diff --git a/os-posix.c b/os-posix.c
index 79fa2288e4..eabccb8fe0 100644
--- a/os-posix.c
+++ b/os-posix.c
@@ -360,3 +360,8 @@ int qemu_create_pidfile(const char *filename)
     /* keep pidfile open & locked forever */
     return 0;
 }
+
+bool is_daemonized(void)
+{
+    return daemonize;
+}
diff --git a/qemu-os-posix.h b/qemu-os-posix.h
index 8e1149d964..7f198e475c 100644
--- a/qemu-os-posix.h
+++ b/qemu-os-posix.h
@@ -46,4 +46,6 @@ typedef struct timeval qemu_timeval;
 typedef struct timespec qemu_timespec;
 int qemu_utimens(const char *path, const qemu_timespec *times);
 
+bool is_daemonized(void);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/qemu-os-win32.h b/qemu-os-win32.h
index 753679b194..b3e451b719 100644
--- a/qemu-os-win32.h
+++ b/qemu-os-win32.h
@@ -86,4 +86,9 @@ typedef struct {
 } qemu_timeval;
 int qemu_gettimeofday(qemu_timeval *tp);
 
+static inline bool is_daemonized(void)
+{
+    return false;
+}
+
 #endif
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 7c577fa544..48049ef0b6 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -3657,7 +3657,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         break;
 #if defined(CONFIG_CURSES)
     case DT_CURSES:
-        curses_display_init(ds, full_screen);
+        if (!is_daemonized()) {
+            curses_display_init(ds, full_screen);
+        }
         break;
 #endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_SDL)