diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 8c45415b7e0402e76ad0d6b0b2a04e367f0b1c60..724e3ff24b8378cbfa27b810f9b36d8a19f645b2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -2761,8 +2761,10 @@ qemuMigrationBegin(virConnectPtr conn,
          * place.
          */
         if (virCloseCallbacksSet(driver->closeCallbacks, vm, conn,
-                                 qemuMigrationCleanup) < 0)
+                                 qemuMigrationCleanup) < 0) {
+            VIR_FREE(xml);
             goto endjob;
+        }
         qemuMigrationJobContinue(vm);
     } else {
         goto endjob;