diff --git a/include/sysemu/char.h b/include/sysemu/char.h
index edf76693d9..aff193f080 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/char.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/char.h
@@ -128,10 +128,18 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_new(const char *label, const char *filename,
 /**
  * @qemu_chr_delete:
  *
- * Destroy a character backend.
+ * Destroy a character backend and remove it from the list of
+ * identified character backends.
  */
 void qemu_chr_delete(CharDriverState *chr);
 
+/**
+ * @qemu_chr_free:
+ *
+ * Destroy a character backend.
+ */
+void qemu_chr_free(CharDriverState *chr);
+
 /**
  * @qemu_chr_fe_set_echo:
  *
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 908e7124eb..c4eb4eea31 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -3876,9 +3876,8 @@ void qemu_chr_fe_release(CharDriverState *s)
     s->avail_connections++;
 }
 
-void qemu_chr_delete(CharDriverState *chr)
+void qemu_chr_free(CharDriverState *chr)
 {
-    QTAILQ_REMOVE(&chardevs, chr, next);
     if (chr->chr_close) {
         chr->chr_close(chr);
     }
@@ -3888,6 +3887,12 @@ void qemu_chr_delete(CharDriverState *chr)
     g_free(chr);
 }
 
+void qemu_chr_delete(CharDriverState *chr)
+{
+    QTAILQ_REMOVE(&chardevs, chr, next);
+    qemu_chr_free(chr);
+}
+
 ChardevInfoList *qmp_query_chardev(Error **errp)
 {
     ChardevInfoList *chr_list = NULL;