diff --git a/hw/mips_malta.c b/hw/mips_malta.c
index 6c77f5fea738b2feaee9e00b9ed4cb9525a0c777..b9b9a84dd27751fee9adf1e829c51e22517a6303 100644
--- a/hw/mips_malta.c
+++ b/hw/mips_malta.c
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ static MaltaFPGAState *malta_fpga_init(target_phys_addr_t base, CPUState *env)
     cpu_register_physical_memory(base, 0x900, malta);
     cpu_register_physical_memory(base + 0xa00, 0x100000 - 0xa00, malta);
 
-    s->display = qemu_chr_open("vc");
+    s->display = qemu_chr_open("vc:320x200");
     qemu_chr_printf(s->display, "\e[HMalta LEDBAR\r\n");
     qemu_chr_printf(s->display, "+--------+\r\n");
     qemu_chr_printf(s->display, "+        +\r\n");
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ static MaltaFPGAState *malta_fpga_init(target_phys_addr_t base, CPUState *env)
     qemu_chr_printf(s->display, "+        +\r\n");
     qemu_chr_printf(s->display, "+--------+\r\n");
 
-    uart_chr = qemu_chr_open("vc");
+    uart_chr = qemu_chr_open("vc:80Cx24C");
     qemu_chr_printf(uart_chr, "CBUS UART\r\n");
     s->uart = serial_mm_init(base + 0x900, 3, env->irq[2], uart_chr, 1);
 
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 648b36e432acec29377ada5399e73904b38ebb14..807e0354c5f50e31c3f0f692bae8a10c08f57af5 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -8310,14 +8310,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     kernel_cmdline = "";
     cyls = heads = secs = 0;
     translation = BIOS_ATA_TRANSLATION_AUTO;
-    monitor_device = "vc";
+    monitor_device = "vc:800x600";
 
-    serial_devices[0] = "vc";
+    serial_devices[0] = "vc:80Cx24C";
     for(i = 1; i < MAX_SERIAL_PORTS; i++)
         serial_devices[i] = NULL;
     serial_device_index = 0;
 
-    parallel_devices[0] = "vc";
+    parallel_devices[0] = "vc:640x480";
     for(i = 1; i < MAX_PARALLEL_PORTS; i++)
         parallel_devices[i] = NULL;
     parallel_device_index = 0;