diff --git a/util/qemu-option.c b/util/qemu-option.c
index 2715f27e410cd1af7f45a04574cdc9f1d4906c23..e0ef426daa009a95180b8ec0c743c53ecf77d3f9 100644
--- a/util/qemu-option.c
+++ b/util/qemu-option.c
@@ -914,15 +914,7 @@ static QemuOpts *opts_parse(QemuOptsList *list, const char *params,
         get_opt_value(value, sizeof(value), p+4);
         id = value;
     }
-    if (defaults) {
-        if (!id && !QTAILQ_EMPTY(&list->head)) {
-            opts = qemu_opts_find(list, NULL);
-        } else {
-            opts = qemu_opts_create(list, id, 0, &local_err);
-        }
-    } else {
-        opts = qemu_opts_create(list, id, 1, &local_err);
-    }
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(list, id, !defaults, &local_err);
     if (opts == NULL) {
         if (error_is_set(&local_err)) {
             qerror_report_err(local_err);