diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index ac4541b97135..a0782c64a1c4 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -1776,18 +1776,6 @@ static void migrate_handle_rp_req_pages(MigrationState *ms, const char* rbname,
     }
 }
 
-/* Return true to retry, false to quit */
-static bool postcopy_pause_return_path_thread(MigrationState *s)
-{
-    trace_postcopy_pause_return_path();
-
-    qemu_sem_wait(&s->postcopy_pause_rp_sem);
-
-    trace_postcopy_pause_return_path_continued();
-
-    return true;
-}
-
 static int migrate_handle_rp_recv_bitmap(MigrationState *s, char *block_name)
 {
     RAMBlock *block = qemu_ram_block_by_name(block_name);
@@ -1871,7 +1859,6 @@ static void *source_return_path_thread(void *opaque)
     trace_source_return_path_thread_entry();
     rcu_register_thread();
 
-retry:
     while (!ms->rp_state.error && !qemu_file_get_error(rp) &&
            migration_is_setup_or_active(ms->state)) {
         trace_source_return_path_thread_loop_top();
@@ -1993,26 +1980,7 @@ static void *source_return_path_thread(void *opaque)
     }
 
 out:
-    res = qemu_file_get_error(rp);
-    if (res) {
-        if (res && migration_in_postcopy()) {
-            /*
-             * Maybe there is something we can do: it looks like a
-             * network down issue, and we pause for a recovery.
-             */
-            migration_release_dst_files(ms);
-            rp = NULL;
-            if (postcopy_pause_return_path_thread(ms)) {
-                /*
-                 * Reload rp, reset the rest.  Referencing it is safe since
-                 * it's reset only by us above, or when migration completes
-                 */
-                rp = ms->rp_state.from_dst_file;
-                ms->rp_state.error = false;
-                goto retry;
-            }
-        }
-
+    if (qemu_file_get_error(rp)) {
         trace_source_return_path_thread_bad_end();
         mark_source_rp_bad(ms);
     }
@@ -2023,8 +1991,7 @@ static void *source_return_path_thread(void *opaque)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-static int open_return_path_on_source(MigrationState *ms,
-                                      bool create_thread)
+static int open_return_path_on_source(MigrationState *ms)
 {
     ms->rp_state.from_dst_file = qemu_file_get_return_path(ms->to_dst_file);
     if (!ms->rp_state.from_dst_file) {
@@ -2033,11 +2000,6 @@ static int open_return_path_on_source(MigrationState *ms,
 
     trace_open_return_path_on_source();
 
-    if (!create_thread) {
-        /* We're done */
-        return 0;
-    }
-
     qemu_thread_create(&ms->rp_state.rp_thread, "return path",
                        source_return_path_thread, ms, QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
     ms->rp_state.rp_thread_created = true;
@@ -2077,6 +2039,7 @@ static int await_return_path_close_on_source(MigrationState *ms)
     trace_await_return_path_close_on_source_close();
 
     ret = ms->rp_state.error;
+    ms->rp_state.error = false;
     trace_migration_return_path_end_after(ret);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -2552,6 +2515,13 @@ static MigThrError postcopy_pause(MigrationState *s)
         qemu_file_shutdown(file);
         qemu_fclose(file);
 
+        /*
+         * We're already pausing, so ignore any errors on the return
+         * path and just wait for the thread to finish. It will be
+         * re-created when we resume.
+         */
+        await_return_path_close_on_source(s);
+
         migrate_set_state(&s->state, s->state,
                           MIGRATION_STATUS_POSTCOPY_PAUSED);
 
@@ -2569,12 +2539,6 @@ static MigThrError postcopy_pause(MigrationState *s)
         if (s->state == MIGRATION_STATUS_POSTCOPY_RECOVER) {
             /* Woken up by a recover procedure. Give it a shot */
 
-            /*
-             * Firstly, let's wake up the return path now, with a new
-             * return path channel.
-             */
-            qemu_sem_post(&s->postcopy_pause_rp_sem);
-
             /* Do the resume logic */
             if (postcopy_do_resume(s) == 0) {
                 /* Let's continue! */
@@ -3264,7 +3228,7 @@ void migrate_fd_connect(MigrationState *s, Error *error_in)
      * QEMU uses the return path.
      */
     if (migrate_postcopy_ram() || migrate_return_path()) {
-        if (open_return_path_on_source(s, !resume)) {
+        if (open_return_path_on_source(s)) {
             error_setg(&local_err, "Unable to open return-path for postcopy");
             migrate_set_state(&s->state, s->state, MIGRATION_STATUS_FAILED);
             migrate_set_error(s, local_err);
@@ -3328,7 +3292,6 @@ static void migration_instance_finalize(Object *obj)
     qemu_sem_destroy(&ms->rate_limit_sem);
     qemu_sem_destroy(&ms->pause_sem);
     qemu_sem_destroy(&ms->postcopy_pause_sem);
-    qemu_sem_destroy(&ms->postcopy_pause_rp_sem);
     qemu_sem_destroy(&ms->rp_state.rp_sem);
     qemu_sem_destroy(&ms->rp_state.rp_pong_acks);
     qemu_sem_destroy(&ms->postcopy_qemufile_src_sem);
@@ -3348,7 +3311,6 @@ static void migration_instance_init(Object *obj)
     migrate_params_init(&ms->parameters);
 
     qemu_sem_init(&ms->postcopy_pause_sem, 0);
-    qemu_sem_init(&ms->postcopy_pause_rp_sem, 0);
     qemu_sem_init(&ms->rp_state.rp_sem, 0);
     qemu_sem_init(&ms->rp_state.rp_pong_acks, 0);
     qemu_sem_init(&ms->rate_limit_sem, 0);
diff --git a/migration/migration.h b/migration/migration.h
index 9a30216895c7..1034d617bf11 100644
--- a/migration/migration.h
+++ b/migration/migration.h
@@ -393,7 +393,6 @@ struct MigrationState {
 
     /* Needed by postcopy-pause state */
     QemuSemaphore postcopy_pause_sem;
-    QemuSemaphore postcopy_pause_rp_sem;
     /*
      * Whether we abort the migration if decompression errors are
      * detected at the destination. It is left at false for qemu