diff --git a/migration/multifd.c b/migration/multifd.c
index 95d58a6657..4b80352a9a 100644
--- a/migration/multifd.c
+++ b/migration/multifd.c
@@ -658,18 +658,22 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     int ret = 0;
     bool use_zero_copy_send = migrate_zero_copy_send();
+    bool use_packets = migrate_multifd_packets();
 
     thread = MigrationThreadAdd(p->name, qemu_get_thread_id());
 
     trace_multifd_send_thread_start(p->id);
     rcu_register_thread();
 
-    if (multifd_send_initial_packet(p, &local_err) < 0) {
-        ret = -1;
-        goto out;
+    if (use_packets) {
+        if (multifd_send_initial_packet(p, &local_err) < 0) {
+            ret = -1;
+            goto out;
+        }
+
+        /* initial packet */
+        p->num_packets = 1;
     }
-    /* initial packet */
-    p->num_packets = 1;
 
     while (true) {
         qemu_sem_post(&multifd_send_state->channels_ready);
@@ -681,11 +685,10 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
         qemu_mutex_lock(&p->mutex);
 
         if (p->pending_job) {
-            uint64_t packet_num = p->packet_num;
             uint32_t flags;
             p->normal_num = 0;
 
-            if (use_zero_copy_send) {
+            if (!use_packets || use_zero_copy_send) {
                 p->iovs_num = 0;
             } else {
                 p->iovs_num = 1;
@@ -703,16 +706,20 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
                     break;
                 }
             }
-            multifd_send_fill_packet(p);
+
+            if (use_packets) {
+                multifd_send_fill_packet(p);
+                p->num_packets++;
+            }
+
             flags = p->flags;
             p->flags = 0;
-            p->num_packets++;
             p->total_normal_pages += p->normal_num;
             p->pages->num = 0;
             p->pages->block = NULL;
             qemu_mutex_unlock(&p->mutex);
 
-            trace_multifd_send(p->id, packet_num, p->normal_num, flags,
+            trace_multifd_send(p->id, p->packet_num, p->normal_num, flags,
                                p->next_packet_size);
 
             if (use_zero_copy_send) {
@@ -722,7 +729,7 @@ static void *multifd_send_thread(void *opaque)
                 if (ret != 0) {
                     break;
                 }
-            } else {
+            } else if (use_packets) {
                 /* Send header using the same writev call */
                 p->iov[0].iov_len = p->packet_len;
                 p->iov[0].iov_base = p->packet;
@@ -918,6 +925,7 @@ int multifd_save_setup(Error **errp)
 {
     int thread_count;
     uint32_t page_count = MULTIFD_PACKET_SIZE / qemu_target_page_size();
+    bool use_packets = migrate_multifd_packets();
     uint8_t i;
 
     if (!migrate_multifd()) {
@@ -942,14 +950,20 @@ int multifd_save_setup(Error **errp)
         p->pending_job = 0;
         p->id = i;
         p->pages = multifd_pages_init(page_count);
-        p->packet_len = sizeof(MultiFDPacket_t)
-                      + sizeof(uint64_t) * page_count;
-        p->packet = g_malloc0(p->packet_len);
-        p->packet->magic = cpu_to_be32(MULTIFD_MAGIC);
-        p->packet->version = cpu_to_be32(MULTIFD_VERSION);
+
+        if (use_packets) {
+            p->packet_len = sizeof(MultiFDPacket_t)
+                          + sizeof(uint64_t) * page_count;
+            p->packet = g_malloc0(p->packet_len);
+            p->packet->magic = cpu_to_be32(MULTIFD_MAGIC);
+            p->packet->version = cpu_to_be32(MULTIFD_VERSION);
+
+            /* We need one extra place for the packet header */
+            p->iov = g_new0(struct iovec, page_count + 1);
+        } else {
+            p->iov = g_new0(struct iovec, page_count);
+        }
         p->name = g_strdup_printf("multifdsend_%d", i);
-        /* We need one extra place for the packet header */
-        p->iov = g_new0(struct iovec, page_count + 1);
         p->normal = g_new0(ram_addr_t, page_count);
         p->page_size = qemu_target_page_size();
         p->page_count = page_count;
@@ -1081,7 +1095,7 @@ void multifd_recv_sync_main(void)
 {
     int i;
 
-    if (!migrate_multifd()) {
+    if (!migrate_multifd() || !migrate_multifd_packets()) {
         return;
     }
     for (i = 0; i < migrate_multifd_channels(); i++) {
@@ -1108,6 +1122,7 @@ static void *multifd_recv_thread(void *opaque)
 {
     MultiFDRecvParams *p = opaque;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
+    bool use_packets = migrate_multifd_packets();
     int ret;
 
     trace_multifd_recv_thread_start(p->id);
@@ -1120,17 +1135,20 @@ static void *multifd_recv_thread(void *opaque)
             break;
         }
 
