diff --git a/cpus.c b/cpus.c
index 2a2f633036de7b8b6db86eff91cd13b478690dc2..65b0b0e606275d7d5dfa01d0b424fd692ca8d94b 100644
--- a/cpus.c
+++ b/cpus.c
@@ -446,11 +446,12 @@ static int do_vm_stop(RunState state)
         pause_all_vcpus();
         runstate_set(state);
         vm_state_notify(0, state);
-        bdrv_drain_all();
-        ret = bdrv_flush_all();
         monitor_protocol_event(QEVENT_STOP, NULL);
     }
 
+    bdrv_drain_all();
+    ret = bdrv_flush_all();
+
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1120,7 +1121,9 @@ int vm_stop_force_state(RunState state)
         return vm_stop(state);
     } else {
         runstate_set(state);
-        return 0;
+        /* Make sure to return an error if the flush in a previous vm_stop()
+         * failed. */
+        return bdrv_flush_all();
     }
 }