diff --git a/migration/vmstate.c b/migration/vmstate.c
index aa2821dec6..52704c822c 100644
--- a/migration/vmstate.c
+++ b/migration/vmstate.c
@@ -51,6 +51,36 @@ vmstate_field_exists(const VMStateDescription *vmsd, const VMStateField *field,
     return result;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Create a fake nullptr field when there's a NULL pointer detected in the
+ * array of a VMS_ARRAY_OF_POINTER VMSD field.  It's needed because we
+ * can't dereference the NULL pointer.
+ */
+static const VMStateField *
+vmsd_create_fake_nullptr_field(const VMStateField *field)
+{
+    VMStateField *fake = g_new0(VMStateField, 1);
+
+    /* It can only happen on an array of pointers! */
+    assert(field->flags & VMS_ARRAY_OF_POINTER);
+
+    /* Some of fake's properties should match the original's */
+    fake->name = field->name;
+    fake->version_id = field->version_id;
+
+    /* Do not need "field_exists" check as it always exists (which is null) */
+    fake->field_exists = NULL;
+
+    /* See vmstate_info_nullptr - use 1 byte to represent nullptr */
+    fake->size = 1;
+    fake->info = &vmstate_info_nullptr;
+    fake->flags = VMS_SINGLE;
+
+    /* All the rest fields shouldn't matter.. */
+
+    return (const VMStateField *)fake;
+}
+
 static int vmstate_n_elems(void *opaque, const VMStateField *field)
 {
     int n_elems = 1;
@@ -143,23 +173,39 @@ int vmstate_load_state(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
             }
             for (i = 0; i < n_elems; i++) {
                 void *curr_elem = first_elem + size * i;
+                const VMStateField *inner_field;
 
                 if (field->flags & VMS_ARRAY_OF_POINTER) {
                     curr_elem = *(void **)curr_elem;
                 }
+
                 if (!curr_elem && size) {
-                    /* if null pointer check placeholder and do not follow */
-                    assert(field->flags & VMS_ARRAY_OF_POINTER);
-                    ret = vmstate_info_nullptr.get(f, curr_elem, size, NULL);
-                } else if (field->flags & VMS_STRUCT) {
-                    ret = vmstate_load_state(f, field->vmsd, curr_elem,
-                                             field->vmsd->version_id);
-                } else if (field->flags & VMS_VSTRUCT) {
-                    ret = vmstate_load_state(f, field->vmsd, curr_elem,
-                                             field->struct_version_id);
+                    /*
+                     * If null pointer found (which should only happen in
+                     * an array of pointers), use null placeholder and do
+                     * not follow.
+                     */
+                    inner_field = vmsd_create_fake_nullptr_field(field);
+                } else {
+                    inner_field = field;
+                }
+
+                if (inner_field->flags & VMS_STRUCT) {
+                    ret = vmstate_load_state(f, inner_field->vmsd, curr_elem,
+                                             inner_field->vmsd->version_id);
+                } else if (inner_field->flags & VMS_VSTRUCT) {
+                    ret = vmstate_load_state(f, inner_field->vmsd, curr_elem,
+                                             inner_field->struct_version_id);
                 } else {
-                    ret = field->info->get(f, curr_elem, size, field);
+                    ret = inner_field->info->get(f, curr_elem, size,
+                                                 inner_field);
                 }
+
+                /* If we used a fake temp field.. free it now */
+                if (inner_field != field) {
+                    g_clear_pointer((gpointer *)&inner_field, g_free);
+                }
+
                 if (ret >= 0) {
                     ret = qemu_file_get_error(f);
                 }
@@ -387,29 +433,50 @@ int vmstate_save_state_v(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
             }
             for (i = 0; i < n_elems; i++) {
                 void *curr_elem = first_elem + size * i;
+                const VMStateField *inner_field;
 
-                vmsd_desc_field_start(vmsd, vmdesc_loop, field, i, n_elems);
                 old_offset = qemu_file_transferred(f);
                 if (field->flags & VMS_ARRAY_OF_POINTER) {
                     assert(curr_elem);
                     curr_elem = *(void **)curr_elem;
                 }
+
                 if (!curr_elem && size) {
-                    /* if null pointer write placeholder and do not follow */
-                    assert(field->flags & VMS_ARRAY_OF_POINTER);
-                    ret = vmstate_info_nullptr.put(f, curr_elem, size, NULL,
-                                                   NULL);
-                } else if (field->flags & VMS_STRUCT) {
-                    ret = vmstate_save_state(f, field->vmsd, curr_elem,
-                                             vmdesc_loop);
-                } else if (field->flags & VMS_VSTRUCT) {
-                    ret = vmstate_save_state_v(f, field->vmsd, curr_elem,
-                                               vmdesc_loop,
-                                               field->struct_version_id, errp);
+                    /*
+                     * If null pointer found (which should only happen in
+                     * an array of pointers), use null placeholder and do
+                     * not follow.
+                     */
+                    inner_field = vmsd_create_fake_nullptr_field(field);
+                } else {
+                    inner_field = field;
+                }
+
+                vmsd_desc_field_start(vmsd, vmdesc_loop, inner_field,
+                                      i, n_elems);
+
+                if (inner_field->flags & VMS_STRUCT) {
+                    ret = vmstate_save_state(f, inner_field->vmsd,
+                                             curr_elem, vmdesc_loop);
+                } else if (inner_field->flags & VMS_VSTRUCT) {
+                    ret = vmstate_save_state_v(f, inner_field->vmsd,
+                                               curr_elem, vmdesc_loop,
+                                               inner_field->struct_version_id,
+                                               errp);
                 } else {
-                    ret = field->info->put(f, curr_elem, size, field,
-                                     vmdesc_loop);
+                    ret = inner_field->info->put(f, curr_elem, size,
+                                                 inner_field, vmdesc_loop);
                 }
+
+                written_bytes = qemu_file_transferred(f) - old_offset;
+                vmsd_desc_field_end(vmsd, vmdesc_loop, inner_field,
+                                    written_bytes);
+
+                /* If we used a fake temp field.. free it now */
+                if (inner_field != field) {
+                    g_clear_pointer((gpointer *)&inner_field, g_free);
+                }
+
                 if (ret) {
                     error_setg(errp, "Save of field %s/%s failed",
                                 vmsd->name, field->name);
@@ -419,9 +486,6 @@ int vmstate_save_state_v(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                     return ret;
                 }
 
-                written_bytes = qemu_file_transferred(f) - old_offset;
-                vmsd_desc_field_end(vmsd, vmdesc_loop, field, written_bytes);
-
                 /* Compressed arrays only care about the first element */
                 if (vmdesc_loop && vmsd_can_compress(field)) {
                     vmdesc_loop = NULL;
