diff --git a/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c b/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c
index 3b72cad6c1..cbd91719ae 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ void migrate_set_capability(QTestState *who, const char *capability,
                              capability, value);
 }
 
-void migrate_incoming_qmp(QTestState *to, const char *uri, const char *fmt, ...)
+void migrate_incoming_qmp(QTestState *to, const char *uri,
+                          const char *channels, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
     va_list ap;
     QDict *args, *rsp, *data;
@@ -255,7 +256,15 @@ void migrate_incoming_qmp(QTestState *to, const char *uri, const char *fmt, ...)
     va_end(ap);
 
     g_assert(!qdict_haskey(args, "uri"));
-    qdict_put_str(args, "uri", uri);
+    if (uri) {
+        qdict_put_str(args, "uri", uri);
+    }
+
+    g_assert(!qdict_haskey(args, "channels"));
+    if (channels) {
+        QObject *channels_obj = qobject_from_json(channels, &error_abort);
+        qdict_put_obj(args, "channels", channels_obj);
+    }
 
     migrate_set_capability(to, "events", true);
 
diff --git a/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.h b/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.h
index 1339835698..9f74281aea 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.h
+++ b/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.h
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ G_GNUC_PRINTF(5, 6)
 void migrate_qmp(QTestState *who, QTestState *to, const char *uri,
                  const char *channels, const char *fmt, ...);
 
-G_GNUC_PRINTF(3, 4)
+G_GNUC_PRINTF(4, 5)
 void migrate_incoming_qmp(QTestState *who, const char *uri,
-                          const char *fmt, ...);
+                          const char *channels, const char *fmt, ...);
 
 G_GNUC_PRINTF(4, 5)
 void migrate_qmp_fail(QTestState *who, const char *uri,
diff --git a/tests/qtest/migration-test.c b/tests/qtest/migration-test.c
index f2c27d611c..fa8a860811 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/migration-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/migration-test.c
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ static int migrate_postcopy_prepare(QTestState **from_ptr,
     migrate_ensure_non_converge(from);
 
     migrate_prepare_for_dirty_mem(from);
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", NULL, "{}");
 
     /* Wait for the first serial output from the source */
     wait_for_serial("src_serial");
@@ -1824,7 +1824,7 @@ static void test_file_common(MigrateCommon *args, bool stop_src)
      * We need to wait for the source to finish before starting the
      * destination.
      */
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, args->connect_uri, "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, args->connect_uri, NULL, "{}");
     wait_for_migration_complete(to);
 
     if (stop_src) {
@@ -2405,7 +2405,7 @@ static void *test_migrate_fd_start_hook(QTestState *from,
     close(pair[0]);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "fd:fd-mig", "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "fd:fd-mig", NULL, "{}");
 
     /* Send the 2nd socket to the target */
     qtest_qmp_fds_assert_success(from, &pair[1], 1,
@@ -2715,7 +2715,7 @@ test_migrate_precopy_tcp_multifd_start_common(QTestState *from,
     migrate_set_capability(to, "multifd", true);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", NULL, "{}");
 
     return NULL;
 }
@@ -3040,7 +3040,7 @@ static void test_multifd_tcp_cancel(void)
     migrate_set_capability(to, "multifd", true);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", NULL, "{}");
 
     /* Wait for the first serial output from the source */
     wait_for_serial("src_serial");
@@ -3068,7 +3068,7 @@ static void test_multifd_tcp_cancel(void)
     migrate_set_capability(to2, "multifd", true);
 
     /* Start incoming migration from the 1st socket */
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(to2, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(to2, "tcp:127.0.0.1:0", NULL, "{}");
 
     wait_for_migration_status(from, "cancelled", NULL);
 
diff --git a/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c b/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
index 73dfabc272..e263ecd80e 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/virtio-net-failover.c
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ static void test_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, NULL, "{}");
 
     resp = get_failover_negociated_event(qts);
     g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "device-id"), ==, "standby0");
@@ -894,7 +894,7 @@ static void test_off_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, NULL, "{}");
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, true, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -1021,7 +1021,7 @@ static void test_guest_off_migrate_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
 
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, NULL, "{}");
 
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby0", MAC_STANDBY0);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary0", MAC_PRIMARY0);
@@ -1746,7 +1746,7 @@ static void test_multi_in(gconstpointer opaque)
     check_one_card(qts, true, "standby1", MAC_STANDBY1);
     check_one_card(qts, false, "primary1", MAC_PRIMARY1);
 
-    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, "{}");
+    migrate_incoming_qmp(qts, uri, NULL, "{}");
 
     resp = get_failover_negociated_event(qts);
     g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(resp, "device-id"), ==, "standby0");
