diff --git a/hw/xen/xen-bus.c b/hw/xen/xen-bus.c
index e40500242d..62c127b926 100644
--- a/hw/xen/xen-bus.c
+++ b/hw/xen/xen-bus.c
@@ -516,6 +516,23 @@ static void xen_device_backend_set_online(XenDevice *xendev, bool online)
     xen_device_backend_printf(xendev, "online", "%u", online);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Tell from the state whether the frontend is likely alive,
+ * i.e. it will react to a change of state of the backend.
+ */
+static bool xen_device_state_is_active(enum xenbus_state state)
+{
+    switch (state) {
+    case XenbusStateInitWait:
+    case XenbusStateInitialised:
+    case XenbusStateConnected:
+    case XenbusStateClosing:
+        return true;
+    default:
+        return false;
+    }
+}
+
 static void xen_device_backend_changed(void *opaque)
 {
     XenDevice *xendev = opaque;
@@ -539,11 +556,11 @@ static void xen_device_backend_changed(void *opaque)
 
     /*
      * If the toolstack (or unplug request callback) has set the backend
-     * state to Closing, but there is no active frontend (i.e. the
-     * state is not Connected) then set the backend state to Closed.
+     * state to Closing, but there is no active frontend then set the
+     * backend state to Closed.
      */
     if (xendev->backend_state == XenbusStateClosing &&
-        xendev->frontend_state != XenbusStateConnected) {
+        !xen_device_state_is_active(state)) {
         xen_device_backend_set_state(xendev, XenbusStateClosed);
     }