diff --git a/block/backup.c b/block/backup.c
index e334740161..792e65514b 100644
--- a/block/backup.c
+++ b/block/backup.c
@@ -227,9 +227,25 @@ static BlockErrorAction backup_error_action(BackupBlockJob *job,
     }
 }
 
+typedef struct {
+    int ret;
+} BackupCompleteData;
+
+static void backup_complete(BlockJob *job, void *opaque)
+{
+    BackupBlockJob *s = container_of(job, BackupBlockJob, common);
+    BackupCompleteData *data = opaque;
+
+    bdrv_unref(s->target);
+
+    block_job_completed(job, data->ret);
+    g_free(data);
+}
+
 static void coroutine_fn backup_run(void *opaque)
 {
     BackupBlockJob *job = opaque;
+    BackupCompleteData *data;
     BlockDriverState *bs = job->common.bs;
     BlockDriverState *target = job->target;
     BlockdevOnError on_target_error = job->on_target_error;
@@ -344,9 +360,10 @@ static void coroutine_fn backup_run(void *opaque)
     hbitmap_free(job->bitmap);
 
     bdrv_iostatus_disable(target);
-    bdrv_unref(target);
 
-    block_job_completed(&job->common, ret);
+    data = g_malloc(sizeof(*data));
+    data->ret = ret;
+    block_job_defer_to_main_loop(&job->common, backup_complete, data);
 }
 
 void backup_start(BlockDriverState *bs, BlockDriverState *target,
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 774051b44a..9c6898833b 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -2108,6 +2108,7 @@ void qmp_drive_backup(const char *device, const char *target,
     BlockDriverState *bs;
     BlockDriverState *target_bs;
     BlockDriverState *source = NULL;
+    AioContext *aio_context;
     BlockDriver *drv = NULL;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     int flags;
@@ -2133,9 +2134,12 @@ void qmp_drive_backup(const char *device, const char *target,
         return;
     }
 
+    aio_context = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs);
+    aio_context_acquire(aio_context);
+
     if (!bdrv_is_inserted(bs)) {
         error_set(errp, QERR_DEVICE_HAS_NO_MEDIUM, device);
-        return;
+        goto out;
     }
 
     if (!has_format) {
@@ -2145,12 +2149,12 @@ void qmp_drive_backup(const char *device, const char *target,
         drv = bdrv_find_format(format);
         if (!drv) {
             error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_BLOCK_FORMAT, format);
-            return;
+            goto out;
         }
     }
 
     if (bdrv_op_is_blocked(bs, BLOCK_OP_TYPE_BACKUP_SOURCE, errp)) {
-        return;
+        goto out;
     }
 
     flags = bs->open_flags | BDRV_O_RDWR;
@@ -2170,7 +2174,7 @@ void qmp_drive_backup(const char *device, const char *target,
     size = bdrv_getlength(bs);
     if (size < 0) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, -size, "bdrv_getlength failed");
-        return;
+        goto out;
     }
 
     if (mode != NEW_IMAGE_MODE_EXISTING) {
@@ -2187,23 +2191,28 @@ void qmp_drive_backup(const char *device, const char *target,
 
     if (local_err) {
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        return;
+        goto out;
     }
 
     target_bs = NULL;
     ret = bdrv_open(&target_bs, target, NULL, NULL, flags, drv, &local_err);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        return;
+        goto out;
     }
 
+    bdrv_set_aio_context(target_bs, aio_context);
+
     backup_start(bs, target_bs, speed, sync, on_source_error, on_target_error,
                  block_job_cb, bs, &local_err);
     if (local_err != NULL) {
         bdrv_unref(target_bs);
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        return;
+        goto out;
     }
+
+out:
+    aio_context_release(aio_context);
 }
 
 BlockDeviceInfoList *qmp_query_named_block_nodes(Error **errp)