diff --git a/migration/colo.c b/migration/colo.c
index 84632a603e..5600a43d78 100644
--- a/migration/colo.c
+++ b/migration/colo.c
@@ -835,6 +835,16 @@ static void *colo_process_incoming_thread(void *opaque)
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    /* Make sure all file formats throw away their mutable metadata */
+    bql_lock();
+    bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
+    if (local_err) {
+        bql_unlock();
+        error_report_err(local_err);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    bql_unlock();
+
     failover_init_state();
 
     mis->to_src_file = qemu_file_get_return_path(mis->from_src_file);
@@ -922,7 +932,6 @@ out:
 int coroutine_fn colo_incoming_co(void)
 {
     MigrationIncomingState *mis = migration_incoming_get_current();
-    Error *local_err = NULL;
     QemuThread th;
 
     assert(bql_locked());
@@ -931,13 +940,6 @@ int coroutine_fn colo_incoming_co(void)
         return 0;
     }
 
-    /* Make sure all file formats throw away their mutable metadata */
-    bdrv_activate_all(&local_err);
-    if (local_err) {
-        error_report_err(local_err);
-        return -EINVAL;
-    }
-
     qemu_thread_create(&th, "COLO incoming", colo_process_incoming_thread,
                        mis, QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);