diff --git a/ui/console.c b/ui/console.c
index 975eaf1570..db9aaf85f5 100644
--- a/ui/console.c
+++ b/ui/console.c
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ struct DisplayState {
     uint64_t last_update;
     uint64_t update_interval;
     bool refreshing;
+    bool initialized;
 
     QLIST_HEAD(, DisplayChangeListener) listeners;
     NotifierList console_notifiers;
@@ -376,6 +377,13 @@ void qemu_text_console_put_string(QemuTextConsole *s, const char *str, int len)
     }
 }
 
+static void qemu_console_add_to_qom(QemuConsole *con)
+{
+    g_autofree gchar *name = g_strdup_printf("console[%d]", con->index);
+    object_property_add_child(object_get_container("backend"),
+                              name, OBJECT(con));
+}
+
 static void
 qemu_console_register(QemuConsole *c)
 {
@@ -413,6 +421,10 @@ qemu_console_register(QemuConsole *c)
             }
         }
     }
+
+    if (c->ds->initialized) {
+        qemu_console_add_to_qom(c);
+    }
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1089,20 +1101,19 @@ void qemu_console_remove_notifier(Notifier *notifier)
  */
 DisplayState *init_displaystate(void)
 {
-    gchar *name;
+    DisplayState *ds = get_alloc_displaystate();
     QemuConsole *con;
 
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(con, &consoles, next) {
         /* Hook up into the qom tree here (not in object_new()), once
          * all QemuConsoles are created and the order / numbering
          * doesn't change any more */
-        name = g_strdup_printf("console[%d]", con->index);
-        object_property_add_child(object_get_container("backend"),
-                                  name, OBJECT(con));
-        g_free(name);
+        qemu_console_add_to_qom(con);
     }
 
-    return display_state;
+    ds->initialized = true;
+
+    return ds;
 }
 
 void qemu_graphic_console_set_hwops(QemuConsole *con,