diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index c09537b861..67d137384e 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -372,6 +372,7 @@ void cocoa_display_init(DisplayState *ds, int full_screen);
 void vnc_display_init(DisplayState *ds);
 void vnc_display_close(DisplayState *ds);
 int vnc_display_open(DisplayState *ds, const char *display);
+void vnc_display_add_client(DisplayState *ds, int csock, int skipauth);
 int vnc_display_disable_login(DisplayState *ds);
 char *vnc_display_local_addr(DisplayState *ds);
 #ifdef CONFIG_VNC
diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 67ceb46a62..718935b881 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -1185,6 +1185,38 @@ static int expire_password(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
     return -1;
 }
 
+static int add_graphics_client(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
+{
+    const char *protocol  = qdict_get_str(qdict, "protocol");
+    const char *fdname = qdict_get_str(qdict, "fdname");
+    int skipauth = qdict_get_try_bool(qdict, "skipauth", 0);
+    CharDriverState *s;
+
+    if (strcmp(protocol, "spice") == 0) {
+        if (!using_spice) {
+            /* correct one? spice isn't a device ,,, */
+            qerror_report(QERR_DEVICE_NOT_ACTIVE, "spice");
+            return -1;
+        }
+	qerror_report(QERR_ADD_CLIENT_FAILED);
+	return -1;
+    } else if (strcmp(protocol, "vnc") == 0) {
+	int fd = monitor_get_fd(mon, fdname);
+	vnc_display_add_client(NULL, fd, skipauth);
+	return 0;
+    } else if ((s = qemu_chr_find(protocol)) != NULL) {
+	int fd = monitor_get_fd(mon, fdname);
+	if (qemu_chr_add_client(s, fd) < 0) {
+	    qerror_report(QERR_ADD_CLIENT_FAILED);
+	    return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+    }
+
+    qerror_report(QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER, "protocol");
+    return -1;
+}
+
 static int client_migrate_info(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
 {
     const char *protocol = qdict_get_str(qdict, "protocol");
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 926987b98a..dcf706592b 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -168,6 +168,11 @@ int qemu_chr_get_msgfd(CharDriverState *s)
     return s->get_msgfd ? s->get_msgfd(s) : -1;
 }
 
+int qemu_chr_add_client(CharDriverState *s, int fd)
+{
+    return s->chr_add_client ? s->chr_add_client(s, fd) : -1;
+}
+
 void qemu_chr_accept_input(CharDriverState *s)
 {
     if (s->chr_accept_input)
@@ -2146,6 +2151,22 @@ static void socket_set_nodelay(int fd)
     setsockopt(fd, IPPROTO_TCP, TCP_NODELAY, (char *)&val, sizeof(val));
 }
 
+static int tcp_chr_add_client(CharDriverState *chr, int fd)
+{
+    TCPCharDriver *s = chr->opaque;
+    if (s->fd != -1)
+	return -1;
+
+    socket_set_nonblock(fd);
+    if (s->do_nodelay)
+        socket_set_nodelay(fd);
+    s->fd = fd;
+    qemu_set_fd_handler(s->listen_fd, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+    tcp_chr_connect(chr);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static void tcp_chr_accept(void *opaque)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr = opaque;
@@ -2178,12 +2199,8 @@ static void tcp_chr_accept(void *opaque)
             break;
         }
     }
-    socket_set_nonblock(fd);
-    if (s->do_nodelay)
-        socket_set_nodelay(fd);
-    s->fd = fd;
-    qemu_set_fd_handler(s->listen_fd, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-    tcp_chr_connect(chr);
+    if (tcp_chr_add_client(chr, fd) < 0)
+	close(fd);
 }
 
 static void tcp_chr_close(CharDriverState *chr)
@@ -2256,6 +2273,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     chr->chr_write = tcp_chr_write;
     chr->chr_close = tcp_chr_close;
     chr->get_msgfd = tcp_get_msgfd;
+    chr->chr_add_client = tcp_chr_add_client;
 
