diff --git a/migration.c b/migration.c
index 41c3c24e09..6764d3a44c 100644
--- a/migration.c
+++ b/migration.c
@@ -398,6 +398,18 @@ static MigrationState *migrate_init(Monitor *mon, int detach, int blk, int inc)
     return s;
 }
 
+static GSList *migration_blockers;
+
+void migrate_add_blocker(Error *reason)
+{
+    migration_blockers = g_slist_prepend(migration_blockers, reason);
+}
+
+void migrate_del_blocker(Error *reason)
+{
+    migration_blockers = g_slist_remove(migration_blockers, reason);
+}
+
 int do_migrate(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
 {
     MigrationState *s = migrate_get_current();
@@ -417,6 +429,12 @@ int do_migrate(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (migration_blockers) {
+        Error *err = migration_blockers->data;
+        qerror_report_err(err);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     s = migrate_init(mon, detach, blk, inc);
 
     if (strstart(uri, "tcp:", &p)) {
diff --git a/migration.h b/migration.h
index 1b8ee58530..0682179bde 100644
--- a/migration.h
+++ b/migration.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "qdict.h"
 #include "qemu-common.h"
 #include "notify.h"
+#include "error.h"
 
 typedef struct MigrationState MigrationState;
 
@@ -89,4 +90,18 @@ int ram_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id);
 
 extern int incoming_expected;
 
+/**
+ * @migrate_add_blocker - prevent migration from proceeding
+ *
+ * @reason - an error to be returned whenever migration is attempted
+ */
+void migrate_add_blocker(Error *reason);
+
+/**
+ * @migrate_del_blocker - remove a blocking error from migration
+ *
+ * @reason - the error blocking migration
+ */
+void migrate_del_blocker(Error *reason);
+
 #endif