diff --git a/savevm.c b/savevm.c
index 113f2207c7d39674f19fc9c3ad1e53c2fea697a3..181c0884940827ba2cc6be16c13de8aec0cad670 100644
--- a/savevm.c
+++ b/savevm.c
@@ -556,7 +556,9 @@ int qemu_file_rate_limit(QEMUFile *f)
 
 size_t qemu_file_set_rate_limit(QEMUFile *f, size_t new_rate)
 {
-    if (f->set_rate_limit)
+    /* any failed or completed migration keeps its state to allow probing of
+     * migration data, but has no associated file anymore */
+    if (f && f->set_rate_limit)
         return f->set_rate_limit(f->opaque, new_rate);
 
     return 0;