-        ret = qio_channel_read_all_eof(p->c, (void *)p->packet,
-                                       p->packet_len, &local_err);
-        if (ret == 0 || ret == -1) {   /* 0: EOF  -1: Error */
-            break;
-        }
+        if (use_packets) {
+            ret = qio_channel_read_all_eof(p->c, (void *)p->packet,
+                                           p->packet_len, &local_err);
+            if (ret == 0 || ret == -1) {   /* 0: EOF  -1: Error */
+                break;
+            }
 
-        qemu_mutex_lock(&p->mutex);
-        ret = multifd_recv_unfill_packet(p, &local_err);
-        if (ret) {
-            qemu_mutex_unlock(&p->mutex);
-            break;
+            qemu_mutex_lock(&p->mutex);
+            ret = multifd_recv_unfill_packet(p, &local_err);
+            if (ret) {
+                qemu_mutex_unlock(&p->mutex);
+                break;
+            }
+            p->num_packets++;
         }
 
         flags = p->flags;
@@ -1138,7 +1156,7 @@ static void *multifd_recv_thread(void *opaque)
         p->flags &= ~MULTIFD_FLAG_SYNC;
         trace_multifd_recv(p->id, p->packet_num, p->normal_num, flags,
                            p->next_packet_size);
-        p->num_packets++;
+
         p->total_normal_pages += p->normal_num;
         qemu_mutex_unlock(&p->mutex);
 
@@ -1173,6 +1191,7 @@ int multifd_load_setup(Error **errp)
 {
     int thread_count;
     uint32_t page_count = MULTIFD_PACKET_SIZE / qemu_target_page_size();
+    bool use_packets = migrate_multifd_packets();
     uint8_t i;
 
     /*
@@ -1197,9 +1216,12 @@ int multifd_load_setup(Error **errp)
         qemu_sem_init(&p->sem_sync, 0);
         p->quit = false;
         p->id = i;
-        p->packet_len = sizeof(MultiFDPacket_t)
-                      + sizeof(uint64_t) * page_count;
-        p->packet = g_malloc0(p->packet_len);
+
+        if (use_packets) {
+            p->packet_len = sizeof(MultiFDPacket_t)
+                + sizeof(uint64_t) * page_count;
+            p->packet = g_malloc0(p->packet_len);
+        }
         p->name = g_strdup_printf("multifdrecv_%d", i);
         p->iov = g_new0(struct iovec, page_count);
         p->normal = g_new0(ram_addr_t, page_count);
@@ -1245,18 +1267,26 @@ void multifd_recv_new_channel(QIOChannel *ioc, Error **errp)
 {
     MultiFDRecvParams *p;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
-    int id;
+    bool use_packets = migrate_multifd_packets();
+    int id, num_packets = 0;
 
-    id = multifd_recv_initial_packet(ioc, &local_err);
-    if (id < 0) {
-        multifd_recv_terminate_threads(local_err);
-        error_propagate_prepend(errp, local_err,
-                                "failed to receive packet"
-                                " via multifd channel %d: ",
-                                qatomic_read(&multifd_recv_state->count));
-        return;
+    if (use_packets) {
+        id = multifd_recv_initial_packet(ioc, &local_err);
+        if (id < 0) {
+            multifd_recv_terminate_threads(local_err);
+            error_propagate_prepend(errp, local_err,
+                                    "failed to receive packet"
+                                    " via multifd channel %d: ",
+                                    qatomic_read(&multifd_recv_state->count));
+            return;
+        }
+        trace_multifd_recv_new_channel(id);
+
+        /* initial packet */
+        num_packets = 1;
+    } else {
+        id = 0;
     }
-    trace_multifd_recv_new_channel(id);
 
     p = &multifd_recv_state->params[id];
     if (p->c != NULL) {
@@ -1267,9 +1297,8 @@ void multifd_recv_new_channel(QIOChannel *ioc, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
     p->c = ioc;
+    p->num_packets = num_packets;
     object_ref(OBJECT(ioc));
-    /* initial packet */
-    p->num_packets = 1;
 
     p->running = true;
     qemu_thread_create(&p->thread, p->name, multifd_recv_thread, p,
diff --git a/migration/options.c b/migration/options.c
index 63654a09fd..e3f9e2aa16 100644
--- a/migration/options.c
+++ b/migration/options.c
@@ -365,6 +365,11 @@ bool migrate_live(void)
     return !migrate_suspend();
 }
 
+bool migrate_multifd_packets(void)
+{
+    return !migrate_fixed_ram();
+}
+
 bool migrate_postcopy(void)
 {
     return migrate_postcopy_ram() || migrate_dirty_bitmaps();
diff --git a/migration/options.h b/migration/options.h
index 08ec579f4d..2807e1548e 100644
--- a/migration/options.h
+++ b/migration/options.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ bool migrate_zero_copy_send(void);
 
 bool migrate_multifd_flush_after_each_section(void);
 bool migrate_live(void);
+bool migrate_multifd_packets(void);
 bool migrate_postcopy(void);
 bool migrate_tls(void);