret;
     }
     migrate_fd_connect(s);
diff --git a/migration.c b/migration.c
index 8a04174..a56358e 100644
--- a/migration.c
+++ b/migration.c
@@ -522,6 +522,7 @@ void qmp_migrate(const char *uri, bool has_blk, bool blk,
     }
 
     if (ret < 0 || local_err) {
+        migrate_fd_error(s);
         if (!local_err) {
             error_set_errno(errp, -ret, QERR_UNDEFINED_ERROR);
         } else {