diff --git a/gdbstub.c b/gdbstub.c
index 35bf00978c..466368270d 100644
--- a/gdbstub.c
+++ b/gdbstub.c
@@ -2764,7 +2764,7 @@ int gdbserver_start(const char *device)
             sigaction(SIGINT, &act, NULL);
         }
 #endif
-        chr = qemu_chr_open("gdb", device, NULL);
+        chr = qemu_chr_new("gdb", device, NULL);
         if (!chr)
             return -1;
 
diff --git a/hw/mips_malta.c b/hw/mips_malta.c
index eedbadae0c..86a8ba07d3 100644
--- a/hw/mips_malta.c
+++ b/hw/mips_malta.c
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ static MaltaFPGAState *malta_fpga_init(target_phys_addr_t base, qemu_irq uart_ir
     /* 0xa00 is less than a page, so will still get the right offsets.  */
     cpu_register_physical_memory(base + 0xa00, 0x100000 - 0xa00, malta);
 
-    s->display = qemu_chr_open("fpga", "vc:320x200", malta_fpga_led_init);
+    s->display = qemu_chr_new("fpga", "vc:320x200", malta_fpga_led_init);
 
 #ifdef TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
     s->uart = serial_mm_init(base + 0x900, 3, uart_irq, 230400, uart_chr, 1, 1);
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ void mips_malta_init (ram_addr_t ram_size,
         if (!serial_hds[i]) {
             char label[32];
             snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "serial%d", i);
-            serial_hds[i] = qemu_chr_open(label, "null", NULL);
+            serial_hds[i] = qemu_chr_new(label, "null", NULL);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/omap2.c b/hw/omap2.c
index e32cd94d2c..7e5820a97b 100644
--- a/hw/omap2.c
+++ b/hw/omap2.c
@@ -782,7 +782,7 @@ static struct omap_sti_s *omap_sti_init(struct omap_target_agent_s *ta,
     s->irq = irq;
     omap_sti_reset(s);
 
-    s->chr = chr ?: qemu_chr_open("null", "null", NULL);
+    s->chr = chr ?: qemu_chr_new("null", "null", NULL);
 
     iomemtype = l4_register_io_memory(omap_sti_readfn,
                     omap_sti_writefn, s);
diff --git a/hw/omap_uart.c b/hw/omap_uart.c
index 09ae9f8abf..191a0c2ccd 100644
--- a/hw/omap_uart.c
+++ b/hw/omap_uart.c
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ struct omap_uart_s *omap_uart_init(target_phys_addr_t base,
     s->irq = irq;
 #ifdef TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
     s->serial = serial_mm_init(base, 2, irq, omap_clk_getrate(fclk)/16,
-                               chr ?: qemu_chr_open(label, "null", NULL), 1,
+                               chr ?: qemu_chr_new(label, "null", NULL), 1,
                                1);
 #else
     s->serial = serial_mm_init(base, 2, irq, omap_clk_getrate(fclk)/16,
-                               chr ?: qemu_chr_open(label, "null", NULL), 1,
+                               chr ?: qemu_chr_new(label, "null", NULL), 1,
                                0);
 #endif
     return s;
@@ -185,12 +185,12 @@ void omap_uart_attach(struct omap_uart_s *s, CharDriverState *chr)
 #ifdef TARGET_WORDS_BIGENDIAN
     s->serial = serial_mm_init(s->base, 2, s->irq,
                                omap_clk_getrate(s->fclk) / 16,
-                               chr ?: qemu_chr_open("null", "null", NULL), 1,
+                               chr ?: qemu_chr_new("null", "null", NULL), 1,
                                1);
 #else
     s->serial = serial_mm_init(s->base, 2, s->irq,
                                omap_clk_getrate(s->fclk) / 16,
-                               chr ?: qemu_chr_open("null", "null", NULL), 1,
+                               chr ?: qemu_chr_new("null", "null", NULL), 1,
                                0);
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/hw/usb-serial.c b/hw/usb-serial.c
index a0fbfcaa24..0637ee9aed 100644
--- a/hw/usb-serial.c
+++ b/hw/usb-serial.c
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ static USBDevice *usb_serial_init(const char *filename)
     filename++;
 
     snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "usbserial%d", index++);
-    cdrv = qemu_chr_open(label, filename, NULL);
+    cdrv = qemu_chr_new(label, filename, NULL);
     if (!cdrv)
         return NULL;
 
