diff --git a/src/conf/backup_conf.h b/src/conf/backup_conf.h
index bda2bdcfe4..2902f39fb7 100644
--- a/src/conf/backup_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/backup_conf.h
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ struct _virDomainBackupDef {
     unsigned long long pull_tmp_total;
 
     char *errmsg; /* error message of failed sub-blockjob */
+
+    unsigned int apiFlags; /* original flags used when starting the job */
 };
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_backup.c b/src/qemu/qemu_backup.c
index 6ce29c28e1..f6096f643f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_backup.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_backup.c
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ qemuBackupJobTerminate(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
     size_t i;
 
-    if (!(priv->job.apiFlags & VIR_DOMAIN_BACKUP_BEGIN_REUSE_EXTERNAL) &&
+    if (!(priv->backup->apiFlags & VIR_DOMAIN_BACKUP_BEGIN_REUSE_EXTERNAL) &&
         (priv->backup->type == VIR_DOMAIN_BACKUP_TYPE_PULL ||
          (priv->backup->type == VIR_DOMAIN_BACKUP_TYPE_PUSH &&
           jobstatus != QEMU_DOMAIN_JOB_STATUS_COMPLETED))) {
@@ -766,6 +766,8 @@ qemuBackupBegin(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     if (def->type == VIR_DOMAIN_BACKUP_TYPE_PULL)
         pull = true;
 
+    def->apiFlags = flags;
+
     /* we'll treat this kind of backup job as an asyncjob as it uses some of the
      * infrastructure for async jobs. We'll allow standard modify-type jobs
      * as the interlocking of conflicting operations is handled on the block
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 89ede27751..971a270793 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@
 #include "virthreadjob.h"
 #include "virutil.h"
 #include "storage_source.h"
+#include "backup_conf.h"
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_QEMU
 
@@ -8315,12 +8316,14 @@ qemuProcessReconnect(void *opaque)
     g_clear_object(&data->identity);
     VIR_FREE(data);
 
+    cfg = virQEMUDriverGetConfig(driver);
+    priv = obj->privateData;
+
     qemuDomainObjRestoreJob(obj, &oldjob);
     if (oldjob.asyncJob == QEMU_ASYNC_JOB_MIGRATION_IN)
         stopFlags |= VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_STOP_MIGRATED;
-
-    cfg = virQEMUDriverGetConfig(driver);
-    priv = obj->privateData;
+    if (oldjob.asyncJob == QEMU_ASYNC_JOB_BACKUP && priv->backup)
+        priv->backup->apiFlags = oldjob.apiFlags;
 
     /* expect that libvirt might have crashed during VM start, so prevent
      * cleanup of transient disks */