diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index 406a9e2f72224..0bc3fce4b7e36 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -1357,6 +1357,17 @@ static bool migrate_caps_check(bool *cap_list,
             error_setg(errp, "Postcopy preempt requires postcopy-ram");
             return false;
         }
+
+        /*
+         * Preempt mode requires urgent pages to be sent in separate
+         * channel, OTOH compression logic will disorder all pages into
+         * different compression channels, which is not compatible with the
+         * preempt assumptions on channel assignments.
+         */
+        if (cap_list[MIGRATION_CAPABILITY_COMPRESS]) {
+            error_setg(errp, "Postcopy preempt not compatible with compress");
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     return true;