Proxmox doesn’t let you exclude a node from migration targets list in the UI. The dropdown just shows every node in the cluster, no filter. It’s annoying if you have a node you never want to migrate to — maybe it’s underpowered, or it’s your backup box.
Why the UI doesn’t help
When you click Migrate on a VM, Proxmox lists all nodes that share the same storage. There’s no checkbox to hide one. The official docs cover how to migrate, not how to restrict the list. The top forum thread on this is unresolved, no accepted answer.
The workaround: REST API + node property
You can’t remove a node from the list entirely, but you can make it a bad target. Set the node’s migration property to 0 via the API. That tells Proxmox not to auto-select it, though it still shows in the dropdown.
pvesh set /nodes/{node} --migration 0Replace {node} with the node name. This sets the node’s migration capability to disabled. It won’t disappear from the list, but if you try to migrate to it, you’ll get an error or it’ll be skipped in HA failover. Not perfect, but it stops accidental picks.
If you want it gone completely
There’s no supported way to hide a node from the migration dropdown. You could remove the node from the cluster, but that’s overkill. Another option is to use resource pools and restrict permissions, but that’s messy. Honestly, the migration 0 flag is the cleanest hack.
If you’re dealing with migration issues, check out Proxmox HA rebooted all nodes: fix the watchdog and fencing misconfig for related cluster headaches.
My take
Proxmox should just add a checkbox in the UI. Until then, this works. Just remember it’s not a true exclusion — the node still shows up, but it’s marked as not migration-capable. Good enough for most homelabs.
