diff --git a/src/hypervisor/domain_job.c b/src/hypervisor/domain_job.c
index 49867c3982..5939d93e47 100644
--- a/src/hypervisor/domain_job.c
+++ b/src/hypervisor/domain_job.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virDomainJob,
               "modify",
               "abort",
               "migration operation",
+              "modify migration safe",
               "none",   /* async job is never stored in job.active */
               "async nested",
 );
diff --git a/src/hypervisor/domain_job.h b/src/hypervisor/domain_job.h
index fce35ffbf5..30f950ec23 100644
--- a/src/hypervisor/domain_job.h
+++ b/src/hypervisor/domain_job.h
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ typedef enum {
     VIR_JOB_MODIFY,        /* May change state */
     VIR_JOB_ABORT,         /* Abort current async job */
     VIR_JOB_MIGRATION_OP,  /* Operation influencing outgoing migration */
+    VIR_JOB_MODIFY_MIGRATION_SAFE, /* Internal only job for event handlers which
+                                      need to be processed even during migration.
+                                      The code may only change state in a way
+                                      that does not affect migration. */
 
     /* The following two items must always be the last items before JOB_LAST */
     VIR_JOB_ASYNC,         /* Asynchronous job */
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 761cf3ce8d..341395ac6d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ qemuMigrationJobStart(virQEMUDriver *driver,
                JOB_MASK(VIR_JOB_SUSPEND) |
                JOB_MASK(VIR_JOB_MIGRATION_OP);
     }
+    mask |= JOB_MASK(VIR_JOB_MODIFY_MIGRATION_SAFE);
 
     if (qemuDomainObjBeginAsyncJob(driver, vm, job, op, apiFlags) < 0)
         return -1;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 8a98c03395..e53f7c9c79 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -3472,6 +3472,7 @@ qemuProcessRestoreMigrationJob(virDomainObj *vm,
         op = VIR_DOMAIN_JOB_OPERATION_MIGRATION_OUT;
         allowedJobs = VIR_JOB_DEFAULT_MASK | JOB_MASK(VIR_JOB_MIGRATION_OP);
     }
+    allowedJobs |= JOB_MASK(VIR_JOB_MODIFY_MIGRATION_SAFE);
 
     qemuDomainObjRestoreAsyncJob(vm, job->asyncJob, job->phase,
                                  job->asyncStarted, op,
@@ -3834,6 +3835,12 @@ qemuProcessRecoverJob(virQEMUDriver *driver,
          */
         break;
 
+    case VIR_JOB_MODIFY_MIGRATION_SAFE:
+        /* event handlers, the reconnection code already handles them as we
+         * might as well just missed the event while we were not running
+         */
+        break;
+
     case VIR_JOB_MIGRATION_OP:
     case VIR_JOB_ABORT:
     case VIR_JOB_ASYNC: