diff --git a/command/meta_backend_migrate.go b/command/meta_backend_migrate.go
index 1531b4a92..cce00c35b 100644
--- a/command/meta_backend_migrate.go
+++ b/command/meta_backend_migrate.go
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ func (m *Meta) backendMigrateState_S_s(opts *backendMigrateOpts) error {
 
 	// Copy the default state
 	opts.oneEnv = currentEnv
+
+	// now switch back to the default env so we can acccess the new backend
+	m.SetEnv(backend.DefaultStateName)
+
 	return m.backendMigrateState_s_s(opts)
 }
 
diff --git a/command/meta_backend_test.go b/command/meta_backend_test.go
index dda5db644..b9ff80658 100644
--- a/command/meta_backend_test.go
+++ b/command/meta_backend_test.go
@@ -1144,6 +1144,11 @@ func TestMetaBackend_configuredChangeCopy_multiToSingle(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(envPath); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("env should exist")
 	}
+
+	// Verify we are now in the default env, or we may not be able to access the new backend
+	if env := m.Env(); env != backend.DefaultStateName {
+		t.Fatal("using non-default env with single-env backend")
+	}
 }
 
 // Changing a configured backend that supports multi-state to a
diff --git a/command/test-fixtures/backend-change-multi-to-single/.terraform/environment b/command/test-fixtures/backend-change-multi-to-single/.terraform/environment
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e5e601095
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/test-fixtures/backend-change-multi-to-single/.terraform/environment
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+env1
diff --git a/command/test-fixtures/backend-change-multi-to-single/local-state.tfstate b/command/test-fixtures/backend-change-multi-to-single/terraform.tfstate.d/env1/terraform.tfstate
similarity index 100%
rename from command/test-fixtures/backend-change-multi-to-single/local-state.tfstate
rename to command/test-fixtures/backend-change-multi-to-single/terraform.tfstate.d/env1/terraform.tfstate