diff --git a/tests/migration-test.c b/tests/migration-test.c
index 7bffcd2e4d48f2caac9668b048775857f64651a6..4b8d4cc11997b2111c05c7b31676eed07fbae7af 100644
--- a/tests/migration-test.c
+++ b/tests/migration-test.c
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ static void stop_cb(void *opaque, const char *name, QDict *data)
 /*
  * Events can get in the way of responses we are actually waiting for.
  */
+GCC_FMT_ATTR(2, 3)
 static QDict *wait_command(QTestState *who, const char *command, ...)
 {
     va_list ap;
@@ -357,13 +358,12 @@ static void migrate_pause(QTestState *who)
 static void migrate_recover(QTestState *who, const char *uri)
 {
     QDict *rsp;
-    gchar *cmd = g_strdup_printf(
-        "{ 'execute': 'migrate-recover', "
-        "  'id': 'recover-cmd', "
-        "  'arguments': { 'uri': '%s' } }", uri);
 
-    rsp = wait_command(who, cmd);
-    g_free(cmd);
+    rsp = wait_command(who,
+                       "{ 'execute': 'migrate-recover', "
+                       "  'id': 'recover-cmd', "
+                       "  'arguments': { 'uri': %s } }",
+                       uri);
     qobject_unref(rsp);
 }