diff --git a/include/migration/vmstate.h b/include/migration/vmstate.h
index a1dfab4460..1ff7bd9ac4 100644
--- a/include/migration/vmstate.h
+++ b/include/migration/vmstate.h
@@ -155,7 +155,11 @@ enum VMStateFlags {
 };
 
 typedef enum {
-    MIG_PRI_DEFAULT = 0,
+    MIG_PRI_UNINITIALIZED = 0,  /* An uninitialized priority field maps to */
+                                /* MIG_PRI_DEFAULT in save_state_priority */
+
+    MIG_PRI_LOW,                /* Must happen after default */
+    MIG_PRI_DEFAULT,
     MIG_PRI_IOMMU,              /* Must happen before PCI devices */
     MIG_PRI_PCI_BUS,            /* Must happen before IOMMU */
     MIG_PRI_VIRTIO_MEM,         /* Must happen before IOMMU */
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index 52105dd2f1..bb04a4520d 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ typedef struct SaveState {
 
 static SaveState savevm_state = {
     .handlers = QTAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(savevm_state.handlers),
-    .handler_pri_head = { [MIG_PRI_DEFAULT ... MIG_PRI_MAX] = NULL },
+    .handler_pri_head = { [0 ... MIG_PRI_MAX] = NULL },
     .global_section_id = 0,
 };
 
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ static int calculate_compat_instance_id(const char *idstr)
 
 static inline MigrationPriority save_state_priority(SaveStateEntry *se)
 {
-    if (se->vmsd) {
+    if (se->vmsd && se->vmsd->priority) {
         return se->vmsd->priority;
     }
     return MIG_PRI_DEFAULT;