diff --git a/migration/multifd.c b/migration/multifd.c
index 8195c1daf3..515d88e04b 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.c
+++ b/migration/multifd.c
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ static void multifd_send_terminate_threads(void)
             qemu_thread_join(&p->tls_thread);
         }
 
-        if (p->running) {
+        if (p->thread_created) {
             qemu_thread_join(&p->thread);
         }
     }
@@ -862,7 +862,6 @@ out:
         error_free(local_err);
     }
 
-    p->running = false;
     rcu_unregister_thread();
     migration_threads_remove(thread);
     trace_multifd_send_thread_end(p->id, p->packets_sent, p->total_normal_pages);
@@ -953,6 +952,8 @@ static bool multifd_channel_connect(MultiFDSendParams *p,
     migration_ioc_register_yank(ioc);
     p->registered_yank = true;
     p->c = ioc;
+
+    p->thread_created = true;
     qemu_thread_create(&p->thread, p->name, multifd_send_thread, p,
                        QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
     return true;
@@ -967,7 +968,6 @@ static void multifd_new_send_channel_async(QIOTask *task, gpointer opaque)
     trace_multifd_new_send_channel_async(p->id);
     if (!qio_task_propagate_error(task, &local_err)) {
         qio_channel_set_delay(ioc, false);
-        p->running = true;
         if (multifd_channel_connect(p, ioc, &local_err)) {
             return;
         }
@@ -1128,15 +1128,15 @@ void multifd_recv_cleanup(void)
     for (i = 0; i < migrate_multifd_channels(); i++) {
         MultiFDRecvParams *p = &multifd_recv_state->params[i];
 
-        if (p->running) {
-            /*
-             * multifd_recv_thread may hung at MULTIFD_FLAG_SYNC handle code,
-             * however try to wakeup it without harm in cleanup phase.
-             */
-            qemu_sem_post(&p->sem_sync);
-        }
+        /*
+         * multifd_recv_thread may hung at MULTIFD_FLAG_SYNC handle code,
+         * however try to wakeup it without harm in cleanup phase.
+         */
+        qemu_sem_post(&p->sem_sync);
 
-        qemu_thread_join(&p->thread);
+        if (p->thread_created) {
+            qemu_thread_join(&p->thread);
+        }
     }
     for (i = 0; i < migrate_multifd_channels(); i++) {
         multifd_recv_cleanup_channel(&multifd_recv_state->params[i]);
@@ -1222,9 +1222,6 @@ static void *multifd_recv_thread(void *opaque)
         multifd_recv_terminate_threads(local_err);
         error_free(local_err);
     }
-    qemu_mutex_lock(&p->mutex);
-    p->running = false;
-    qemu_mutex_unlock(&p->mutex);
 
     rcu_unregister_thread();
     trace_multifd_recv_thread_end(p->id, p->packets_recved, p->total_normal_pages);
@@ -1330,7 +1327,7 @@ void multifd_recv_new_channel(QIOChannel *ioc, Error **errp)
     p->c = ioc;
     object_ref(OBJECT(ioc));
 
-    p->running = true;
+    p->thread_created = true;
     qemu_thread_create(&p->thread, p->name, multifd_recv_thread, p,
                        QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
     qatomic_inc(&multifd_recv_state->count);
diff --git a/migration/multifd.h b/migration/multifd.h
index 720c9d50db..7881980ee6 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.h
+++ b/migration/multifd.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ typedef struct {
     char *name;
     /* channel thread id */
     QemuThread thread;
+    bool thread_created;
     QemuThread tls_thread;
     bool tls_thread_created;
     /* communication channel */
@@ -93,8 +94,6 @@ typedef struct {
     /* syncs main thread and channels */
     QemuSemaphore sem_sync;
 
-    /* is this channel thread running */
-    bool running;
     /* multifd flags for each packet */
     uint32_t flags;
     /*
@@ -143,6 +142,7 @@ typedef struct {
     char *name;
     /* channel thread id */
     QemuThread thread;
+    bool thread_created;
     /* communication channel */
     QIOChannel *c;
     /* packet allocated len */
@@ -157,8 +157,6 @@ typedef struct {
 
     /* this mutex protects the following parameters */
     QemuMutex mutex;
-    /* is this channel thread running */
-    bool running;
     /* should this thread finish */
     bool quit;
     /* multifd flags for each packet */
@@ -217,4 +215,3 @@ static inline void multifd_send_prepare_header(MultiFDSendParams *p)
 
 
 #endif
-
