diff --git a/block/qcow2.h b/block/qcow2.h
index a5b24f4eec..a67e6a7d7c 100644
--- a/block/qcow2.h
+++ b/block/qcow2.h
@@ -738,7 +738,8 @@ Qcow2BitmapInfoList *qcow2_get_bitmap_info_list(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                                 Error **errp);
 int qcow2_reopen_bitmaps_rw(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
 int qcow2_truncate_bitmaps_check(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
-void qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
+void qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                          bool release_stored, Error **errp);
 int qcow2_reopen_bitmaps_ro(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp);
 bool qcow2_can_store_new_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                       const char *name,
diff --git a/block/qcow2-bitmap.c b/block/qcow2-bitmap.c
index fbeee37243..a636dc50ca 100644
--- a/block/qcow2-bitmap.c
+++ b/block/qcow2-bitmap.c
@@ -1432,7 +1432,32 @@ fail:
     bitmap_list_free(bm_list);
 }
 
-void qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp)
+/*
+ * qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps
+ *
+ * Stores persistent BdrvDirtyBitmap objects.
+ *
+ * @release_stored: if true, release BdrvDirtyBitmap's after storing to the
+ * image. This is used in two cases, both via qcow2_inactivate:
+ * 1. bdrv_close: It's correct to remove bitmaps on close.
+ * 2. migration: If bitmaps are migrated through migration channel via
+ *    'dirty-bitmaps' migration capability they are not handled by this code.
+ *    Otherwise, it's OK to drop BdrvDirtyBitmap's and reload them on
+ *    invalidation.
+ *
+ * Anyway, it's correct to remove BdrvDirtyBitmap's on inactivation, as
+ * inactivation means that we lose control on disk, and therefore on bitmaps,
+ * we should sync them and do not touch more.
+ *
+ * Contrariwise, we don't want to release any bitmaps on just reopen-to-ro,
+ * when we need to store them, as image is still under our control, and it's
+ * good to keep all the bitmaps in read-only mode. Moreover, keeping them
+ * read-only is correct because this is what would happen if we opened the node
+ * readonly to begin with, and whether we opened directly or reopened to that
+ * state shouldn't matter for the state we get afterward.
+ */
+void qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs,
+                                          bool release_stored, Error **errp)
 {
     BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap;
     BDRVQcow2State *s = bs->opaque;
@@ -1545,20 +1570,14 @@ void qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp)
         g_free(tb);
     }
 
-    QSIMPLEQ_FOREACH(bm, bm_list, entry) {
-        /* For safety, we remove bitmap after storing.
-         * We may be here in two cases:
-         * 1. bdrv_close. It's ok to drop bitmap.
-         * 2. inactivation. It means migration without 'dirty-bitmaps'
-         *    capability, so bitmaps are not marked with
-         *    BdrvDirtyBitmap.migration flags. It's not bad to drop them too,
-         *    and reload on invalidation.
-         */
-        if (bm->dirty_bitmap == NULL) {
-            continue;
-        }
+    if (release_stored) {
+        QSIMPLEQ_FOREACH(bm, bm_list, entry) {
+            if (bm->dirty_bitmap == NULL) {
+                continue;
+            }
 
-        bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(bs, bm->dirty_bitmap);
+            bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(bs, bm->dirty_bitmap);
+        }
     }
 
 success:
@@ -1586,7 +1605,7 @@ int qcow2_reopen_bitmaps_ro(BlockDriverState *bs, Error **errp)
     BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-    qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(bs, &local_err);
+    qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(bs, false, &local_err);
     if (local_err != NULL) {
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/block/qcow2.c b/block/qcow2.c
index 039bdc2f7e..5c1187e2f9 100644
--- a/block/qcow2.c
+++ b/block/qcow2.c
@@ -2356,7 +2356,7 @@ static int qcow2_inactivate(BlockDriverState *bs)
     int ret, result = 0;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-    qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(bs, &local_err);
+    qcow2_store_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(bs, true, &local_err);
     if (local_err != NULL) {
         result = -EINVAL;
         error_reportf_err(local_err, "Lost persistent bitmaps during "
