diff --git a/hw/qdev-properties-system.c b/hw/qdev-properties-system.c
index 28813d3978..d9934b5b9c 100644
--- a/hw/qdev-properties-system.c
+++ b/hw/qdev-properties-system.c
@@ -136,9 +136,11 @@ static void release_chr(Object *obj, const char *name, void *opaque)
     DeviceState *dev = DEVICE(obj);
     Property *prop = opaque;
     CharDriverState **ptr = qdev_get_prop_ptr(dev, prop);
+    CharDriverState *chr = *ptr;
 
-    if (*ptr) {
-        qemu_chr_add_handlers(*ptr, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+    if (chr) {
+        qemu_chr_add_handlers(chr, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+        ++chr->avail_connections;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index bab2eb7a9a..ca9381bc0c 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -224,8 +224,6 @@ void qemu_chr_add_handlers(CharDriverState *s,
     int fe_open;
 
     if (!opaque && !fd_can_read && !fd_read && !fd_event) {
-        /* chr driver being released. */
-        ++s->avail_connections;
         fe_open = 0;
     } else {
         fe_open = 1;