diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 76bcb70a56..b05b1c9647 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -1795,7 +1795,7 @@ qemuGetMemoryBackingPath(qemuDomainObjPrivate *priv,
 
 
 /* This is the old way of setting up per-domain directories */
-static void
+static int
 qemuDomainSetPrivatePathsOld(virQEMUDriver *driver,
                              virDomainObj *vm)
 {
@@ -1808,6 +1808,13 @@ qemuDomainSetPrivatePathsOld(virQEMUDriver *driver,
     if (!priv->channelTargetDir)
         priv->channelTargetDir = g_strdup_printf("%s/domain-%s",
                                                  cfg->channelTargetDir, vm->def->name);
+
+    if (!priv->memoryBackingDir &&
+        qemuGetMemoryBackingDomainPath(priv, vm->def,
+                                       &priv->memoryBackingDir) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -1829,6 +1836,11 @@ qemuDomainSetPrivatePaths(virQEMUDriver *driver,
         priv->channelTargetDir = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s",
                                                  cfg->channelTargetDir, domname);
 
+    if (!priv->memoryBackingDir &&
+        qemuGetMemoryBackingDomainPath(priv, vm->def,
+                                       &priv->memoryBackingDir) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -3434,7 +3446,8 @@ qemuDomainObjPrivateXMLParse(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
 
     priv->memoryBackingDir = virXPathString("string(./memoryBackingDir/@path)", ctxt);
 
-    qemuDomainSetPrivatePathsOld(driver, vm);
+    if (qemuDomainSetPrivatePathsOld(driver, vm) < 0)
+        return -1;
 
     if (virCPUDefParseXML(ctxt, "./cpu", VIR_CPU_TYPE_GUEST, &priv->origCPU,
                           false) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/backup-pull-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/backup-pull-in.xml
index e7fdc6c478..2cedcc3cf2 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/backup-pull-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/backup-pull-in.xml
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@
   </devices>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-4-copy'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-4-copy'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/4-copy'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-blockdev-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-blockdev-in.xml
index 380ef053d2..1c45fad370 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-blockdev-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-blockdev-in.xml
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@
   </devices>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-4-copy'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-4-copy'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/4-copy'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-mirror-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-mirror-in.xml
index 1bcdeffcb8..df11e83ced 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-mirror-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/blockjob-mirror-in.xml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
   <numad nodeset='0-2' cpuset='1,3'/>
   <libDir path='/tmp'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/1-QEMUGuest1'/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
   <fdset index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-in-params-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-in-params-in.xml
index 03773a089b..861d8eeadb 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-in-params-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-in-params-in.xml
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@
   </job>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-1-nest'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-1-nest'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/1-nest'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-bitmaps-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-bitmaps-in.xml
index 4ee44ffbd4..5d76545513 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-bitmaps-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-bitmaps-in.xml
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@
   </devices>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-11-migr'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-11-migr'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/11-migr'/>
   <cpu mode='custom' match='exact' check='partial'>
     <model fallback='forbid'>EPYC-Rome</model>
     <vendor>AMD</vendor>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-out.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-out.xml
index de92146eaa..581cf28286 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-out.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-out.xml
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@
   <numad nodeset='0' cpuset='0-7'/>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-4-upstream'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-4-upstream'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/4-upstream'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-tls-out.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-tls-out.xml
index 6bdd128259..dacaa3e42f 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-tls-out.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-nbd-tls-out.xml
@@ -286,6 +286,7 @@
   <numad nodeset='0' cpuset='0-7'/>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-3-upstream'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-3-upstream'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/3-upstream'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-params-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-params-in.xml
index 24ee86e4c0..b914236b62 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-params-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/migration-out-params-in.xml
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@
   </devices>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-7-nest'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-7-nest'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/7-nest'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/modern-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/modern-in.xml
index f0f5df84ab..3b3e831759 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/modern-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/modern-in.xml
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@
   <numad nodeset='6' cpuset='0-7'/>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-1-upstream'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-1-upstream'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/1-upstream'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='123'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/upgrade-out.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/upgrade-out.xml
index e663b3dbb5..c7bc7128df 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/upgrade-out.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/upgrade-out.xml
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@
   <numad nodeset='6' cpuset='0-7'/>
   <libDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/domain-1-upstream'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-1-upstream'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/1-upstream'/>
   <chardevStdioLogd/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
diff --git a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/vcpus-multi-in.xml b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/vcpus-multi-in.xml
index fa6a6a99f4..6ee688ce03 100644
--- a/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/vcpus-multi-in.xml
+++ b/tests/qemustatusxml2xmldata/vcpus-multi-in.xml
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@
   <numad nodeset='0-2' cpuset='1,3'/>
   <libDir path='/tmp'/>
   <channelTargetDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target'/>
+  <memoryBackingDir path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/ram/1729-QEMUGuest1'/>
   <allowReboot value='yes'/>
   <nodename index='0'/>
   <fdset index='0'/>