diff --git a/console.c b/console.c
index 3950d20064a04ad4d143aac4d53fded6d3617141..f69fd1b09872b29df3fb217fd0e6a1484358ddf8 100644
--- a/console.c
+++ b/console.c
@@ -1285,17 +1285,17 @@ void console_color_init(DisplayState *ds)
     }
 }
 
-CharDriverState *text_console_init(DisplayState *ds, const char *p)
+static int n_text_consoles;
+static CharDriverState *text_consoles[128];
+static char *text_console_strs[128];
+
+static void text_console_do_init(CharDriverState *chr, DisplayState *ds, const char *p)
 {
-    CharDriverState *chr;
     TextConsole *s;
     unsigned width;
     unsigned height;
     static int color_inited;
 
-    chr = qemu_mallocz(sizeof(CharDriverState));
-    if (!chr)
-        return NULL;
     s = new_console(ds, (p == 0) ? TEXT_CONSOLE : TEXT_CONSOLE_FIXED_SIZE);
     if (!s) {
         free(chr);
@@ -1352,7 +1352,6 @@ CharDriverState *text_console_init(DisplayState *ds, const char *p)
     s->t_attrib_default.unvisible = 0;
     s->t_attrib_default.fgcol = COLOR_WHITE;
     s->t_attrib_default.bgcol = COLOR_BLACK;
-
     /* set current text attributes to default */
     s->t_attrib = s->t_attrib_default;
     text_console_resize(s);
@@ -1362,6 +1361,37 @@ CharDriverState *text_console_init(DisplayState *ds, const char *p)
     return chr;
 }
 
+CharDriverState *text_console_init(const char *p)
+{
+    CharDriverState *chr;
+
+    chr = qemu_mallocz(sizeof(CharDriverState));
+    if (!chr)
+        return NULL;
+
+    if (n_text_consoles == 128) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Too many text consoles\n");
+        exit(1);
+    }
+    text_consoles[n_text_consoles] = chr;
+    text_console_strs[n_text_consoles] = p ? qemu_strdup(p) : NULL;
+    n_text_consoles++;
+
+    return chr;
+}
+
+void text_consoles_set_display(DisplayState *ds)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < n_text_consoles; i++) {
+        text_console_do_init(text_consoles[i], ds, text_console_strs[i]);
+        qemu_free(text_console_strs[i]);
+    }
+
+    n_text_consoles = 0;
+}
+
 void qemu_console_resize(DisplayState *ds, int width, int height)
 {
     TextConsole *s = get_graphic_console();
diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index 3ac0afac3f9284b1de683ce9d9b0e105313c2181..383ea1a3969b687bf1b1167723f74b9783c6e24e 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -265,7 +265,8 @@ void vga_hw_text_update(console_ch_t *chardata);
 
 int is_graphic_console(void);
 int is_fixedsize_console(void);
-CharDriverState *text_console_init(DisplayState *ds, const char *p);
+CharDriverState *text_console_init(const char *p);
+void text_consoles_set_display(DisplayState *ds);
 void console_select(unsigned int index);
 void console_color_init(DisplayState *ds);
 void qemu_console_resize(DisplayState *ds, int width, int height);
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 1e2fda565934fe949b4e170ccd365e0b1ad02312..02d4049d0ca97ce141f1df4ff7fb6432af332e84 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -2128,10 +2128,10 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open(const char *label, const char *filename)
     CharDriverState *chr;
 
     if (!strcmp(filename, "vc")) {
-        chr = text_console_init(get_displaystate(), 0);
+        chr = text_console_init(0);
     } else
     if (strstart(filename, "vc:", &p)) {
-        chr = text_console_init(get_displaystate(), p);
+        chr = text_console_init(p);
     } else
     if (!strcmp(filename, "null")) {
         chr = qemu_chr_open_null();
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index ae2d127717dbff050d897729bfa36c4976ef84b6..9470bcef739730366bc327e321900810ab8d26de 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -5461,6 +5461,48 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         }
     }
 
+    for(i = 0; i < MAX_SERIAL_PORTS; i++) {
+        const char *devname = serial_devices[i];
+        if (devname && strcmp(devname, "none")) {
+            char label[32];
+            snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "serial%d", i);
+            serial_hds[i] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname);
+            if (!serial_hds[i]) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open serial device '%s'\n",
+                        devname);
+                exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    for(i = 0; i < MAX_PARALLEL_PORTS; i++) {
+        const char *devname = parallel_devices[i];
+        if (devname && strcmp(devname, "none")) {
+            char label[32];
+            snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "parallel%d", i);
+            parallel_hds[i] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname);
+            if (!parallel_hds[i]) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open parallel device '%s'\n",
+                        devname);
+                exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    for(i = 0; i < MAX_VIRTIO_CONSOLES; i++) {
+        const char *devname = virtio_consoles[i];
+        if (devname && strcmp(devname, "none")) {
+            char label[32];
+            snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "virtcon%d", i);
+            virtcon_hds[i] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname);
+            if (!virtcon_hds[i]) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open virtio console '%s'\n",
+                        devname);
+                exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     machine->init(ram_size, vga_ram_size, boot_devices,
                   kernel_filename, kernel_cmdline, initrd_filename, cpu_model);
 
@@ -5529,6 +5571,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         dcl = dcl->next;
     }
 
+    text_consoles_set_display(display_state);
+
     if (monitor_device) {
         monitor_hd = qemu_chr_open("monitor", monitor_device);
         if (!monitor_hd) {
@@ -5543,12 +5587,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         if (devname && strcmp(devname, "none")) {
             char label[32];
             snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "serial%d", i);
-            serial_hds[i] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname);
-            if (!serial_hds[i]) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open serial device '%s'\n",
-                        devname);
-                exit(1);
-            }
             if (strstart(devname, "vc", 0))
                 qemu_chr_printf(serial_hds[i], "serial%d console\r\n", i);
         }
@@ -5559,12 +5597,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         if (devname && strcmp(devname, "none")) {
             char label[32];
             snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "parallel%d", i);
-            parallel_hds[i] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname);
-            if (!parallel_hds[i]) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open parallel device '%s'\n",
-                        devname);
-                exit(1);
-            }
             if (strstart(devname, "vc", 0))
                 qemu_chr_printf(parallel_hds[i], "parallel%d console\r\n", i);
         }
@@ -5572,15 +5604,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 
     for(i = 0; i < MAX_VIRTIO_CONSOLES; i++) {
         const char *devname = virtio_consoles[i];
-        if (devname && strcmp(devname, "none")) {
+        if (virtcon_hds[i] && devname) {
             char label[32];
             snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "virtcon%d", i);
-            virtcon_hds[i] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname);
-            if (!virtcon_hds[i]) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open virtio console '%s'\n",
-                        devname);
-                exit(1);
-            }
             if (strstart(devname, "vc", 0))
                 qemu_chr_printf(virtcon_hds[i], "virtio console%d\r\n", i);
         }