diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
index 29b826e93452..85a237bd7229 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
@@ -9902,6 +9902,7 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
             'migrate_disks': disk_paths,
             'bandwidth': _bandwidth,
             'destination_xml': target_xml,
+            'persistent_xml': target_xml,
         }
 
         # start test
@@ -10009,7 +10010,8 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
             'migrate_disks': disk_paths,
             'migrate_uri': 'tcp://127.0.0.2',
             'bandwidth': CONF.libvirt.live_migration_bandwidth,
-            'destination_xml': target_xml
+            'destination_xml': target_xml,
+            'persistent_xml': target_xml,
         }
 
         # Start test
@@ -10109,6 +10111,7 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
             'migrate_uri': 'tcp://127.0.0.2',
             'bandwidth': CONF.libvirt.live_migration_bandwidth,
             'destination_xml': target_xml,
+            'persistent_xml': target_xml,
         }
 
         # start test
@@ -10459,6 +10462,7 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
             'migrate_disks': ['vda', 'vdb'],
             'bandwidth': CONF.libvirt.live_migration_bandwidth,
             'destination_xml': target_xml,
+            'persistent_xml': target_xml,
         }
 
         # start test
@@ -10585,6 +10589,7 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
             'migrate_disks': device_names,
             'bandwidth': CONF.libvirt.live_migration_bandwidth,
             'destination_xml': '<xml/>',
+            'persistent_xml': '<xml/>',
         }
         if not params['migrate_disks']:
             del params['migrate_disks']
@@ -10724,6 +10729,7 @@ class LibvirtConnTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
             'migrate_disks': disk_paths,
             'bandwidth': CONF.libvirt.live_migration_bandwidth,
             'destination_xml': '<xml/>',
+            'persistent_xml': '<xml/>',
         }
 
         # Prepare mocks
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py
index 8d45ec66abb6..62f5b3bb0c6d 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_guest.py
@@ -699,6 +699,7 @@ class GuestTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                 'an-uri', flags=1, params={'migrate_uri': 'dest-uri',
                                            'migrate_disks': 'disk1',
                                            'destination_xml': '</xml>',
+                                           'persistent_xml': '</xml>',
                                            'bandwidth': 2})
 
     @testtools.skipIf(not six.PY2, 'libvirt python3 bindings accept unicode')
@@ -716,6 +717,7 @@ class GuestTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                                            'migrate_disks': ['disk1',
                                                              'disk2'],
                                            'destination_xml': expect_dest_xml,
+                                           'persistent_xml': expect_dest_xml,
                                            'bandwidth': 2})
 
     def test_abort_job(self):
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py
index 8da7015e4e3f..34b867738b5f 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/guest.py
@@ -654,6 +654,7 @@ class Guest(object):
 
         if destination_xml:
             params['destination_xml'] = destination_xml
+            params['persistent_xml'] = destination_xml
         if migrate_disks:
             params['migrate_disks'] = migrate_disks
         if migrate_uri: