diff --git a/block/qcow2-cluster.c b/block/qcow2-cluster.c
index 08ecb4ca0c..5afcd72f5a 100644
--- a/block/qcow2-cluster.c
+++ b/block/qcow2-cluster.c
@@ -1957,7 +1957,6 @@ static int zero_in_l2_slice(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
     int l2_index;
     int ret;
     int i;
-    bool unmap = !!(flags & BDRV_REQ_MAY_UNMAP);
 
     ret = get_cluster_table(bs, offset, &l2_slice, &l2_index);
     if (ret < 0) {
@@ -1969,28 +1968,31 @@ static int zero_in_l2_slice(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
     assert(nb_clusters <= INT_MAX);
 
     for (i = 0; i < nb_clusters; i++) {
-        uint64_t old_offset;
-        QCow2ClusterType cluster_type;
+        uint64_t old_l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
+        uint64_t old_l2_bitmap = get_l2_bitmap(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
+        QCow2ClusterType type = qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, old_l2_entry);
+        bool unmap = (type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_COMPRESSED) ||
+            ((flags & BDRV_REQ_MAY_UNMAP) && qcow2_cluster_is_allocated(type));
+        uint64_t new_l2_entry = unmap ? 0 : old_l2_entry;
+        uint64_t new_l2_bitmap = old_l2_bitmap;
 
-        old_offset = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
+        if (has_subclusters(s)) {
+            new_l2_bitmap = QCOW_L2_BITMAP_ALL_ZEROES;
+        } else {
+            new_l2_entry |= QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO;
+        }
 
-        /*
-         * Minimize L2 changes if the cluster already reads back as
-         * zeroes with correct allocation.
-         */
-        cluster_type = qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, old_offset);
-        if (cluster_type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_ZERO_PLAIN ||
-            (cluster_type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_ZERO_ALLOC && !unmap)) {
+        if (old_l2_entry == new_l2_entry && old_l2_bitmap == new_l2_bitmap) {
             continue;
         }
 
         qcow2_cache_entry_mark_dirty(s->l2_table_cache, l2_slice);
-        if (cluster_type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_COMPRESSED || unmap) {
-            set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
-            qcow2_free_any_clusters(bs, old_offset, 1, QCOW2_DISCARD_REQUEST);
-        } else {
-            uint64_t entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
-            set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, entry | QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
+        if (unmap) {
+            qcow2_free_any_clusters(bs, old_l2_entry, 1, QCOW2_DISCARD_REQUEST);
+        }
+        set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, new_l2_entry);
+        if (has_subclusters(s)) {
+            set_l2_bitmap(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, new_l2_bitmap);
         }
     }