diff --git a/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c b/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c
index 30f450cd61..2e0fe3d66f 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-serial-bus.c
@@ -658,10 +658,60 @@ static void virtio_serial_post_load_timer_cb(void *opaque)
     s->post_load.connected = NULL;
 }
 
+static int fetch_active_ports_list(QEMUFile *f, int version_id,
+                                   VirtIOSerial *s, uint32_t nr_active_ports)
+{
+    uint32_t i;
+
+    s->post_load.nr_active_ports = nr_active_ports;
+    s->post_load.connected =
+        g_malloc0(sizeof(*s->post_load.connected) * nr_active_ports);
+
+    /* Items in struct VirtIOSerialPort */
+    for (i = 0; i < nr_active_ports; i++) {
+        VirtIOSerialPort *port;
+        uint32_t id;
+
+        id = qemu_get_be32(f);
+        port = find_port_by_id(s, id);
+        if (!port) {
+            return -EINVAL;
+        }
+
+        port->guest_connected = qemu_get_byte(f);
+        s->post_load.connected[i].port = port;
+        s->post_load.connected[i].host_connected = qemu_get_byte(f);
+
+        if (version_id > 2) {
+            uint32_t elem_popped;
+
+            qemu_get_be32s(f, &elem_popped);
+            if (elem_popped) {
+                qemu_get_be32s(f, &port->iov_idx);
+                qemu_get_be64s(f, &port->iov_offset);
+
+                qemu_get_buffer(f, (unsigned char *)&port->elem,
+                                sizeof(port->elem));
+                virtqueue_map_sg(port->elem.in_sg, port->elem.in_addr,
+                                 port->elem.in_num, 1);
+                virtqueue_map_sg(port->elem.out_sg, port->elem.out_addr,
+                                 port->elem.out_num, 1);
+
+                /*
+                 *  Port was throttled on source machine.  Let's
+                 *  unthrottle it here so data starts flowing again.
+                 */
+                virtio_serial_throttle_port(port, false);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    qemu_mod_timer(s->post_load.timer, 1);
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static int virtio_serial_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id)
 {
     VirtIOSerial *s = opaque;
-    VirtIOSerialPort *port;
     uint32_t max_nr_ports, nr_active_ports, ports_map;
     unsigned int i;
     int ret;
@@ -705,48 +755,12 @@ static int virtio_serial_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id)
 
     qemu_get_be32s(f, &nr_active_ports);
 
-    s->post_load.nr_active_ports = nr_active_ports;
-    s->post_load.connected =
-        g_malloc0(sizeof(*s->post_load.connected) * nr_active_ports);
-
-    /* Items in struct VirtIOSerialPort */
-    for (i = 0; i < nr_active_ports; i++) {
-        uint32_t id;
-
-        id = qemu_get_be32(f);
-        port = find_port_by_id(s, id);
-        if (!port) {
-            return -EINVAL;
-        }
-
-        port->guest_connected = qemu_get_byte(f);
-        s->post_load.connected[i].port = port;
-        s->post_load.connected[i].host_connected = qemu_get_byte(f);
-
-        if (version_id > 2) {
-            uint32_t elem_popped;
-
-            qemu_get_be32s(f, &elem_popped);
-            if (elem_popped) {
-                qemu_get_be32s(f, &port->iov_idx);
-                qemu_get_be64s(f, &port->iov_offset);
-
-                qemu_get_buffer(f, (unsigned char *)&port->elem,
-                                sizeof(port->elem));
-                virtqueue_map_sg(port->elem.in_sg, port->elem.in_addr,
-                                 port->elem.in_num, 1);
-                virtqueue_map_sg(port->elem.out_sg, port->elem.out_addr,
-                                 port->elem.out_num, 1);
-
-                /*
-                 *  Port was throttled on source machine.  Let's
-                 *  unthrottle it here so data starts flowing again.
-                 */
-                virtio_serial_throttle_port(port, false);
-            }
+    if (nr_active_ports) {
+        ret = fetch_active_ports_list(f, version_id, s, nr_active_ports);
+        if (ret) {
+            return ret;
         }
     }
-    qemu_mod_timer(s->post_load.timer, 1);
     return 0;
 }