diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
index 1eee637d4..a8b3be672 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
@@ -657,13 +657,28 @@ impl VhostUserCommon {
     }
 
     pub fn pause(&mut self) -> std::result::Result<(), MigratableError> {
-        if let Some(vu) = &self.vu {
-            vu.lock().unwrap().pause_vhost_user().map_err(|e| {
-                MigratableError::Pause(anyhow!("Error pausing vhost-user backend: {e:?}"))
-            })
-        } else {
-            Ok(())
+        if self.disconnected.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            return Err(MigratableError::DeviceDisconnected(
+                self.socket_path.clone(),
+            ));
         }
+
+        if let Some(vu) = &self.vu
+            && let Err(e) = vu.lock().unwrap().pause_vhost_user()
+        {
+            if e.is_transport_lost() {
+                self.disconnected.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                return Err(MigratableError::DeviceDisconnected(
+                    self.socket_path.clone(),
+                ));
+            }
+
+            return Err(MigratableError::Pause(anyhow!(
+                "Error pausing vhost-user backend for socket {}: {e:?}",
+                self.socket_path
+            )));
+        }
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     pub fn resume(&mut self) -> std::result::Result<(), MigratableError> {
diff --git a/vmm/src/device_manager.rs b/vmm/src/device_manager.rs
index 9b9cda598..69ac8ad99 100644
--- a/vmm/src/device_manager.rs
+++ b/vmm/src/device_manager.rs
@@ -5526,7 +5526,13 @@ impl Pausable for DeviceManager {
     fn pause(&mut self) -> result::Result<(), MigratableError> {
         for (_, device_node) in self.device_tree.lock().unwrap().iter() {
             if let Some(migratable) = &device_node.migratable {
-                migratable.lock().unwrap().pause()?;
+                match migratable.lock().unwrap().pause() {
+                    Ok(()) => {}
+                    Err(MigratableError::DeviceDisconnected(id)) => {
+                        warn!("Skipping pause for disconnected device {id}");
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => return Err(e),
+                }
             }
         }
         // On AArch64, the pause of device manager needs to trigger