diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 6271ad063438511c3479d0f0a2846b26493fc9fe..11dc98eba2e5f973381ff22dfd46497599a9b918 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@ static const char *data_dir[16];
 static int data_dir_idx;
 const char *bios_name = NULL;
 enum vga_retrace_method vga_retrace_method = VGA_RETRACE_DUMB;
-int request_opengl = -1;
 int display_opengl;
 const char* keyboard_layout = NULL;
 ram_addr_t ram_size;
@@ -2146,10 +2145,8 @@ static LegacyDisplayType select_display(const char *p)
                 opts = nextopt;
                 dpy.has_gl = true;
                 if (strstart(opts, "on", &nextopt)) {
-                    request_opengl = 1;
                     dpy.gl = true;
                 } else if (strstart(opts, "off", &nextopt)) {
-                    request_opengl = 0;
                     dpy.gl = false;
                 } else {
                     goto invalid_sdl_args;
@@ -2174,7 +2171,6 @@ static LegacyDisplayType select_display(const char *p)
         }
     } else if (strstart(p, "egl-headless", &opts)) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_OPENGL_DMABUF
-        request_opengl = 1;
         display_opengl = 1;
         display = DT_EGL;
         dpy.type = DISPLAY_TYPE_EGL_HEADLESS;
@@ -2211,10 +2207,8 @@ static LegacyDisplayType select_display(const char *p)
                 opts = nextopt;
                 dpy.has_gl = true;
                 if (strstart(opts, "on", &nextopt)) {
-                    request_opengl = 1;
                     dpy.gl = true;
                 } else if (strstart(opts, "off", &nextopt)) {
-                    request_opengl = 0;
                     dpy.gl = false;
                 } else {
                     goto invalid_gtk_args;
@@ -4371,7 +4365,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 
     qemu_console_early_init();
 
-    if (request_opengl == 1 && display_opengl == 0) {
+    if (dpy.has_gl && dpy.gl && display_opengl == 0) {
 #if defined(CONFIG_OPENGL)
         error_report("OpenGL is not supported by the display");
 #else