diff --git a/ui/console.c b/ui/console.c
index 80d10c7a4c..9a16e1b743 100644
--- a/ui/console.c
+++ b/ui/console.c
@@ -2047,8 +2047,12 @@ static void text_console_do_init(Chardev *chr, DisplayState *ds)
 
 static const CharDriver vc_driver;
 
-static Chardev *text_console_init(ChardevVC *vc, Error **errp)
+static Chardev *vc_init(const CharDriver *driver,
+                        const char *id, ChardevBackend *backend,
+                        ChardevReturn *ret, bool *be_opened,
+                        Error **errp)
 {
+    ChardevVC *vc = backend->u.vc.data;
     ChardevCommon *common = qapi_ChardevVC_base(vc);
     Chardev *chr;
     VCChardev *drv;
@@ -2094,26 +2098,13 @@ static Chardev *text_console_init(ChardevVC *vc, Error **errp)
     if (display_state) {
         text_console_do_init(chr, display_state);
     }
-    return chr;
-}
 
-static VcHandler *vc_handler = text_console_init;
-
-static Chardev *vc_init(const CharDriver *driver,
-                        const char *id, ChardevBackend *backend,
-                        ChardevReturn *ret, bool *be_opened,
-                        Error **errp)
-{
     /* console/chardev init sometimes completes elsewhere in a 2nd
      * stage, so defer OPENED events until they are fully initialized
      */
     *be_opened = false;
-    return vc_handler(backend->u.vc.data, errp);
-}
 
-void register_vc_handler(VcHandler *handler)
-{
-    vc_handler = handler;
+    return chr;
 }
 
 void qemu_console_resize(QemuConsole *s, int width, int height)
@@ -2151,8 +2142,7 @@ PixelFormat qemu_default_pixelformat(int bpp)
     return pf;
 }
 
-static void qemu_chr_parse_vc(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend,
-                              Error **errp)
+void qemu_chr_parse_vc(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend, Error **errp)
 {
     int val;
     ChardevVC *vc;
diff --git a/ui/gtk.c b/ui/gtk.c
index 32df26e5d7..efa50524bf 100644
--- a/ui/gtk.c
+++ b/ui/gtk.c
@@ -1702,16 +1702,14 @@ static void gd_vc_chr_set_echo(Chardev *chr, bool echo)
 
 static int nb_vcs;
 static Chardev *vcs[MAX_VCS];
+static const CharDriver gd_vc_driver;
 
-static Chardev *gd_vc_handler(ChardevVC *vc, Error **errp)
+static Chardev *vc_init(const CharDriver *driver,
+                        const char *id, ChardevBackend *backend,
+                        ChardevReturn *ret, bool *be_opened,
+                        Error **errp)
 {
-    static const CharDriver gd_vc_driver = {
-        .instance_size = sizeof(VCChardev),
-        .kind = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_VC,
-        .chr_write = gd_vc_chr_write,
-        .chr_set_echo = gd_vc_chr_set_echo,
-    };
-
+    ChardevVC *vc = backend->u.vc.data;
     ChardevCommon *common = qapi_ChardevVC_base(vc);
     Chardev *chr;
 
@@ -1727,9 +1725,22 @@ static Chardev *gd_vc_handler(ChardevVC *vc, Error **errp)
 
     vcs[nb_vcs++] = chr;
 
+    /* console/chardev init sometimes completes elsewhere in a 2nd
+     * stage, so defer OPENED events until they are fully initialized
+     */
+    *be_opened = false;
+
     return chr;
 }
 
+static const CharDriver gd_vc_driver = {
+    .instance_size = sizeof(VCChardev),
+    .kind = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_VC,
+    .parse = qemu_chr_parse_vc, .create = vc_init,
+    .chr_write = gd_vc_chr_write,
+    .chr_set_echo = gd_vc_chr_set_echo,
+};
+
 static gboolean gd_vc_in(VteTerminal *terminal, gchar *text, guint size,
                          gpointer user_data)
 {
@@ -2317,6 +2328,7 @@ void early_gtk_display_init(int opengl)
     }
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_VTE)
-    register_vc_handler(gd_vc_handler);
+    /* overwrite the console.c vc driver */
+    register_char_driver(&gd_vc_driver);
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/include/sysemu/char.h b/include/sysemu/char.h
index 029b14c8b6..384f3ce9b7 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/char.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/char.h
@@ -505,9 +505,7 @@ void register_char_driver(const CharDriver *driver);
 
 extern int term_escape_char;
 
-
 /* console.c */
-typedef Chardev *(VcHandler)(ChardevVC *vc, Error **errp);
-void register_vc_handler(VcHandler *handler);
+void qemu_chr_parse_vc(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend, Error **errp);
 
 #endif
