diff --git a/migration/colo.c b/migration/colo.c
index 89325952c7..dbe2b88807 100644
--- a/migration/colo.c
+++ b/migration/colo.c
@@ -267,7 +267,11 @@ COLOStatus *qmp_query_colo_status(Error **errp)
         s->reason = COLO_EXIT_REASON_REQUEST;
         break;
     default:
-        s->reason = COLO_EXIT_REASON_ERROR;
+        if (migration_in_colo_state()) {
+            s->reason = COLO_EXIT_REASON_PROCESSING;
+        } else {
+            s->reason = COLO_EXIT_REASON_ERROR;
+        }
     }
 
     return s;
@@ -579,16 +583,13 @@ out:
      * or the user triggered failover.
      */
     switch (failover_get_state()) {
-    case FAILOVER_STATUS_NONE:
-        qapi_event_send_colo_exit(COLO_MODE_PRIMARY,
-                                  COLO_EXIT_REASON_ERROR);
-        break;
     case FAILOVER_STATUS_COMPLETED:
         qapi_event_send_colo_exit(COLO_MODE_PRIMARY,
                                   COLO_EXIT_REASON_REQUEST);
         break;
     default:
-        abort();
+        qapi_event_send_colo_exit(COLO_MODE_PRIMARY,
+                                  COLO_EXIT_REASON_ERROR);
     }
 
     /* Hope this not to be too long to wait here */
@@ -850,17 +851,18 @@ out:
         error_report_err(local_err);
     }
 
+    /*
+     * There are only two reasons we can get here, some error happened
+     * or the user triggered failover.
+     */
     switch (failover_get_state()) {
-    case FAILOVER_STATUS_NONE:
-        qapi_event_send_colo_exit(COLO_MODE_SECONDARY,
-                                  COLO_EXIT_REASON_ERROR);
-        break;
     case FAILOVER_STATUS_COMPLETED:
         qapi_event_send_colo_exit(COLO_MODE_SECONDARY,
                                   COLO_EXIT_REASON_REQUEST);
         break;
     default:
-        abort();
+        qapi_event_send_colo_exit(COLO_MODE_SECONDARY,
+                                  COLO_EXIT_REASON_ERROR);
     }
 
     if (fb) {
diff --git a/qapi/migration.json b/qapi/migration.json
index 0a85aadd15..e383951765 100644
--- a/qapi/migration.json
+++ b/qapi/migration.json
@@ -1038,19 +1038,22 @@
 ##
 # @COLOExitReason:
 #
-# The reason for a COLO exit
+# The reason for a COLO exit.
 #
-# @none: no failover has ever happened. This can't occur in the
-# COLO_EXIT event, only in the result of query-colo-status.
+# @none: failover has never happened. This state does not occur
+# in the COLO_EXIT event, and is only visible in the result of
+# query-colo-status.
 #
-# @request: COLO exit is due to an external request
+# @request: COLO exit is due to an external request.
 #
-# @error: COLO exit is due to an internal error
+# @error: COLO exit is due to an internal error.
+#
+# @processing: COLO is currently handling a failover (since 4.0).
 #
 # Since: 3.1
 ##
 { 'enum': 'COLOExitReason',
-  'data': [ 'none', 'request', 'error' ] }
+  'data': [ 'none', 'request', 'error' , 'processing' ] }
 
 ##
 # @x-colo-lost-heartbeat: