diff --git a/migration/vmstate.c b/migration/vmstate.c
index ef26f26ccd..d19b42630a 100644
--- a/migration/vmstate.c
+++ b/migration/vmstate.c
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
 #include "trace.h"
 
 static int vmstate_subsection_save(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
-                                   void *opaque, JSONWriter *vmdesc);
+                                   void *opaque, JSONWriter *vmdesc,
+                                   Error **errp);
 static int vmstate_subsection_load(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                                    void *opaque);
 
@@ -440,12 +441,13 @@ int vmstate_save_state_v(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
         json_writer_end_array(vmdesc);
     }
 
-    ret = vmstate_subsection_save(f, vmsd, opaque, vmdesc);
+    ret = vmstate_subsection_save(f, vmsd, opaque, vmdesc, errp);
 
     if (vmsd->post_save) {
         int ps_ret = vmsd->post_save(opaque);
-        if (!ret) {
+        if (!ret && ps_ret) {
             ret = ps_ret;
+            error_setg(errp, "post-save failed: %s", vmsd->name);
         }
     }
     return ret;
@@ -517,7 +519,8 @@ static int vmstate_subsection_load(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
 }
 
 static int vmstate_subsection_save(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
-                                   void *opaque, JSONWriter *vmdesc)
+                                   void *opaque, JSONWriter *vmdesc,
+                                   Error **errp)
 {
     const VMStateDescription * const *sub = vmsd->subsections;
     bool vmdesc_has_subsections = false;
@@ -545,7 +548,7 @@ static int vmstate_subsection_save(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
             qemu_put_byte(f, len);
             qemu_put_buffer(f, (uint8_t *)vmsdsub->name, len);
             qemu_put_be32(f, vmsdsub->version_id);
-            ret = vmstate_save_state(f, vmsdsub, opaque, vmdesc);
+            ret = vmstate_save_state_with_err(f, vmsdsub, opaque, vmdesc, errp);
             if (ret) {
                 return ret;
             }