diff --git a/block-backup-hoist-bitmap-check-into-QMP-interface.patch b/block-backup-hoist-bitmap-check-into-QMP-interface.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51dc67c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/block-backup-hoist-bitmap-check-into-QMP-interface.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+From 9cc9e9657aad126502183fa4ceb9b962b55471cb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: John Snow <jsnow@redhat.com>
+Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:35:55 -0400
+Subject: [PATCH] block/backup: hoist bitmap check into QMP interface
+
+This is nicer to do in the unified QMP interface that we have now,
+because it lets us use the right terminology back at the user.
+
+Signed-off-by: John Snow <jsnow@redhat.com>
+Reviewed-by: Max Reitz <mreitz@redhat.com>
+Message-id: 20190716000117.25219-5-jsnow@redhat.com
+Signed-off-by: John Snow <jsnow@redhat.com>
+---
+ block/backup.c | 13 ++++---------
+ blockdev.c     | 10 ++++++++++
+ 2 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/block/backup.c b/block/backup.c
+index 59ac2c0396..cc19643b47 100644
+--- a/block/backup.c
++++ b/block/backup.c
+@@ -565,6 +565,10 @@ BlockJob *backup_job_create(const char *job_id, BlockDriverState *bs,
+     assert(bs);
+     assert(target);
+ 
++    /* QMP interface protects us from these cases */
++    assert(sync_mode != MIRROR_SYNC_MODE_INCREMENTAL);
++    assert(sync_bitmap || sync_mode != MIRROR_SYNC_MODE_BITMAP);
++
+     if (bs == target) {
+         error_setg(errp, "Source and target cannot be the same");
+         return NULL;
+@@ -596,16 +600,7 @@ BlockJob *backup_job_create(const char *job_id, BlockDriverState *bs,
+         return NULL;
+     }
+ 
+-    /* QMP interface should have handled translating this to bitmap mode */
+-    assert(sync_mode != MIRROR_SYNC_MODE_INCREMENTAL);
+-
+     if (sync_mode == MIRROR_SYNC_MODE_BITMAP) {
+-        if (!sync_bitmap) {
+-            error_setg(errp, "must provide a valid bitmap name for "
+-                       "'%s' sync mode", MirrorSyncMode_str(sync_mode));
+-            return NULL;
+-        }
+-
+         /* If we need to write to this bitmap, check that we can: */
+         if (bitmap_mode != BITMAP_SYNC_MODE_NEVER &&
+             bdrv_dirty_bitmap_check(sync_bitmap, BDRV_BITMAP_DEFAULT, errp)) {
+diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
+index efb69d343a..0a71a15fa2 100644
+--- a/blockdev.c
++++ b/blockdev.c
+@@ -3508,6 +3508,16 @@ static BlockJob *do_backup_common(BackupCommon *backup,
+         return NULL;
+     }
+ 
++    if ((backup->sync == MIRROR_SYNC_MODE_BITMAP) ||
++        (backup->sync == MIRROR_SYNC_MODE_INCREMENTAL)) {
++        /* done before desugaring 'incremental' to print the right message */
++        if (!backup->has_bitmap) {
++            error_setg(errp, "must provide a valid bitmap name for "
++                       "'%s' sync mode", MirrorSyncMode_str(backup->sync));
++            return NULL;
++        }
++    }
++
+     if (backup->sync == MIRROR_SYNC_MODE_INCREMENTAL) {
+         if (backup->has_bitmap_mode &&
+             backup->bitmap_mode != BITMAP_SYNC_MODE_ON_SUCCESS) {
+-- 
+2.27.0
+