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ static USBDevice *usb_braille_init(const char *unused)
     USBDevice *dev;
     CharDriverState *cdrv;
 
-    cdrv = qemu_chr_open("braille", "braille", NULL);
+    cdrv = qemu_chr_new("braille", "braille", NULL);
     if (!cdrv)
         return NULL;
 
diff --git a/hw/xen_console.c b/hw/xen_console.c
index 8468891614..5789bd09a5 100644
--- a/hw/xen_console.c
+++ b/hw/xen_console.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ static int con_init(struct XenDevice *xendev)
         con->chr = serial_hds[con->xendev.dev];
     } else {
         snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "xencons%d", con->xendev.dev);
-        con->chr = qemu_chr_open(label, output, NULL);
+        con->chr = qemu_chr_new(label, output, NULL);
     }
 
     xenstore_store_pv_console_info(con->xendev.dev, con->chr);
diff --git a/net/slirp.c b/net/slirp.c
index ec7433fea9..3b39d21183 100644
--- a/net/slirp.c
+++ b/net/slirp.c
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ static int slirp_guestfwd(SlirpState *s, const char *config_str,
 
     fwd = g_malloc(sizeof(struct GuestFwd));
     snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "guestfwd.tcp.%d", port);
-    fwd->hd = qemu_chr_open(buf, p, NULL);
+    fwd->hd = qemu_chr_new(buf, p, NULL);
     if (!fwd->hd) {
         error_report("could not open guest forwarding device '%s'", buf);
         g_free(fwd);
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 9fd8028630..4eec8d1242 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -2603,7 +2603,7 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_opts(QemuOpts *opts,
     return chr;
 }
 
-CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open(const char *label, const char *filename, void (*init)(struct CharDriverState *s))
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_new(const char *label, const char *filename, void (*init)(struct CharDriverState *s))
 {
     const char *p;
     CharDriverState *chr;
diff --git a/qemu-char.h b/qemu-char.h
index a487454d59..097f0e6791 100644
--- a/qemu-char.h
+++ b/qemu-char.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ struct CharDriverState {
 QemuOpts *qemu_chr_parse_compat(const char *label, const char *filename);
 CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_opts(QemuOpts *opts,
                                     void (*init)(struct CharDriverState *s));
-CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open(const char *label, const char *filename, void (*init)(struct CharDriverState *s));
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_new(const char *label, const char *filename, void (*init)(struct CharDriverState *s));
 void qemu_chr_fe_set_echo(struct CharDriverState *chr, bool echo);
 void qemu_chr_fe_open(struct CharDriverState *chr);
 void qemu_chr_fe_close(struct CharDriverState *chr);
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 06a6f807a4..321bc1548e 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -1828,7 +1828,7 @@ static int serial_parse(const char *devname)
         exit(1);
     }
     snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "serial%d", index);
-    serial_hds[index] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname, NULL);
+    serial_hds[index] = qemu_chr_new(label, devname, NULL);
     if (!serial_hds[index]) {
         fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open serial device '%s': %s\n",
                 devname, strerror(errno));
@@ -1850,7 +1850,7 @@ static int parallel_parse(const char *devname)
         exit(1);
     }
     snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "parallel%d", index);
-    parallel_hds[index] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname, NULL);
+    parallel_hds[index] = qemu_chr_new(label, devname, NULL);
     if (!parallel_hds[index]) {
         fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open parallel device '%s': %s\n",
                 devname, strerror(errno));
@@ -1881,7 +1881,7 @@ static int virtcon_parse(const char *devname)
     qemu_opt_set(dev_opts, "driver", "virtconsole");
 
     snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "virtcon%d", index);
-    virtcon_hds[index] = qemu_chr_open(label, devname, NULL);
+    virtcon_hds[index] = qemu_chr_new(label, devname, NULL);
     if (!virtcon_hds[index]) {
         fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open virtio console '%s': %s\n",
                 devname, strerror(errno));
@@ -1897,7 +1897,7 @@ static int debugcon_parse(const char *devname)
 {   
     QemuOpts *opts;
 
-    if (!qemu_chr_open("debugcon", devname, NULL)) {
+    if (!qemu_chr_new("debugcon", devname, NULL)) {
         exit(1);
     }
     opts = qemu_opts_create(qemu_find_opts("device"), "debugcon", 1);