diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index e8834991ec..5f937a2762 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -2069,12 +2069,9 @@ static int loadvm_postcopy_handle_resume(MigrationIncomingState *mis)
 
     /*
      * This means source VM is ready to resume the postcopy migration.
-     * It's time to switch state and release the fault thread to
-     * continue service page faults.
      */
     migrate_set_state(&mis->state, MIGRATION_STATUS_POSTCOPY_RECOVER,
                       MIGRATION_STATUS_POSTCOPY_ACTIVE);
-    qemu_sem_post(&mis->postcopy_pause_sem_fault);
 
     trace_loadvm_postcopy_handle_resume();
 
@@ -2095,6 +2092,14 @@ static int loadvm_postcopy_handle_resume(MigrationIncomingState *mis)
      */
     migrate_send_rp_req_pages_pending(mis);
 
+    /*
+     * It's time to switch state and release the fault thread to continue
+     * service page faults.  Note that this should be explicitly after the
+     * above call to migrate_send_rp_req_pages_pending().  In short:
+     * migrate_send_rp_message_req_pages() is not thread safe, yet.
+     */
+    qemu_sem_post(&mis->postcopy_pause_sem_fault);
+
     return 0;
 }