diff --git a/tests/migration-stress/guestperf/engine.py b/tests/migration-stress/guestperf/engine.py
index 608d7270f6..4b15322e8d 100644
--- a/tests/migration-stress/guestperf/engine.py
+++ b/tests/migration-stress/guestperf/engine.py
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ class Engine(object):
             info.get("dirty-limit-ring-full-time", 0),
         )
 
-    def _migrate(self, hardware, scenario, src, dst, connect_uri):
+    def _migrate(self, hardware, scenario, src,
+                 dst, connect_uri, defer_migrate):
         src_qemu_time = []
         src_vcpu_time = []
         src_pid = src.get_pid()
@@ -220,6 +221,8 @@ class Engine(object):
             resp = src.cmd("migrate-set-parameters",
                            vcpu_dirty_limit=scenario._vcpu_dirty_limit)
 
+        if defer_migrate:
+            resp = dst.cmd("migrate-incoming", uri=connect_uri)
         resp = src.cmd("migrate", uri=connect_uri)
 
         post_copy = False
@@ -373,11 +376,14 @@ class Engine(object):
     def _get_src_args(self, hardware):
         return self._get_common_args(hardware)
 
-    def _get_dst_args(self, hardware, uri):
+    def _get_dst_args(self, hardware, uri, defer_migrate):
         tunnelled = False
         if self._dst_host != "localhost":
             tunnelled = True
         argv = self._get_common_args(hardware, tunnelled)
+
+        if defer_migrate:
+            return argv + ["-incoming", "defer"]
         return argv + ["-incoming", uri]
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -424,6 +430,7 @@ class Engine(object):
 
     def run(self, hardware, scenario, result_dir=os.getcwd()):
         abs_result_dir = os.path.join(result_dir, scenario._name)
+        defer_migrate = False
 
         if self._transport == "tcp":
             uri = "tcp:%s:9000" % self._dst_host
@@ -439,6 +446,9 @@ class Engine(object):
             except:
                 pass
 
+        if scenario._multifd:
+            defer_migrate = True
+
         if self._dst_host != "localhost":
             dstmonaddr = ("localhost", 9001)
         else:
@@ -452,7 +462,7 @@ class Engine(object):
                           monitor_address=srcmonaddr)
 
         dst = QEMUMachine(self._binary,
-                          args=self._get_dst_args(hardware, uri),
+                          args=self._get_dst_args(hardware, uri, defer_migrate),
                           wrapper=self._get_dst_wrapper(hardware),
                           name="qemu-dst-%d" % os.getpid(),
                           monitor_address=dstmonaddr)
@@ -461,7 +471,8 @@ class Engine(object):
             src.launch()
             dst.launch()
 
-            ret = self._migrate(hardware, scenario, src, dst, uri)
+            ret = self._migrate(hardware, scenario, src,
+                                dst, uri, defer_migrate)
             progress_history = ret[0]
             qemu_timings = ret[1]
             vcpu_timings = ret[2]