     if (is_listen) {
         s->listen_fd = fd;
diff --git a/qemu-char.h b/qemu-char.h
index 892c6da9aa..f361c6d281 100644
--- a/qemu-char.h
+++ b/qemu-char.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ struct CharDriverState {
     void (*chr_update_read_handler)(struct CharDriverState *s);
     int (*chr_ioctl)(struct CharDriverState *s, int cmd, void *arg);
     int (*get_msgfd)(struct CharDriverState *s);
+    int (*chr_add_client)(struct CharDriverState *chr, int fd);
     IOEventHandler *chr_event;
     IOCanReadHandler *chr_can_read;
     IOReadHandler *chr_read;
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ int qemu_chr_can_read(CharDriverState *s);
 void qemu_chr_read(CharDriverState *s, uint8_t *buf, int len);
 int qemu_chr_get_msgfd(CharDriverState *s);
 void qemu_chr_accept_input(CharDriverState *s);
+int qemu_chr_add_client(CharDriverState *s, int fd);
 void qemu_chr_info_print(Monitor *mon, const QObject *ret_data);
 void qemu_chr_info(Monitor *mon, QObject **ret_data);
 CharDriverState *qemu_chr_find(const char *name);
diff --git a/qerror.c b/qerror.c
index 229d0d63e3..69c1bc9af7 100644
--- a/qerror.c
+++ b/qerror.c
@@ -197,6 +197,10 @@ static const QErrorStringTable qerror_table[] = {
         .error_fmt = QERR_SET_PASSWD_FAILED,
         .desc      = "Could not set password",
     },
+    {
+        .error_fmt = QERR_ADD_CLIENT_FAILED,
+        .desc      = "Could not add client",
+    },
     {
         .error_fmt = QERR_TOO_MANY_FILES,
         .desc      = "Too many open files",
diff --git a/qerror.h b/qerror.h
index 7ec0fc12d7..8058456d2e 100644
--- a/qerror.h
+++ b/qerror.h
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@ QError *qobject_to_qerror(const QObject *obj);
 #define QERR_SET_PASSWD_FAILED \
     "{ 'class': 'SetPasswdFailed', 'data': {} }"
 
+#define QERR_ADD_CLIENT_FAILED \
+    "{ 'class': 'AddClientFailed', 'data': {} }"
+
 #define QERR_TOO_MANY_FILES \
     "{ 'class': 'TooManyFiles', 'data': {} }"
 
diff --git a/qmp-commands.hx b/qmp-commands.hx
index 5d44edf4e7..54e313ce52 100644
--- a/qmp-commands.hx
+++ b/qmp-commands.hx
@@ -918,6 +918,33 @@ Example:
 
 EQMP
 
+    {
+        .name       = "add_client",
+        .args_type  = "protocol:s,fdname:s,skipauth:b?",
+        .params     = "protocol fdname skipauth",
+        .help       = "add a graphics client",
+        .user_print = monitor_user_noop,
+        .mhandler.cmd_new = add_graphics_client,
+    },
+
+SQMP
+add_client
+----------
+
+Add a graphics client
+
+Arguments:
+
+- "protocol": protocol name (json-string)
+- "fdname": file descriptor name (json-string)
+
+Example:
+
+-> { "execute": "add_client", "arguments": { "protocol": "vnc",
+                                             "fdname": "myclient" } }
+<- { "return": {} }
+
+EQMP
     {
         .name       = "qmp_capabilities",
         .args_type  = "",
diff --git a/ui/vnc.c b/ui/vnc.c
index 39b5b51fa9..8602adc68b 100644
--- a/ui/vnc.c
+++ b/ui/vnc.c
@@ -2924,3 +2924,10 @@ int vnc_display_open(DisplayState *ds, const char *display)
     }
     return qemu_set_fd_handler2(vs->lsock, NULL, vnc_listen_read, NULL, vs);
 }
+
+void vnc_display_add_client(DisplayState *ds, int csock, int skipauth)
+{
+    VncDisplay *vs = ds ? (VncDisplay *)ds->opaque : vnc_display;
+
+    return vnc_connect(vs, csock, skipauth);
+}